Horse blankets are often needed to keep your animals comfortable in a variety of weather conditions, especially if they prefer the pasture over the barn. We understand that there’s never going to be a perfect blanket for every condition — when meteorologists start talking about the polar vortex, you’ll need something particularly heavy; but summer showers often need just a sheet. However, we like to get a lot of utility out of blankets, and turnout blankets fit that bill. Having gone through several different styles and brands over the years, we wanted to highlight our four favorites, the best horse blankets that will get your animals through a lot of instances and keep them in good spirits.
Of course, you have to take care to buy the correct size. This video is a good one for helping you figure out where to measure to get your blanket sizing correct:
Here are some of the best horse blankets (turnout blankets) that we’ve used on our farms:
WeatherBeeta ComFiTec Plus Dynamic Standard Neck
This is our favorite, hands down. Our horses spend a lot of time outdoors, and few blankets seem to last more than a season. Our WeatherBeeta ComFiTec has now made it four seasons (beyond the generous three-year manufacturer’s warranty), and it’s still showing now signs of tearing. It’s a solid investment, and it’s made our aging horse, who tends to drop weight in the cooler temps, very very happy.
Features of this horse blanket include:
- 1200D triple weave nylon outer shell that’s both waterproof and breathable.
- Memory foam Wither Relief Pad to aid in lifting the blanket off the horse’s wither.
- Dual, Ezi-Clip front closures for adjustability and ease of use.
- Large, traditional shoulder gusset for natural movement.
- Elasticized, adjustable and removable web leg straps for a secure and comfortable fit.
- Reflective strips on chest and tail flap for added visibility.
- Twin, low cross surcingles.
- 220 grams polyfill for warmth.
Tough-1 1200D Waterproof Poly Turnout Blanket
This is probably the best turnout blanket that you’ll find at this price point, so if you’re a value shopper, this is a great one! It includes an Adjustable Snuggit neck so you can customize the fit of this blanket to your horse, plus it’s made of a 1200-denier ripstop poly outer shell with waterproof 210 lining.
Features of this horse blanket include:
- 300 grams of poly fill
- Fleece wither protection
- Crossed surcingles with elastic ends
- Adjustable leg straps with elastic ends
- Double buckle front
- Shoulder gussets allow freedom of movement
Amigo Bravo 12 Wug Medium 250g Turnout Blanket
You’re definitely in high-end territory now. The Amigo has a strong waterproof and breathable 1200D polyester outer, and a shine-enhancing polyester lining with fibrefill. The Wug high cut neck design gives a snug fit and eliminates wither pressures. Front leg arches, and cross surcingles are the standard features.
Features of this horse blanket include:
- Waterproof and breathable
- Comes with v-front closure
- Made from high-quality fabric
Bonum 1200D Ripstop 220g Turnout Blanket
This is one of the more recent blankets we tried out for a winter, and we were very pleased with how well it held up and how happy our horse was. If you have had past success with the TuffRider brand, Bonum is the most affordable option in the TuffRider collection. We genuinely like the wither relief that the blanket’s memory foam offers, and it includes a stretch shoulder gusset for improved range of movement.
Features of this horse blanket include:
- Clozease closures; easy on, easy off
- 210D Oxford lining
- Reflective Trim
- Low cross surcingles
- Tail flap
- Adjustable, removable leg straps
What is a turnout blanket?
A turnout blanket is the solidly medium-weight blanket for a horse — it won’t offer ideal warmth for the dead of winter, and it’s far too hot for the months bookending summer. Think of it as a good shoulder-season blanket, with waterproofing and breathability features to fight off a spring rain or to handle a crisp fall morning before the sun begins to warm things up.
Another popular type of blanket, a stable blanket, isn’t waterproof, which is a key difference between them and turnout blankets.
Are turnout blankets for winter?
It depends on your region’s climate as well as your elevation, but typically, a turnout blanket is considered lighter than the heavy-duty horse blankets owners gravitate to for winter. It’ll still be better than nothing to improve warmth, and turnout blankets have waterproofing and windproofing capabilities that make them advantageous in some conditions. Turnout blankets tend to be best for those early spring or late fall weather patterns.
The blankets on this list have less than 250 grams of polyfill, which means they’re not made for extreme temperatures, like when you drop into the teens Fahrenheit. Look for something in the 300+ range if you need a serious winter blanket.
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