Right? Really curious but hesitant because it sounds too good to be true. Then again the Saratoga blankets I LOVE and were the latest and greatest with regards to technology were $400 back in 1998 and it came with an indestructible waterproof gortex sheet, fleece liner and microfiber liner. So basically a sheet and three blankets for $100 a pop. Those things lasted about ten years.
Definitely blankets. The liner is the inside layer, so you have to take the whole thing off, detach the pieces, then reattach the new one, and put back on. It’s two extra steps.
I like liners when you live in an area where you use the same weight for weeks at a time.
It works for me as a turnout system because of the above. All horses get changed into stable blankets at night, so no worry about needing to change liners every day for colder nights. If the horse is out from 8-12 or 12-3 every day, I end up using the same weight liner for weeks at a time before someone has to change the liner for a cold or hot snap.
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She’s out 24/7 if that changes your answer. She gets blanket changes because of saturation sometimes, so she’ll get her medium with a fleece because the heavy needs to dry out or her sheet with a fleece because the medium needs to dry. She lives mostly in the medium. I tell the staff to blanket for the day time high. If she’s a wee bit cold that’s better than over heating.
Oh I should probably add this. 40 she gets a sheet 32 she gets medium 20 she gets heavy at single digits she gets a fleece with her heavy but that’s rare where I am at.
Your swing there is less than 15 degrees. Are you so stable over 24 hours that that’s only a single blanket? That would be at least an am/pm swap anywhere I’ve lived. In some places, that would be heavy to naked daily, with everything in between.
I find swapping whole blankets light years easier than pulling a blanket and having to fiddle with a liner. When boarding, I’ve had barns refuse liners all together. On field board especially, trying to fumble a liner change in the dark, in the field, would be a total nightmare.
Liners may be fine if temps are so stable that blanket changes are infrequent. But unless the barn is really pro liner, swapping whole blankets is mucho easier for regular changes.
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Yes my swing isn’t much but I go with her comfort level. Prior to moving to VA she was self care and full care so I didn’t pull my temp ranges out of thin air. They are set to incorporate wind chill and knowing she doesn’t care about the shelter. I see your point about liners. Temps are pretty stable here. The set up is so that people aren’t doing things in a field. There is a small 18x18 foot catch paddock that we do things in that’s attached to the field.
My liner thing too is about blankets getting saturated.
You might consider trying a 100 gram. I don’t bother with sheets at all anymore–if they need clothes, they’re not hot with a little fill. Newer (quality) blankets also breathe better than what we had 20 years ago, so you might be able to update to keep her in warmer blankets at higher temps. I’ve been shocked at how warm it can be out with a dry horse in a heavy blanket when I’ve been surprised by a warm afternoon. I used to be in the “better chilly than warm” camp too, but not anymore. Blankets are just so much better than they were.
32 to 29 is not even a miss on the weather report, so being able to be a little more flexible at those temps would probably keep everyone more comfortable–from barn staff to your horse to you.
And just an example–I usually go with 100g above freezing, medium wug below freezing, heavy with full neck for zero. Ish. One winter they were just cold, so everything got stepped up…and they never sweat in 420g blankets even well above freezing when I’d miss an unexpected sunny afternoon. They would be dry and not overly warm at 45-50 deg temps, in these extra heavy blankets with full necks. Unclipped horses. Blew my mind. Stuff now is just different.
Sheets are for the cold rain. When I lived in CT I didn’t bother either. But it’s a thing with her. Also my degree ranges are ambient temps not real feel. Worked out well so far. The horses I had when I lived in CT, one would get a blanket at 40 or below, the other didn’t see a medium until it hit 25. Different horses and such
My point is you will probably find your temps change with your new blankets. Eliminating the medium that you use for a range of three degrees would simplify things and allow you to purchase one fewer things.
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Except that’s not conducive for her. I wish she was easier but she’s not. In her perfect world blankets would be an on demand change. I own a princess who needs to live outside. I’m not being woo woo about this just explaining the reality.
I think you’re missing the point.
Blanketing technology has changed since your Saratoga set, and that allows for greater range of comfort. What was necessary with your older stuff may not be necessary now. You will very likely have to reassess.
Regardless, expecting the barn to swap out liners for a three degree temp shift is probably a hard stop. Best to go with full blankets.
Um so that was when I had horses at home in New England. Said current horse has been fine with her blankets and regimen for 5 years but they got torn.
I’m looking for blankets that can stand up to pasture shenanigans not looking to change what I do and what works for my horse. This isn’t a thread about how to blanket my horse. This is a thread about what can I buy to mitigate destruction AND make it easy for the staff who are supposed to change blankets, fly sheets boot up whatever because it’s INCLUDED in the board.
Awesome the opinion is separate blankets rather than a system.
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I haven’t had an opportunity to read through all the previous replies yet, so I apologize if any of this is redundant. I too have a wide chested mare who lives outside with one blanket change a day in VA. I have tried a Dover blanket, a Schneider fly sheet, and a Weatherbeeta fly sheet and all three are uncomfortable across her chest. (I can tell because she reaches down with her mouth and jerks the blanket forward. She rips/ruins the front corners of the chest flaps in this way.) I’ve found that the Rambo is the best by far. I think it has lots to do with the special chest fasteners, but she does also seem comfortable in her Amigo sheet with straight front surcingles. The liners Horseware makes are well fitting and work wonderfully, but can be a bit of a pain to take in and out, especially with a blanket hood also attached. I can say from experience that while the Amigos are nice for many horses, I wouldn’t say they’re the best for those hard on blankets.
Consider starting a new thread specifically about that blanket system and you might get some useful replies 
Or update the title of this one and add something to the OP
Not knowing how these liners zip in/out, I can only imagine that changing blankets is easier.
But, if these inserts can be thrown on top, and zipped on, that’s different and might change my answer.
There are a couple of boarding places in my area that will not do blanket changes with liners, because of the time involved.
I’m with Simkie on this. I live in MD with horses out 24/7 so not too different from you. I have 100g for my easy keepers - who all get a bib or hunt clip in winter - and a waterproof sheet. Between those two they are good 85% of the time in winter. For the super cold days I have a med weight and neck cover.
i have found the smartpak blankets to be very good value.
Ahhh I see my typo! 20 not 29. Sorry will edit. I get I go by small increments but that’s the low for nights and high for days if you will.
Regardless, if she was an easy keeper in the winter I would agree, I could get by with a medium in the winter. But she’s not. So I can’t. I get it. Sounds weird but that’s how she rolls.
I also want to mention I have bought blankets in the last five years. I get they are different. They ripped hence the thread about blankets for a non-easy keeper that can withstand rough housing.
One last thought - if you’ve never tried layering a 80/100gm “sheet” on top of a medium weight blanket, especially if one of them is a high neck (or you attach a neck to one), you may not realize how much warmth that is. That’s all even my coldest horse needs when we hit a spell of low single digits and 20mph winds. The physically lighter sheet on top also creates an air pocket which traps more warmth - you wouldn’t want to put the physically heavier blanket on top of the sheet.
Thanks! I will try this route with the Schneider’s. Yeah I layer sheet over blanket. Have you met people that put the heavier weight over the lighter weight? I’ll try an 80gm and a 200 with a high neck.
Thank you all for the suggestions.
