Hearing more of the situation, if it were me, I’d try to find a closed front, nylon, ~100g fill stable blanket or durable liner with its own surcingles so it can be worn independently. Then I’d ask the barn staff to throw a turnout sheet or medium weight (depending on the weather) over top for turnout.
Once upon a time, that’s what a lot of barns did.
@Renn_aissance this is exactly the routine the barn wants. Take off shell to go in stall, throw on shell to go out. I appreciate the weight/fill recommendation! Weatherbeeta comfitech rubs this guy, Amigo too (and it ripped after half a season), but I haven’t tried a Rambo or Schneider’s QH cut. Smartpak runs huge apparently so I haven’t given them a fair shot either (that’s his current stable blanket that’s massive).
@Texarkana I will keep my eyes open for one of those nylon sheets!
Thanks everyone! At least I have a starting point!
Looks like you have found lots of help, but I will share some of my experiences.
I had worked in a large high level jumping barn where it hit -30C in the winter, all horses were fully clipped. The horses stayed in if it was very windy and nasty out as they did not have shelters. Each horse started out in the fall in just a no weighted rain sheet outside and nothing inside. As it got colder, they had a 100g fill liner that was left on inside and outside and the rain sheet thrown on top. This progressed into the 100g liner and a 300g outside with hood and most had a filled belly portion. As a worker, it is nice to layer the blankets. Normally I had to do 36 horses myself each morning. I found the liners that went over the head a pain in the butt to change, but once they were on I didn’t have to do too much with them.
For my own horses, I like to layer them with blankets with the front buckles. Just make sure the buckles and straps are not too large and bulky. If they are, you can always alter them. I tend to buy my horses liner to fit snugly, and the outside layer to be a bit large to have room for the blankets below.
Just make sure the blankets are breathable, and if you get them washed and rewater proofed, make sure it is with the right kind of waterproofer, some places will use ones that are not breathable, trapping in the body heat and making the horse sweat.
I would make very, very sure the base layer is very breathable, and many stable blankets aren’t breathable (enough) for activity. There are suitable turnout options in that light blanket/heavy sheet area
OK, if this were me/my horse:
I’d have a lined sheet for inside (my clipped horse does totally fine in 35-45 with just a sheet). Then toss either a medium or a heavy on over it for outside depending on the day.
Or by one blanket change–are you saying they wouldn’t pull that medium/heavy off when the horse is brought in–just truly dealing with the blanket once? Because that seems nearly impossible to deal with unless you just put on a medium and hope for the best all the time.
@Anna.m thank you! This is super helpful. I just want to have a workable system (instead of buying the wrong combos and/or something just a nightmare for the staff).
@B-burg_Dressage basically the staff will take one blanket off to come inside and put one on to go out. So I guess two changes a day. They will choose an appropriate weight blanket out of the ones provided BUT they won’t take a turnout off and put on a stall sheet during the same blanket change. If that makes sense?
OK, makes sense. Odd but doable. Echo everyone else to do a light liner/sheet/whatever and toss a medium or heavy on top for turnout.
So the “change” consists of a max of one blanket coming off and/or one blanket going on? Yeah, you definitely want to do this with turnouts instead of stable sheets/liners or your critter would be going outside in a liner at least once!
I think doubles are a great idea, especially liners. I just bought my mare a brand new system in the spring that has liners, and never really thought to buy doubles at the time (an outer sheet and two liners seemed enough of a splurge for one purchase). But now you’ve got me thinking … hmmmm…
I part-boarded a lovely gelding whose blankets were always SO rank, they smelled like sweat and always seemed to have a layer of poop coating the back half and leg straps. Yeuch. He would have benefitted so much from having a double to swap-out with.
I’m surprised how many of you find this system/policy odd… I think it’s pretty common here in the great frozen tundra. While of course I think “ideal world” stuff means unlimited, customized changes, I’ve worked in those places, and it’s honestly a giant time suck/PITA to actually do. Not really sustainable for many facilities that have staff ratios which make boarding affordable to the average Joe. If you get unlimited changes at a bargain, cool. If not, the way the OP’s barn does it is super easy to work with.
Think of it this way: You put on your horse’s underwear, the barn dresses him over that for recess. Everyone checks the forecast… you can decide if he needs long john’s or tighty whiteys (or commando!) to be comfortable through the night. The staff checks in the morning to see if it’s a day for raincoats or parkas. At the end of the day his “jacket” comes off and he goes back to sleep in his same skivvies. Unless, of course, when you come see your horse, you decide to change his undies. Or, worst case, a “weather change” is predicted and you just can’t get there, phone a barn friend who is, get them to do the change for you, and return the favour later.
There’s really no place in the scenario for a horse to get turned out in a liner. If by chance there is a sunny day that the barn declares “Naked party for everyone outside…woot woot!” and you didn’t get the memo ahead, they could simply strip off your liner in the morning - that’s still one change.
So, with all that said (phew) on to the actual question from the OP about which blankets to use in this system. Keep in mind I love blanket shopping, especially with other people’s money (just get one - no two - of everything!). But with (some) restraint, I’d actually say: stable sheet, stable blanket (middish-weight), rainsheet (X2 ideally), and turnout blanket (exact weight depends on your stable, weather, horse, etc, but probably something like 300gm).
