Blankets: Denier & waterproofness?

[mvp]

Quick, basic question for y’all:

Does denier relate to the degree of waterproofage in blanket?

Would you think of a 600 denier sheet as a stable sheet only, or do you think it can withstand rain… a lot of rain… because the horse is a whacko and likes to stand out in it?

I have always bought 1200D or better, thinking that was about waterproofability… but higher denier is usually advertised as more or a hedge against sharp things like teeth rather than insidious, soft assaults like water.

Thanks for the clue.

[lolacaracola]

The number of deniers relates to the number of stitches per square centimeter of fabric. That is, the highest the denier, the more resistant the fabric. This is not related to waterproofage (does this word exist?? English is not my native language)

On top of that, even rugs that have been manufactured with waterproof fabrics can leak through the seams, if they have not been waterproof treated.

A 600 denier rug can be made of waterproof fabric, or can be waterproofed afterwards (there are products that are sold to waterproof rugs).

[Highflyer]

IME the higher the denier the longer the waterproofness tends to last, but that may be because the 600 denier ones tend to be lower quality in other ways.

[mvp]

[QUOTE=lolacaracola;8506474]
This is not related to waterproofage (does this word exist?? English is not my native language)[/QUOTE]

To be clear, “waterproofage” is not a word. Nor is waterproofability. Waterproofness might be a word, technically speaking, but it is an ugly concoction.
“Degree of waterproofing” might be the most correct phrase.

Too bad this is English and not German. German would have a single word for “degree of waterpoofing and durability (even vis-a-vis teeth)”… that was all one word and not ugly.

[mvp]

[QUOTE=Highflyer;8506485]
IME the higher the denier the longer the waterproofness tends to last, but that may be because the 600 denier ones tend to be lower quality in other ways.[/QUOTE]

Well, I’m between a rock and a hardplace. If I may rant:

Look, Dover has a lightly lined Hug Closure thing on sale that would be just the ticket for the warm-n-wet Pacific Northwest where I live with that horse who was born here and doesn’t mind getting soaked out in the rain… as did her ancestors. So I need waterproof. But it’s 600 denier. I don’t think the same contraption exists in a viable 1200+ denier version.

I want what I want: a horse is who dry when I come to ride her, who doesn’t have shoulder rubs, and who won’t get too hot ('cause blanket changes isn’t often to be found in barns in my area).

[shadedingray]

Denier is typically used to describe how tough and durable the fabric will be due to the number of stitches, like a previous poster described.

For example, my $60 600 denier sheet took a beating in 5 minutes and my 1200 denier midweight has lasted much longer.

[enjoytheride]

On the other hand I have had 600 denier sheets outlast 1200 denier sheets. I honestly think it is a big conspiracy with made up denier numbers to justify higher costs.

[lolacaracola]

Of course, you can have 1200 stitches in a square centimeter but if the yarn is bad quality, so it will be the fabric. I always buy the same brand of rugs, I clean them in the washing machine after the winter and they last for years. When they are worn down (but not broken) I give them to other horses in the yard or to rescue associations, and I buy new ones.

[fordtraktor]

Denier/blanket quality is important to me. But my horses are super hard on their clothes.

I had a 600 denier Amigo last 1 day. You got that, 1 day. As in, I put it on the horse, went out the next morning and found the horse naked and the blanket in pieces skattered around the field. He actually came up to the gate carrying a big hunk of it in his mouth. It was, as you can imagine, irrelevant whether it was waterproof.

That said, if you can get them to last, my boarder’s horses are kind to their clothes and her 600 denier sheets are still quite waterproof and several years old. I don’t think the two are necessarily related, if you can keep the 600 ones in one piece. I can’t.

[mvp]

I did know the technical meaning of denier going in. Do you guys think that the tightly-wovenness of a fabric contributes to its degree of water resistance? Or should we just start thinking of modern (and cheapening) horse blankets as a surface to put chemical waterproofing agents on?

Sorry for the real- and fake words, and bad grammar in the above paragraph. This topic does seem to invite that.

[ASB_Stars]

Generally speaking, I go for the higher denier so that the monsters do not tear the blankets up too quickly.

However, the 600 level is nice and slick, and light, so it is great for a 50 degree rain, whereas the higher level would be pretty warm. But then again, around here, the 600 might be in tatters by the time I see it.

I tend to think first of durability- like Rambo products- because if they rip the crap out of it, they aren’t going to be dry, are they? :lol:

[merrygoround]

Higher denier indicates a tighter weave, they are therefore inclined to not only hold their waterproofing longer, but also resist the tears inflicted by equine buddies. Waterproofing is also affected by the soaps or detergents used in washing. Blanket washes are worth the money, as so very little is used per blanket or sheet compared to the price or annoyance of re waterproofing or replacing.

[mvp]

Yeah.

So while I was on the phone with a fun CS rep at Dover, I told her that making a waterproof turnout with a hug closure (so that it can’t be layered and still have that effect on the shoulders) from 600 denier was a total waste of time. You just can’t buy it, no matter what the price. She agreed. She’ll pass on that rant to the CEO of Dover the next time they do lunch… or so she said when I instructed her to.

More ranting, more bad grammar. That’s what you get with bad blanket design.

