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Useful Horse Blanket Tips How to measure your horse for a winter blanket How to measure your horse for a winter blanket If you have a new horse and you have never had to measure for a blanket before, here are a few tips to help you out. The first thing you need to do is get a long measuring tape and someone to help out. It is always good to have a second pair of eyes to get the most accurate results. Start the tape at the center of your horse’s chest. Follow the horse’s body around the shoulder, through the length of the barrel, around the hip, and end the tape in the center of the horse’s tail. Most European blankets are measured in three inch increments. American blankets are measured in two inch increments. What should you do if your horse measures 77 inches? In a European styled turnout rug that runs large, we would normally recommend going down a size to a 75. In an American styled rug that runs true to size, we would recommend going up to a size 78. You should also take your horse’s body type into account as well. If you have any questions about blankets or about measuring your horse, please feel free to call or e-mail us for assistance! Blanketing Your Horse With hundreds of styles to choose from, picking out the best winter blanket for your horse can be an overwhelming experience. Each year blanket manufacturers are coming out with tougher materials and new high tech features. Manufacturers are finally listening to the needs of horse owners and making blankets that not only hold up to abuse but keep your horse happy and comfortable through all weather conditions. How tough is your horse on his clothes? This will help you determine how strong of a blanket you need to purchase. Make sure you ask the denier count of the blanket you are considering. The higher the denier count, the stronger the blanket. A 600 denier turnout blanket may be perfectly suitable for a horse turned out in a pasture by himself. However, if your horse is out in a pasture with some rough buddies, the blanket you purchase should have at least a 1200 denier thread count. As a rule of thumb, always go for the very best quality you can afford. Will you be body clipping your horse? This will help determine how heavy of a blanket you will need. Generally speaking, most unclipped horses will be fine throughout the winter with no more than a medium weight blanket. Unless you have a clipped horse in a particularly cold environment, it is often a safer bet to purchase a medium weight blanket along with a blanket liner as opposed to investing in one heavy weight blanket. An average medium weight blanket has 180 – 220 grams of polyfill. Heavy weight blankets usually have 300 – 400 grams of polyfill. Will your horse be turned out in damp weather conditions? If so, make sure the blanket you purchase is 100% waterproof and breathable. When waterproof blankets were first introduced, the waterproof coating did not allow air to ventilate through the blanket and horses would get sick from the perpetual dampness (sweat) against their skin. Today, most waterproof blankets are Teflon coated which keeps the water out but allows air circulation. Newly introduced high neck blankets have a higher cut neck line and eliminate water leakage through the neck. These blankets are ideal for horses kept outside in rough weather conditions. Blankets advertised as stable blankets are NOT waterproof and are designed for indoor use only. Temperature Guide
Unclipped Horse:
Clipped Horse:
Blanket Care and Storage How to take care of your blanket in the off-season to get the most years out of your investment. Once the winter cold, snow, and rain has ended, what do you do with your horse’s winter clothing? Just like your own winter outerwear, you will need to properly clean everything and store it in a safe place until next winter. Let’s start with the dirtiest of them all, the turnout blanket. Most major brand turnout rugs are treated so they are waterproof and breathable. Because of this treatment they must be washed very carefully. The best way to do this is by using a front-loading washer on the delicate cycle with cold water. A top-loading washer is not recommended because the surcingles can get caught in the agitator and tear the blanket. A non-detergent blanket wash, such as Rambo wash or Eqyss Micro Tek, is the recommended cleaning agent. However, if a blanket wash is not available, a low sudsing non-detergent soap is recommended. DO NOT use any type of enzyme based or oxi-clean product. These products will destroy the waterproof coating. If you have a very dirty blanket, try some gentle soap and a medium bristle brush to scrub the bad spots before loading it in the washing machine. Once the blanket has been washed, do NOT put it in the dryer. The heat from the dryer will melt the waterproof coating and you will no longer have a blanket that will keep your horse dry. The best way to dry your blanket is to hang it in a cool dark area. A dry basement or barn works great. It may take a while to dry, but it will help you to keep your blanket waterproof much longer. Hanging a blanket in the sun will compromise the integrity of the waterproof treatment. When the blanket is completely dry, you can go ahead and fix any tears with a waterproof blanket tape. These repair tapes are designed to be waterproof and breathable, just like the blanket. Do not stitch a tear in a turnout rug. Once you put a stitch in it, it will no longer be waterproof in that spot. Stable blankets are cleaned the same way as a turnout rug. You may put a stable rug in the dryer on low heat although it is not recommended. If you do use a dryer, you may want to tape all of the buckles to protect the inside of the dryer. Make sure the blanket is clean and dry before attempting any repairs. Before storing your blankets, make sure they are totally dry. If not, they will hold moisture and mildew quickly, thus ruining the blanket. Fold the dry blankets and place them in a plastic bag, then seal the bag to keep out moisture. Once you have all of your blankets ready to be put away from the season, you may store them in a tack trunk or any place that is not in your way, but away from rodents that might want to make a nest in them! Then you’ll be ready to pull out nice clean blankets next season! |
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