And do share more please. About liners. I’m struggling there. I find my liners dig in too. AND, my PSSM guy measures 72 (and he’s very baroque - curvy) so anything 72 feels tight. I’ve experimented w 75s and even a 78 just seeing if it helped.
What is the secret to liners that help everything?
I have a vision of a super light, waterproof blanket but it does not seem anything like that exists?
IMO wind is best accounted for by using “feels like temperature” and for rain just making sure the blanket or sheet is truly waterproof. For both windy and rainy conditions I use a turnout with a neck cover.
More importantly IME is the individual horse. I used to be on the “everyone over blankets” bandwagon, but after owning two cold weather wimps I’ve changed my tune. If your horse is cold, put a heavier blanket on him. If he’s steaming, take the blanket off.
For reference, I live on the Gulf Coast where there is no such thing as it getting cold and staying cold. It can be 80 degrees and 25 degrees in the same week. The horses can’t acclimate to cold very well as it doesn’t stay cold. I change blankets at least twice a day for my horses at home. I blanket my mom’s horse differently bc I don’t go to his barn twice a day unless it’s extreme weather.
I think what I’ve decided to do is just “one up” the layer for the cloudy/windy and rain/sleet/snow - IE, if i was planning to do a sheet for the day if it was sunny, if it is going to be super windy, I’ll do a medium… of course, like everyone says, all dependent on the horse and the situation… i can only get to barn 4-5 times a week
Some of the WeatherBeeta blankets have memory foam wither relief padding at the withers. If the cut of the WB fits the horse in question, my experience is that padding is very comfortable for the horse. I think Schneiders has a similar feature on their Senior blankets.
The Premier Equine Buster blankets market as relieving pressure on the spine. The neckline is cut so it falls well in front of the wither and shoulders. I really like this blanket, but again if it is a good fit for the horse in question. IMO these run a tad large and they are heavier than some other brands.
My big horse fits best in the Amigo XL line bc it’s roomy enough everywhere to avoid pressure points. I also appreciate that even his 84” 250 gram isn’t beastly heavy. I don’t trust the waterproofing for very long so that’s a PITA.
I’ve spent an embarrassing amount of money buying blankets trying to get optimal fit for my horses bc I agree with you that pressure on their spines is worrisome. But trying different brands and styles is the only way to find out which ones fit the horse best!
I don’t use liners- just rugs. (I want to have enough clothing that if any rug needs to be taken out of circulation for repair or washing, the horse can be appropriately dressed for whatever weather through a combination of the others.) My horse fits well in the Horseware family of rugs but Rambo, Rhino, and Amigo all have slightly different cuts, so that helps.
If you haven’t tried it already, their XL cut is suitable for horses with broader shoulders, so it might fit your Baroque types.
I will try that. Great idea.
This is what I do. I have my temperature ranges for sheet/medium/heavy and then add the 0 fill neck cover to adjust for wind and rain. I think I am finally going spring for a neck cover with fill for those few bitter cold days or snow that we get (North Carolina) or if I ever do clip him again i.e; I’m actually riding through winter.
I try not to get too much into the weeds of “it is cloudy?”. I do look at the forecasted low/high and what time it might hit that low/high. We get significant swings every 12 hours so I do the best I can. The other night we were forecasted in the mid 30’s but at 7PM it was still in the 40’s. Sometimes I pull the Yankee Pony’s blanket on a frosty morning knowing it will be high-50’s later on.
I also try to give myself some grace. I don’t always get the blanketing right…but Yankee Pony is fat and cleaning up his meals. I must be getting more right than wrong. 
Yeah, my barn blankets at dinner around 5pm and it can be 50+ degrees, but it’s going to be 18 by midnight. Hate that! Luckily modern blankets are pretty breathable, so they don’t seem to mind wearing a medium and hood when it’s that warm. In the mornings they get top layers pulled, so they may be a bit chilly for a couple hours but they seem to handle it fine.
We do have some flexibility to bring them in early or leave them in until later if someone is around, and that helps with stormy afternoons or if they accidentally get wet and need to come in and dry.
I use the Real Feel to account for rain/wind/etc, a chart in 10 degree increments, and just blanket off that. I have two horses that run cold, and they get bumped up to the next warmth level vs the normal horses. We also have three fuzzy beasts that only get sheets if it’s rainy. It works pretty well.
I like the adjustability of detachable neck covers! FWIW I have no fill and filled neck covers and do think there is a marked difference between say a 0 gram and a 150 gram neck cover.
I also have a horse that gets too hot if he’s wearing anything other than a flysheet if it’s sunny and over 55; I’ve pulled many a blanket off him on a cold morning knowing he’d rather be cool for a bit than sweating later in the afternoon.
Really appreciate your thoughts on this thank you. I can picture the wither relief on the WeatherBeeta blankets and that is an idea. I did order a Premier Equine Buster in 90gram and do like it except I always feel vulnerable with the front closure just being the two snaps and one velcro attachment. The triple closure system of the Rambo has me feeling more secure.
