Pretty self-explanatory question, I think: I’m looking for blankets for a new mare, and am slightly stumped here. She’s a small, narrow Arabian who wears a medium treed saddle, while I’m used to blocky boys and warmblood types who go in extra-wide.
Thus far Rambo and Weatherbeata have turned out to be too wide when the length is right, and the neck opening gapes in both brands. Noble Outfitters is a bit better, but still a bit on the broad side.
Any ideas?
When I had a young TB gelding who was so narrow he disappeared when you looked at him head on, I put him in Centaur. It worked great for him, and they weren’t particularly costly. Once he grew up a bit, he became much easier to clothe!
How small is she? I have a small, narrow GRP and I bought a Rhino Hero from Justforponies.com. Most small horse blankets hang on her like an oversized dress, but this one fit her perfectly.
She’s 14.2 and wears a size 68/69, so yeah - we could shop the pony department! What a brilliant idea! I’d never thought of that. JfP’s prices look really good too.
Thank you!
Have you tried Saxons? I see JfP has lots of them. I used to have one, and I distinctly remember it being very short and miniskirt-like on one of the broader guys. So maybe they’d be good for a slimmer build?
I really like the Saxons for my TBs, but I don’t know if they’d be small enough in the neck or not–all of my horses seem to have big shoulders so it hasn’t been an issue for me!
My gelding is narrow in front. He is 27 now and has a complete wardrobe of turnout blankets. Horze Avalanche. When I bought him 20 years ago I found some good ones cheap. They fit him perfectly. They went out of production. I started an extended fruitless search. Weatherbeeta is one brand that I recall. The problem I encountered was that they were cut generously around the neck. That meant wet shoulders and part of the neck. I called the store owner (still there after 20+ years) and she immediately suggested the Horze. She used them on her horses so she knew how they fit. I was skeptical when I looked them up online.
I found them in a booth at Equine Affaire: buy 2 get one free. They are really nice, well made with some interesting features. They have a high neck with a gusset so it rides over the withers without rubbing. Keeps him dry. The tail flap is huge. The shoulder gussets are very deep. There are 2 sets of T buckles in 2 rows at the chest that make them very adjustable. 1200D. Horze doesn’t have a great reputation for quality. These blankets break that mould.
I have a regular rain sheet and 2 fleece lined rain sheets, all of which will fit in my washer. A medium and medium with hood. Also a heavy weigh for extremely cold temperatures. I had to move to a new barn last year. It’s the only one within 30 minutes that has what we both need. They are expensive for Maine but boy is it worth it. As many blanket changes as are necessary. Just leave them hanging on the blanket rack on the stall door. Summer means fly spray and mask, sunblock on his pink nose, and fly sheets for those so inclined. Last winter I asked the BO what she wanted overnight. medium with or without the hood. Medium. At which point she headed down to the stall to blanket him, leaving me sitting in the tack room getting ready to go home.
He has a very classy wardrobe. A stall with an attached runout and heated Nelson. He is 27 and I’m 73. He does not look or act his age. It is a relief to know that he is being pampered and that i don’t have to check on him all the time. I don’t have to drive in snowstorms.
I gathered up my large collection of turnouts and donated them to the refuge barn 10 minutes away.
Oh, yes - I’m sure I saw the Avalanche somewhere in my shopping travels. I was struck by the high-neck design, which I thought was pretty nifty looking. Good to know it’s functional too.
Thank you! I’ll see if I can find it again . . . I really like the idea of all those chest buckles.
I have a gelding who has trouble with blanket necks gaping and sliding back. This would cause pressure on his shoulders and he would also end up with a wet neck. This answer for him is a Rhino wug. Rhino blankets are not as generous as Rambo blankets are, and the higher neck of the wug fits him perfectly. A 72” Rhino wug fits him like a glove - a 72” Rambo regular neck is awful on him.
Schneider’s VTek works best for my narrow, high withered boy. The neck line has a Velcro adjustment on either side to cinch the neck so it’s snugger.
They have a few different types of adjustable neck options so you might be able to find something to fit!
Wow. Great suggestions! These are going to keep me busy for a good long while . . .
I feel you! I have a honking big Friesian cross, but he’s a kinda narrow in the chest. Length wise he takes an 84” but I have issues with the neck opening being too big on lots of blankets. I did an old thread search and it seemed like Rhino was the brand to try. I haven’t decided if I want a Wug or one with a detachable neck yet. He’s got an upright shoulder, high neck set and some withers.
I saw a rhino w detachable neck in a fun berry colored plaid. Tempting
Another one for Rhino wugs. The high neck ones. Great blankets for the narrow types.
If you decide to go with the Avalanche google some tack shops regularly. I have found some really great sales which is why he has such a huge wardrobe. Usually it is very large or very small sizes. Mine is a 78 which usually is sold out. I did score the medium with hood for $115. I doubt I’ll see anything close to that anytime soon.
Yes! My girl also has very high head carriage, plus a reasonably wide chest, and then very narrow shoulders on top of it all. (Putting it like that, it sounds like a miracle that she actually manages to propel herself forward in three dimensions, but in real life she’s pretty cute, and is quite a nice mover too. 
)
Anyway, it sounds like Rhino and Avalanche are in the lead, so that’s where I’m going to start. I just hope I can find 68/69. Seems like a lot of stuff is out of stock in a lot of places - I imagine because of COVID.
Okay - hold the phone! Has anybody tried these???
I really like the fit of breed-specific SST blankets for TBs, warmbloods and minis, but I don’t know anything about the Arabian style. The neck looks great, but how about the width?
I have a narrow 15hh mare that can only go in the Horseware Ireland Rhino line. Not the Rambos though, they just about swallow her. Have tried the Horze Avalanche but gave her a bit of a rub and I prefer the Rhino quality although they may be pricier. However, she’s quite gentle on blankets so I don’t mind much.
I tried one of these and it didn’t work for my horse. YMMV, of course.
Haven’t tried them, but they do look interesting. My husband’s horses need new sheets, so maybe I’ll check them out. Thanks!
I have various Armorflex sheets and blankets in other breed versions, and absolutely love them. They’re tough as nails, don’t shift, and fit very well - at least on WIDE horses. Fitting stock and warmblood types seems to be one of the company’s strongest suits, in fact, so I’d definitely recommend them if your husband’s horses need generous sizing.
In other breaking news, I found both the Rhino Wug and the Avalanche at good prices and in Charlie’s size. All I have to do now is pick one.
My husband’s horses are definitely short and wide. Lol!
Thanks for the tip.
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