Is my horse too hot or too cold under his blanket?

That is the check we use on our heavyweight turnout blankets page, and it works for any weight. Warm and dry means the blanket is about right. Damp hair or steam means too much. Shivering means too little, or a horse who is wet and losing heat.

Reach in past the coat and feel the skin and the hair next to it, not the surface of the blanket. A thick winter coat can feel fine on top and be damp underneath. Do it at the same point every time so you are comparing like with like.

Rutgers' Equine Science Center suggests checking a short time after you put a blanket on a horse. If he is sweating, the blanket is too warm and a lighter one is the answer. If he is shivering, he needs more warmth. The University of Maine's blanketing bulletin says to check the forecast daily when you decide what he wears, so build the hand check into the same daily routine.

Frozen whiskers or ice beads on the fetlocks do not mean he is cold. Rutgers says they are fine as long as his coat is dry and he is not shivering.

The University of Maine bulletin spells out how it happens: a blanket put on at 10°F and left on when it climbs to 40°F can leave the horse sweating, and that can lead to shivering come nightfall when the temperature drops again. The sweat is the problem, because a wet coat cannot insulate.

EQUUS magazine says the same thing from the other direction: a horse who sweats under a too-heavy blanket can become dangerously chilled when the temperature falls. Penn State Extension tells riders to take the blanket off on warm days so the horse does not sweat and get wet under it.

If the skin is only a little damp, take the blanket off, let him dry, and go to the next weight down. If the coat is wet, dry him before anything goes back on; our wet horse page covers how. A mediumweight is the usual step down from a heavyweight, and our medium weight turnout blankets page shows the range.

Some horses simply run hot. That is not a fault; they just need less than the chart says.

Those are the two cold signs the University of Maine bulletin lists. Rutgers adds that snow melting on a horse's back means he is losing heat, while snow that sits on his back suggests he is holding it in.

Wet makes everything colder. Penn State says as little as 0.1 inch of rain can cause cold stress by soaking the coat, and Rutgers says to dry a wet horse with a fleece or wool cooler before adding anything heavier. A blanket on a wet horse does not warm him; it holds the damp against his skin.

Condition matters. Rutgers notes that overweight horses carry extra insulation and may need blanketing later, while underweight horses may need it sooner. Penn State lists a body condition score of 3 or less as a reason to blanket. A horse who is shivering hard, listless or just not himself deserves a call to your vet, not another blanket.

Here is the whole check in one place, as it appears on our heavyweight page:

EQUUS magazine says that when temperatures fluctuate, blanket for the anticipated high, because a horse who sweats under a too-heavy blanket can chill when it drops again. Our heavyweight page makes the same point: a heavyweight left on through a mild afternoon can leave a horse sweating, and a damp coat chills him overnight.

This is where the daily check earns its keep. If you can, look again after the warmest part of the day. If you cannot be there, a lighter shell with a liner you can add or remove is one way to cover the swing; our liner or heavyweight page compares the two setups. Another is the weight guidance in our blanket weight page.

The University of Maine bulletin suggests taking the blanket off in the morning when temperatures rise so the horse can regulate himself, and using a thermometer in the barn, since a barn at or below the outside temperature may still call for a stable sheet. Everything sits on the forecast, so check it daily.

Rutgers says a horse in a shelter conserves up to 20% more body heat than one fully exposed, and about the same if he can lie on clean bedding. Penn State's rule of thumb is to blanket when there is no shelter during turnout and the temperature or wind chill is below 5°F, and it lists body condition and health as reasons to blanket earlier.

Inside the barn, the University of Maine suggests keeping a thermometer where the horse lives, since a barn at or below the outdoor temperature may still call for a stable sheet. Stable blankets are not waterproof, according to Rutgers, so they stay indoors. If your horse goes from a warm barn to a cold field, plan the blanket for the field and check him when he comes back in.

Rutgers says a horse with a full, dry winter coat may be comfortable down to about 18°F, a figure it draws from beef cattle studies and says is likely similar in horses, and that the number rises to about 59°F if the animal is wet, clipped or in a summer coat. Penn State adds that woolly horses with thick coats can retain more heat, so it is sometimes better not to blanket them at all.

Seniors, clipped horses, hard keepers and horses new to the cold are the ones our heavyweight page flags as getting cold sooner. A horse that runs hot or lives in a stall usually needs less. The chart gets you to a starting range; the hand under the blanket decides.

Published charts disagree with each other, which is why we lined five of them up on our what weight blanket page. The blanket weight calculator and blanket selector are quick ways to a starting weight.

EQUUS says to remove blankets daily, or at least every other day, because skin disease, weight loss and injuries can go unnoticed under them. Rutgers says to remove it at least once a week for grooming and to look for weight change, skin fungus and rubs. Penn State adds that a continuously worn blanket should come off regularly to be inspected and straightened if it has twisted.

Fit is part of comfort. EQUUS suggests a quick check: your hand should slide in easily between the blanket and the withers, and at the shoulders and over the hips. Watch him graze to be sure a chest buckle isn't pressing when he lowers his head, and keep the belly straps no lower than three inches below his belly. Our blanket cut page and blanket sizing guide help if the fit looks off.

A spare blanket helps through a wet week, and so does a note on each blanket. EQUUS suggests sewing a bright patch or attaching a tag to each blanket with the temperature range it suits, which helps anyone helping at the barn.

That stitches together what the sources say. The University of Maine bulletin says to check forecast air temperatures daily. Rutgers says to check a short time after blanketing. Our heavyweight page says to check once a day, and again after the warmest part of the afternoon. EQUUS says to take blankets off daily, or at least every other day, to look underneath.

• Morning: check the forecast for the high as well as the low.
• After putting the blanket on: hand under at the shoulder and withers, warm and dry.
• After the warmest part of the day: check again for damp or sweat.
• Every day or two: blanket off, look at his skin, weight and the straps.
• Weekly at least: full groom with the blanket off (Rutgers).