What blanket do you use?

[gottalovethecowgirl]

So i am breaking down and buying a horse blanket this year! I was wondering what blankets are the best. My mare is out on pasture and stalled at night. Whats your preference and what is the cheapest but still is durable? (I know thats way hard to find)

[Crosswinds Rescue]

Cowgirl,

We love teh SHIRES brand blankets. they have some really nice features -- partiuclarly the 'long neck' wither protection, extra strong outer shells, patch material included, great buckles, etc - and they cost roughly half of a weatherbeeta. Drawback - they come in only one color per weight; grey is "arctic grade"; red is heavyweight, and so on.

If you'd like to see a photo, i think i have one of our 23yo retired OTTB in her grey one that has not only the "long neck' withers cover but also has the permanently attached neck warmer (not a neck sweat).

AMC
cwer.org

[appychik]

For the money, you can't go wrong with Schneider's blankets (see: www.sstack.com). They have many styles and weights. If you're going to blanket, I'd definitely get a waterproof sheet (so no fill) and a midweight (around 200g of fill or there abouts). That way you have some options.

Personally, my boys have a huge wardrobe... many sheets, midweights and heavyweights plus cooler options. I'm slowly transitioning my blankets from mismatched stuff to Schneiders, but the old stuff just won't die.

Other then Schneiders, I like the Dover Northwind blankets and Mastas. I also have a Shires that I love, but they tend to be pretty spendy. Look for at least 1200 denier, the 600 denier stuff tears a lot easier, and if you horse is turned out with others or just active in turnout in general, you may not get multiple seasons from the blankets if they are a lower denier. (Whew, that was a long run-on sentence!) Just an FYI.

[Cloverbarley]

I only buy Horseware blankets. Most of my horses have Rambos but I do keep some Amigos for the youngsters as they are cheaper and generally only last one winter with these guys. With blankets you really do get what you pay for and if I was you I'd try to push the boat out and buy the best one you can afford.

[saddleup]

My three all wear Rambo's. One blanket is 14 years old, and another is 10 years old. Well worth the money up front to have them last like that.

[JustTrails]

I agree with AppyChik, Schneider's is great. Wide variety, great prices and customer service. I also like WeatherBeeta, have one midweight that has held up for 8 seasons.

[BoysNightOut]

Have been really happy with Schnieder's. My horse's blankets look great even after a few years now.

[gottalovethecowgirl]

Thanks guys! I started to look and got overwhelmed :) but with the sudden burst of winter we are having around here i thought since i have extra cash i would go and buy two. (I have heard you can never just have one...;))

Thanks again!:winkgrin:

[Hunter Mom]

WeatherBeeta - Mare is on year 4 with her mid-weight and going strong. Waterproof, still in great shape. Hers is an Orican.

[luvs2ridewbs]

I agree Hunter Mom. I have been very satisfied with my Weatherbeetas. Though, I would probably buy Rambos if I could afford them. I also have a Dover Northwind T/O that is very durable.

[kcmel]

Love the amigos. They fit great and are cheap. I haven't had any problem with durability. I like them much better than the Schneider's, personally.

[theoldgreymare]

Most of our clients horses are in Rambos. I used to to doubt that they were worth the money but I switched my own ponies over to Rambos and Rhinos last year after becoming a believer. We have a few with Scheider's blankets as well and they are very durable and I really like the euro cut on the WB's. I have to say that I do have one Weatherbeeta high neck pony blanket that is still going strong at eight years of age though!

[Trevelyan96]

The Dover Northwinds are awesome blankets. I have a 'blanket destroyer' and his northwind is going on its 3rd year without a single tear. He did break the clip, but that was an easy fix.

What you buy should be determined by the weather in your area. Here around MD we get crazy temp fluctuations, and I don't clip, so my guys each have 1 unlined turnout sheet, 1 medium weight turnout, a slightly warmer stable blanket, and a wool dress sheet. They go naked down to 40 degress if its dry and not windy. If its below 50 and wet or windy, the sheet goes on, and if it going to stay below 40, they get the medium weight. For those rare cold snap below 20, I throw on the stable blanket with the waterproof turnout, or the medium with the wool sheet.

The smartpack catalog has temp guidelines for blanketing, but every horse is different. Easy keepers with heavy coats can get by with less protection than a thin skinned TB that doesn't grow a coat.