Blanket Help Needed ASAP

[LuckOfTheIrish91]

I have a 17.3hh Irish Sporthorse (every bit of his Irish Draught influence at 1550lbs). I am having a SUPER hard time finding a blanket that fits him. He currently has a 82'' Pessoa midweight and a 81'' Rambo midweight. The pessoa fits him pretty well and then rambo is like a mini-skirt.

I do NOT have a ton of money to spend on a new blanket but he needs a new turnout blanket either midweight or heavyweight. Must be over 1000D, 1200D+ preferred. I was lucky and found his pessoa on a major sale (paid $70ish for it) and his rambo came with him.

Any ideas? I can find blankets that fit him chest to tail. However nothing is having a big enough drop down the side and I'd like to stay under $100 if possible, I have the broke college student syndrome!!! I have to find him a blanket ASAP because we're already having snow!

[butkrustag]

Have you tried the Rambo XL line? They fit my 17.1 draft cross very well. They are expensive, but I think worth it.

[deltawave]

Waiting until the snow is flying sort of takes you out of the "find a great bargain" zone, unfortunately. :) I buy heavy winter blankets in April. :D

I always recommend Schneiders for the largest variety of blanket options in one place, and although their prices have crept up over the last couple of years, their quality is very good and they're still a good deal, IMO. You probably want to look for the warmblood styles with the long "drop", and I know Schneider's has a couple but there are other brands, too--hopefully someone will chime in with specific names.

[marta]

we have a giant irish sport horse in our barn and he wears rambos. i realize they're not cheap but they're high quality and they will last. if you could hold off until after the holidays you'd probably find a better deal.

the other irish sport horse, not nearly as big as the first one but still a nice sized horse, wears rider's international.

[jn4jenny]

From one poor grad student to a poor college student, what exactly is wrong with the ones you've got? It's almost always cheaper to repair, re-waterproof, etc. than to buy a new one. If you are concerned about not having a heavyweight, buying a blanket liner is cheaper and more versatile than buying a whole new heavyweight blanket.

That said, if you are determined to go new, I agree with deltawave's advice to try Schneider's.

[MIKES MCS]

My Europeon Supplier makes a blanket that is supposed to be a 82" however we recently discovered it is FAR bigger than that and comes down very low.. We discovered this by accident as we ordered the blanket for a 16 hd fat Long TB and it should have fit but it was HUGE on him.. It did however fit his pasture mate a 17hd Draft cross that weighs about 1400lbs . HE has plenty of room .. If you are interested feel free to email me I can pass on the supplier to your local tack shop .. the blankets retail for under $150.00 and they are HI NECKs and very nice .

[shoponee70]

if your guy is a 'stout' sort like my old guy who was half draft, the SHIRES line of blankets fit him great. they are designed for the broader horses, so they fit a bit better in the chest and over the spine / wither area..
i'M not sure whose carrying them these days but usually theres someon on ebay w/ them.

the other blanket i had good luck fitting him in was the 'hug' blankets. they gave him lots of freedom in the chest w/o constricting his movement, and when he would put his head down to graze it wouldnt stress over his withers and leave a scar. =)

good luck!

[Moderator 1]

We merged your two threads on this topic together under Horse Care to avoid duplication. If you'd like to try it out in another forum after it's had a chance here, please feel free to send me a note and we'd be happy to move it over for you.

Thanks!
Mod 1

[ThoroughbredFancy]

I know it's more money then you'd like to spend but try the Rambo XL. You can't beat the quality and I think it will have enough room in it. If you have an older Rambo you might be able to trade it on and get some $$ off the purchase of a new one. I am not sure if that deal is still going on but it was for awhile.

I know Schneider's has some Long Drop blankets and they have their Big fella line but I, personally, have had bad experiences with them. Shires is also another brand to consider.

[LuckOfTheIrish91]

His pessoa is fine...He just needs another blanket for layering purposes. The rambo is just a miniskirt on him. I'd like to find cheap i just don't have the money to buy a rambo.

[fredsaid2]

His pessoa is fine...He just needs another blanket for layering purposes. The rambo is just a miniskirt on him. I'd like to find cheap i just don't have the money to buy a rambo.

How about a liner then? Schneiders has fleece and fiberfill blanket liners up to sz 86. I've used the fleece version, they're pretty nice and only $45.00.

[jn4jenny]

His pessoa is fine...He just needs another blanket for layering purposes. The rambo is just a miniskirt on him. I'd like to find cheap i just don't have the money to buy a rambo.

So why not just put one blanket on over the other? If you think one won't fit over the other, buy an extension for the Rambo. Problem solved for $25:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130347197195&rvr_id=&crlp=1_263602_263622&UA=M*F%3F&GUID=a20f55d011e0a043a98344c3ffce37d2&itemid=130347197195&ff4=263602_263622

If that won't work, buy a fleece liner to go under the Pessoa. Problem solved for less than $50:
http://www.sstack.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=2638&itemType=PRODUCT&RS=1&keyword=liner

[Romany]

I second or third the Rambo XL - they'll custom-make them in larger sizes, too.

Or talk to Saratoga for a polartec liner - they often have them on sale, and again, will custom-make them in larger sizes.

[onelanerode]

I believe Dover has a full-fit/warmblood line of blankets in their Rider's International brand. I think they come in medium and heavy weights, and IIRC they're 1200D and fairly reasonably priced. I don't know what size they go to though.

[Phaxxton]

The Dover warmblood cuts are economical and a little longer than your average blanket. The Centaur blankets are also nicely priced and won't give the "miniskirt" effect. My friend had a 17.3h TB with similar problems - the Centaur worked well for him and was not expensive. However, while he was SUPER tall, he probably wasn't as wide as your guy.

Rambo XL is great and will last you forever... but they are a bigger initial investment. I've found the Baker turnouts are long enough, but I don't have any over 16.2h right now... A few 17+h-ers at my barn have them, though, and look fine in them.

[2DogsFarm]

http://www.shipshewanaharness.com/ProductCart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=45&idproduct=283

Not bargain-priced, but certain to fit your guy.

[AKB]

We use the Rambo XL on our Irish Draughts. They are the only blankets we have found that fit them well. Our boys always have access to shelter. We rarely blanket them. Most IDs have plenty of fur and fat to protect themselves from the elements. As long as they can get into a run in shed or barn, and have ample hay, they usually don't need to be blanketed. If he can't get into the run in, he should be blanketed. We use the medium weight Rambo XL on the rare occasions when we need to blanket.

Sometimes, there is pressure to blanket a horse, even though it is not necessary. A little girl used to stop by and feed our child loving, older, Irish Draught treats on her way home from school. One day, she asked me why Herbie didn't have a coat like the other horses in the neighborhood. She didn't believe me when I said he was warm without it. I actually made Herbie wear his blanket, just to show her Herbie did own a "coat" like the other horses in the neighborhood.