ETA: Also, I thought of one more synonym for this thread’s central topic: Waterproofity. Do you like it?

[yourcolorfuladdictio]

[QUOTE=mvp;8507594]
Yeah.

So while I was on the phone with a fun CS rep at Dover, I told her that making a waterproof turnout with a hug closure (so that it can’t be layered and still have that effect on the shoulders) from 600 denier was a total waste of time. You just can’t buy it, no matter what the price. She agreed. She’ll pass on that rant to the CEO of Dover the next time they do lunch… or so she said when I instructed her to.

More ranting, more bad grammar. That’s what you get with bad blanket design.

ETA: Also, I thought of one more synonym for this thread’s central topic: Waterproofity. Do you like it?[/QUOTE]

Lol good one.

Did she instruct you at all about shape of horse to shape of blanket? Your horse may get rubs because he is to narrow and needs a wug type neck or is too wide, and may fit well in any number of very wide chested blankets. But I’m assuming your horse falls into the first category as you are so desperately searching for a blanket that doesn’t rub. Try a wug neck. Get a good measurement from center of chest to back of the point of the butt going over the point of the shoulder, round down for Rambo and up for everything else in the horseware line. If the Rambo binds do the original with leg arches. But try the wug first.

[mvp]

[QUOTE=yourcolorfuladdiction;8507610]
Lol good one.

Did she instruct you at all about shape of horse to shape of blanket? Your horse may get rubs because he is to narrow and needs a wug type neck or is too wide, and may fit well in any number of very wide chested blankets. But I’m assuming your horse falls into the first category as you are so desperately searching for a blanket that doesn’t rub. Try a wug neck. Get a good measurement from center of chest to back of the point of the butt going over the point of the shoulder, round down for Rambo and up for everything else in the horseware line. If the Rambo binds do the original with leg arches. But try the wug first.[/QUOTE]

No she did not, as a marro fact.

And I could use a Neck Shape Tutorial.

This little horse is my first Dressage Build and also, she’s a Pear. So while she’s adding muscle and getting better, she has narrow shoulders compared to her fat rib cage further back and her neck is set on high rather than low. Think of her as the opposite of a quarter horse, where you might want a long, laid-back neck opening.

[stryder]

[QUOTE=mvp;8506782]
I did know the technical meaning of denier going in. Do you guys think that the tightly-wovenness of a fabric contributes to its degree of water resistance? Or should we just start thinking of modern (and cheapening) horse blankets as a surface to put chemical waterproofing agents on?

Sorry for the real- and fake words, and bad grammar in the above paragraph. This topic does seem to invite that.[/QUOTE]

I tend to buy higher denier blankets, and they’ve lasted well, with fewer rips. I’ve gotten discouraged about waterproofity (nice word, btw) and am engaging in a little experiment. I’m going to stop having the horse laundry people waterproof them with their environmentally friendly whatever.

Instead, I’m sending the blankets and sheets out to be washed, then bringing them home to spray on 303 Fabric Guard. Still early in the trials, but with the rain we’ve had, it won’t take long to figure out if this is working. And if it does, I’m going to get a 600 denier sheet for warmer weather.

[mvp]

[QUOTE=stryder;8507956]
I tend to buy higher denier blankets, and they’ve lasted well, with fewer rips. I’ve gotten discouraged about waterproofity (nice word, btw) and am engaging in a little experiment. I’m going to stop having the horse laundry people waterproof them with their environmentally friendly whatever.

Instead, I’m sending the blankets and sheets out to be washed, then bringing them home to spray on 303 Fabric Guard. Still early in the trials, but with the rain we’ve had, it won’t take long to figure out if this is working. And if it does, I’m going to get a 600 denier sheet for warmer weather.[/QUOTE]

Lemme know how it goes… in Western Washington. You live in the deluge that I do (Willamette Valley), so a hard-core, scientific, environment-be-damned approach to waterproofing is required. Sorry to say that last bit.

[stryder]

You are exactly where I am. I want something that works.

[fordtraktor]

I recently bought a few cans of “Atsko Silicone Water Guard”. It got the best reviews I could find. Trying to re-waterproof a few Rambos. Might want to check that one out but too early for me to let you know for sure. So far so good. None of the horse ones have ever done anything for me. I got it in a 3 pack on Amazon. Sprayed them out on the deck on a good day and left them to dry thoroughly. 1 can per sheet. Maybe overkill but I don’t want any wet ponies!

I strongly think denier is about tear-ability and not waterproof-ability as I have had waterproof-ness die in blankets of all sorts of denier. the waterproof layer is often not even the outside layer. It certainly isn’t in Rambos, the waterproof layer is an inner layer.

The silicone will kill breathability but when it already leaks, that’s just part of keeping an older blanket going. A new Rambo will breathe but I would rather spend $10 than $250 and the only thing wrong with them is leaking so…

[enjoytheride]

SStack has some of their blankets/sheets on sale right now and they fit my half arabs really well. 1200 denier.

Also, this blanket is cheap enough AND 1200 denier so if it doesn’t fit right you aren’t going to cry

http://www.jefferspet.com/products/economy-plus-turnout-sheet-brown-navy-skirting?via=5338848b9fa2600f00000196%2F5338848f9fa2600f000001ea%2F533884909fa2600f000001f0