Two options for both “inner” and “outer” allows for differing between “a bit chilly” and “damn it’s cold”. You can even layer everything together for the odd day of “F U Polar Vortex!” (Note, 3-4 blankets isn’t ideal long term due to pressure points/rubs, but better than buying a whole new blanket for 3 days of the winter. Unless you really want that pretty giant blankie, then I’m not gonna stop you. 
)
I’m also a mega-proponent of 2 rainsheets if your horse spends any amount of time outside, especially with “friends” (if that’s what you call some jerk who rips your blanket). Rainsheet #2 doesn’t need to be fancy or perfect, but it can stand in for rainsheet #1 or the turnout if they are out for repairs. It can even be used as the liner if one of the dedicated ones goes missing for a wash or something.
As for actual brands/models… I haven’t found perfect yet, and what is close to such changes horse by horse. I think there are a ton of great turnout options out there, and less great sheets/stable blankets. (PS. It sounds like your last one was either too stretchy or too big in the neck hole and pulled backward…super common.) I do tend to like Horseware best in this department (both sheets and the puffers). The Bucas stable blankets seem to be great on some horses, and slip sideways horribly on others. Bakers are the worst thing, ever. Period. Ironically, some “Fakers” are fine. I’ve seen some very cool blankets get imported from Europe with the horses, but I’m not sure how hard/expensive it is to import just the blanket without the horse!
One brand I’ve never tried, but heard is good for your horse’s build, is the HUG. I could see it being a good option as one layer in this system, simply to avoid layering buckles on buckles. Oh, and on that note, it can be nice to vary where the necks sit on your various layers… ie. if some are standard neck, aim for some Euro neck, so they aren’t all sitting on the exact same spot over the withers.
Wow…who knew I had that much passion for blankets to write a graduate level thesis!?!
Good luck, have fun.
I am a huge fan of the 100 gram turnout blanket. I find that it’s light enough horses don’t get too warm when the temps head up unexpectedly, but that it’s also enough even when temps get down to 30. I like it best in the Wug cut, too, as I find that even more versatile.
But I generally feel that most boarding barns overblanket their horses. (Happy to have them at home so I can fuss to my heart’s content!). I’ve always left instructions to layer my horse one weight less than all of the others, and it’s worked out well for us.
So if I were you, I’d probably plan on having my horse in either a turnout sheet or 100 gram blanket all of the time, and then plan on staff throwing something else on if necessary. Finding the right fit is key. With my difficult to fit horse (most blankets have too large of a neck opening and they slid back and get super tight on her shoulders), I find the Wug cut to be the best fit (although she does lose mane at the top of the blanket) with Rambo v-neck (I think is what it’s called) second best.
I second the poster that recommended the schneiders technofleece liner. I have the closed front one. My horse is a very difficult fit and it works great for him, I leave it as the base layer that others can add something over depending on the weather. In my perfect world schneiders woudl also make this exact blanket as a turnout because its perfect in many ways…
I think (it’s how I read it anyway) that many of the odd comments were when it seemed like it was a single blanket change, as per the original post - "Barn only does one blanket change a day - one blanket off/on. "
we later learned "basically the staff will take one blanket off to come inside and put one on to go out. So I guess two changes a day. "
Yeah the wording in the contract is “one blanket change” but I see the confusion.
Just ordered a high cut sheet (not WUG but we will see if it fits. He needed something ASAP as we are dipping into the 50s at night and windy outside).
Does anyone with the techno fleece know if the shoulders are nylon lined? I’ve always found that coolers/stable sheets with fleece lining rub like crazy cause they grab the hair.
Thanks everyone for the ideas! Never had a 100g sheet but I’m going to try to find a WUG turnout in that weight for him to live in, with maybe a techno fleece closed front as an alternative/switch out.
No worries about overblanketing this guy, unless he suddenly grows a yak coat at 9 years old (had him since 3) he’s always run chilly.
"Polar fleece layered in between 2 layers of nylon "
Adjusta-Fit® Tekno-Fleece® V-Free® Nylon Blanket Liner | Schneiders Saddlery (sstack.com)
I like my horse to be unblanketed as much as possible. But when he needs one (and the BO thinks he needs one more than I do!) I usually use this one with “tekno-fleece” https://www.sstack.com/armorflex-challenger-turnout-blankets/p/17121w/a1/100000000398/av1/100000007711/a2/100000000521/av2/100000008566/a3/100000000522/av3/100000008564/a4/100000000376/av4/100000008676/
I also have a liner for the very worst weather.
Ah, I see. That would indeed not make any sense. I guess the more accurate wording would be, “One blanket handled per change at turn-in and out.”
OP, what high cut sheet did you order? I don’t necessarily need one myself right now, but I’m always on the lookout for better-fitting options.
@Pally I ordered a Horze Avalanche zero fill on the smartpak sale. High neck, and looks to have a forward, high gusset. Good reviews on durability. My Weatherbeeta from last year as well as my Amigo are shredded, so I hesitate to go with those brands. I may try a Rhino HUG or Rambo (I know they’re all Horseware lines) if it doesn’t fit well.
The techno fleece has never cause a rub in all the years I’ve used it…
My barn manager loves the Rambo liner system, and encourages any boarder who needs a new winter turnout to get one, or an Amigo. Taking the liner on and off is really not that difficult, less then a minute each. There is no charge for blanket changes, and if the owner doesn’t adjust as needed, us barn staff will do it.
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