Is there a specific cut on the PE that you are referencing? Which model?
OK, while I swore I would not order another blanket this year – I too am nearly (no I am) embarrassed how many blankets I own, I will order an Amigo XL. 
So, if my guy measures a 72 -what size would you have me order?
In the south it doesn’t get cold cold but we get a lot of rain and moderate wind. 40 degrees and pouring is so much worse than a cool dry sunny 10 degrees. We get a damp that seeps into your bones and makes even a staunch outside horse stand by the gate looking longingly at the barn. No horse coat can withstand three days of 35 and pouring.
In high wind or rain I blanket 5-10 degrees more warmly.
Sunny
45 - naked
40-45 - no fill sheet
32-40 - 100 g
25-32 - 200 g
<25 - 350 g
I always defer to management on logistics and best judgement. Im not hyper monitoring the exact temperature and am going off of best effort and real feel. I’m dealing with a thick full coat but 48 and raining she prefers a sheet. 32 and blowing sideways with humid air and gray skies she’d prefer a medium weight and ideally a barn thank you very much.
I like the triple Velcro closures too. The Amigo XLs have the same system! My guy wears an 84” across the board. I tried an 81” XL I got on close out (older style) once and it left his butt exposed lol. If anything I think the PE blankets are cut longer in the spine than the Amigo XLs. Though I’ve only had the PE Buster w detachable neck. I’d probably get his regular size in the XL. IMO only the surcingles and neck covers run quite big. Though if your horse has a really long neck or a very big barrel you might not have those issues at all!
The XLs fit my guy the best out of everything I’ve tried on him. He can graze and there is 0 pressure anywhere. I have the whole kit; sheet, medium, both hoods and both liner weights.
The SmartPack Deluxe Oversize line is also an option but I dunno if they go down to 72. I have that for my mom’s draft and it’s very comfortable and breathable. These are on sale right now FYI. I almost ordered a HW for my guy but I don’t think he needs it so resisted. I’ll probably regret it later lol
I’ve just settled confidently into the knowledge that whatever I do will be wrong in three hours and I simply have to decide how I want to be wrong. He runs cold now, which I know because if I err on the “too cold” side he comes in muscle-tight, so I usually choose to be wrong on the warm side. When my horse was young, if he felt too warm in his clothes, he would solve this problem by undressing himself. He shredded a Rambo into ribbons and made the barn manager cry. Now, thank goodness, if it’s a fine evening and I’m turning out at 3 and it’s sunny, I can rug him for the 15 degrees it will be overnight, and if he feels a bit warm, he will just go stand in the shade. I am grateful that his problem solving skills have evolved in this way.
@PaddockWood Amigo runs true to size. Buy his measured size, NOT his Rambo size (which is usually one size smaller than measured.)
Adams only has the liners in 75. Since it has the attachments up at the withers it would seem being up one size would be OK? Or anyone else with an opinion on sizing!
They have the 72’s at Horseware but I like Adams and I like the points. 
Worst case scenario, you have to return the liners I guess!
Perfect example what we’re talking about with weather variations. This morning, 25 degrees, no wind and go out to check the mare in 90 grams and him in 200 and both HOT. Pulled both blankets.
Meanwhile it felt like 28 when I fed breakfast this morning and my little pony was chilly in 350 grams. Though to be fair, his neck cover is only 150 and he was wearing a 100 gram liner under a 250 gram medium so perhaps the liner was squished down and not as effective as it could be. Horses!
WOW! And how much of a coat does he have? And I always think of liners as keeping them even warmer because of the layers.
I didn’t order the Amigo XL…yet. Will wait for a sale. The addict in me was all over it and pricing everywhere and had cart ready to go and it’s all not cheap -the blanket, liners, hood. Then I realized wait a minute…this can wait. And my VISA is at 5 grand. Need to get that down.
My elderly mare has three Rhino blankets: a sheet, a 100g, and a 250g. But, she runs warm and in spite of her age is blanketed lighter than the other horses where she lives. If her blanket makes her too warm, she won’t eat her hay, and since she’s decided to become a hard keeper this winter, it’s better for her to be a little chilly than too warm if we want to keep her eating.
Assuming not super windy or precipitating:
Above 30, she’s naked during the day. At night she gets a sheet or the 100g if the low is below 40.
20-30, 100g
10-20, 250g
Below that, layer 100g and 250g
The horses live outside with sheds, but BO has stalls for them if it’s really cold… In 2 1/2 years at this barn, they have been in for exactly one night, when it was 12 below with windchill of 28 below.
Neck covers added or removed as needed. But only one neck cover at a time.
She usually doesn’t get her evening blanket on until after it’s dark.
Today, we have a high of 10 degrees and a bit windy so she’s in her 100g and 250g, only the 250g neck cover though. She has as much hay as she can eat in her nets, and the BO is giving her some loose hay as well. I also use leg boots in front when it’s this cold. They go all the way to the ground. We worry about winter laminitis with her.
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