The Fall Layering Guide
Forty degrees at six in the morning. Seventy by noon. Pouring by Thursday. Fall is the one season a single blanket cannot solve, so here is what each layer actually does -- and when to reach for it.
What goes on, and when
This is the same warmth-and-temperature chart we publish on our blanket product pages, so what you read here matches what you read on the item itself. It is a starting point rather than a rule -- wind, rain, age and whether a horse lives in or out all move things a step in one direction or the other.
| Weight | Stable | Turnout | Short or clipped coat | Medium or full coat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheet | No insulation | No insulation | 50–65°F | As needed |
| Tekno-Fleece® | Moisture wicking | Moisture wicking | 40–60°F | 30–50°F+ |
| Lightweight | 180g | 80–100g | 40–60°F | 30–50°F+ |
| Medium weight | 280g | 220g | 35–50°F | 30–45°F |
| Heavy weight | 440g w/ Tekno-Dri® | 380g | 20–40°F | 15–30°F |
| Extra heavy | 500g | — | Subzero–20°F | Subzero–15°F |
Coat matters as much as the thermometer. A clipped or short-coated horse needs roughly a step more than a horse in full winter coat at the same temperature, which is why the chart splits them. And two things move a horse up a step regardless: wind and wet -- a dry horse at 35 degrees is usually more comfortable than a soaked one at 45.
Turnout Sheets
A turnout sheet is a waterproof outer layer with no fill in it at all. Its entire job is to keep rain off a horse who is out in it, and to do that without adding warmth a 55-degree day does not call for.
Turnout Blankets
Same waterproof shell, but with fill inside -- usually 100g to 400g. The fill is what makes it a blanket rather than a sheet, and it is the number worth paying attention to.
Stable Sheets
A stable sheet is not waterproof and is not meant to be. It is a light indoor layer that goes on a clean horse in a stall, or underneath a turnout as an extra layer.
Stable Blankets
A quilted, filled blanket built for the stall rather than the field. No waterproof shell, which is exactly why it breathes better and sits softer than a turnout of the same weight.
Coolers
A cooler is a fleece or wool layer that pulls moisture up and off the coat. It is not there to keep a horse warm so much as to stop a wet one from getting cold.
Slickers
A slicker hood is a stretch lycra layer over the neck and shoulder. It lies flat against the coat and stays there.
Sheet or blanket? Turnout or stable?
Four questions sort every layer in this guide.
| Question | One answer | The other |
|---|---|---|
| Is it waterproof? | Turnout sheet, turnout blanket | Stable sheet, stable blanket, cooler |
| Does it have fill? | Turnout blanket, stable blanket | Turnout sheet, stable sheet |
| Where does it live? | Turnout: the field | Stable: the stall |
| What is it solving? | Rain, wind, cold | Warmth, cleanliness, drying |
The rule of thumb
- Sheet keeps water off. Blanket adds warmth. In a cold autumn rain on a summer coat, you usually need the first one first.
- Turnout goes outside. Stable stays in. A stable blanket in the field will soak through and stay wet.
- Layer rather than jump a weight. A stable sheet under a lightweight turnout is more flexible than one heavy blanket.
- A wet horse gets cold fast. That is what the cooler is for, and why it is worth owning one you are not precious about.