Calling All BUCAS BLANKET Owners

[GraceLikeRain]

Could I really body clip my mare and use the Bucas Power Light and use it from 60 degrees down to 0?!

I started another thread about finding the best turnout sheet for my mare and someone mentioned Bucas. The Bucas light is advertised as being suitable for -20 to 20 C. The $270 price tag makes me want to hurl but if I could truly use one blanket 24/7 from November-April then it seems like a no brainer :eek:.

My barn has a strict 2 blanket limit so this winter I opted not to body clip so I could make do with a medium and turnout sheet. If the Bucas is really that versatile I could body clip her and then toss a liner on underneath her sheet if we got a freak snow storm.

I am having a surprisingly difficult time finding out the differences between the different Bucas lines. Does anyone have any first hand experience with the Bucas Power Light??

What is the Bucas Power Combi Neck? Does it offer the same benefits?

[horsepoor]

I have the Bucas power light and find it to be a nice, useful blanket, but would not give it the temp range that they advertise. It is kind of like a regular sheet outside with a flannel blanket inside (not thick at all) and no fill - none of the fluffy fiberfill that heavier blankets have. It is really useful for days when my unclipped horse needs a light blanket but I don’t want him to overheat if the sun comes out, and I’m thinking that’s temps in the 40s or maybe low 50s. I can’t see it being enough for a fully clipped horse except in a pretty mild climate.

It is a great blanket, and I have two that have been in use for probably 10 years now that are only just starting to lose their waterproofed-ness. But I’m not inclined to believe the advertising!

[NZEVNTR]

I love mine. I use it on a clipped horse in fairly cold weather. If it’s extremely cold, I put a breathable canvas type rug on top. My horse is stabled at night and turned out during the day. It’s very useful and it’s held up very well for my horse.

[cloudyandcallie]

I agree with horsepoor. I
bought one for Hattie at a terrific price on the “steal of a deal” thread. She’s wearing it in 30s at night here. I’d not use it for 60 degrees though. I’ve been looking at the Bucas sunshower for years. Some cothers have said it works well for warmer weather. Since Rambo doesn’t advertise a rug for warm weather, I just ordered a sunshower at a great low price for Cloudy. But of course, you can only have 2 rugs at your barn.

Have you looked at the Rambo Optimo? Does your barn’s 2 blanket rule apply to liners? Technically, it’s one blanket with 4 liners.:lol: You have to buy the other 3 liners separately, but that 400gm that comes with it will work for the zero degree weather. I bought optimos for Cloudy and Hattie. And am still looking for good deals on the lower fill liners on www.thefind.com.

ETA I have taken liners off and put them on with the rug still on my horses.

[dalpal]

On a clipped horse at 60 degrees, personally, I think you’d be fine. The light weight ones are simply sheets with a light lining. They are breathable. I probably wouldn’t use one on an unclipped horse in 60 degrees, but clipped, I wouldn’t have a problem. No different than an unclipped horse in 60 degrees.

Keep looking for a deal, but they are really nice blankets.

[dalpal]

Oh…forgot to add…get you a nice liner for cold weather. I bought the BOT indoor blankets when they were on closeout, now when it’s really cold, I put those on with a sheet on top.

[Sport]

I have the Bucas Smartex Turnout Medium and I love it.
I don’t think I would want to go to the plus 20 in it, but Sport has worn it up to 15 with no problems.
He has worn it to the -20 with no indications of being cold.

Now having said that he is not clipped, but doesn’t grow a heavy coat. He is not our for a long time on the cold days.

[LauraKY]

Is the barn’s two blanket limit rule because of storage space or because they don’t want to deal with more blanket changes?

I went the liner route for a couple of years. It was fine for 2 horses, not so great and a big PITA for five. I still have them, and they’re great if a horse has rainrot (you can disinfect them and throw in the dryer). And, I have one on one of my guys today because his blanket needs a repair and the extra medium weight is still wet from yesterday. So, sheet and liner and out he goes.

All of mine have a sheet, midweight and heavyweight. Maybe you could swap out blankets depending on the seasons and only keep two at the barn?

[EventerAJ]

I was the one that posted about the Bucas Power sheet on the other thread. Yes, I do use it for a wide variety of temperatures. My horses generally live outside (not at my house) and need to stay warm & dry without a lot of intensive blanket switching.

On a clipped horse, I would probably use a liner under the sheet below 40-45 degrees in dry weather, or 50 degrees on a cold wet windy day. It does work very well for layering-- the fuzzy lining is resistant to slipping off to the side of an underblanket. I’ve left the sheet on a clipped horse up to 65 degrees – to keep the horse clean – and the horse isn’t too hot.

For a horse with some hair, they’re perfectly fine down to the freezing mark, and all the way up to 60 if they’re quiet. A horse that runs obviously could get a little sweaty.

My Bucas is only one piece of a very extensive equine wardrobe…but it’s probably the one blanket/sheet I wouldn’t do without.

[GraceLikeRain]

@LauraKY;6024693

Is the barn’s two blanket limit rule because of storage space or because they don’t want to deal with more blanket changes?

Both? I am at an incredibly co-op barn that exceeds my expectations in every way but it does require some sacrifices. As a boarder we are each required to work a set number of shifts per month (I work 3x the minimum to cut down on board) so the barn is set up in a way to help the morning shift run in about a hour and the night shift in two to two and a half hours. If everyone had 3-4 blankets (and some would even have more if they could) it would easily add 30-45 minutes on to the morning and night routine. In my mind being limited to two blankets is a very small sacrifice for the wonderful care and freedom I have over my horse’s daily care.

We do have a nice loft above the barn so I definitely could swap out blankets to keep the two most relevant available.

Right now I have a sheet, a spare sheet (not waterproof), a stable blanket, a medium weight turnout blanket, and a heavy weight stable blanket (arriving this week).

My mare has a bib clip but it is 70 degrees this week and I am so sick of having a nasty, sweaty horse. She current schedule is:

60-45: Turnout sheet
45-32: Turnout Blanket
32-20: Sheet over blanket
Below 20: Sheet over heavy-weight stable blanket

With this routine (plus 7 lbs of concentrated feed & 6-7 flakes of hay & 12 hours of turnout) I can keep her weight up enough to only lightly see her back rib.

I want to body clip her so badly but I don’t want her to lose condition because she isn’t staying warm.

I was considering the Bucas because I was thinking I could use it from 60-40 and then her heavy-weight stable blanket under the Bucas for below 40. I don’t know if that’s really any different than getting a 100 gram blanket to replace my turnout sheet?

I don’t know. Bottom line I want a healthy, happy horse and ideally I want her clipped. On our freak warm days she really struggles to stay cool through a whole ride and she still sweats with a bib clip even if it is 45 degrees.

Help?

[cloudyandcallie]

Hmmm, that’s right. I forgot that people do put a blanket and a sheet on the same horse at the same time. I’m neurotic about surcingles. That would give me 2 more to worry about. It’s bad enough that Rambo now gives me 3 surcingles to worry about. Two surcingles were plenty. So you do have more leeway since you can put 2 blankets on your mare.

I PMed you what I know about Hattie’s power turnout light. Cloudy’s sunshower that I hope is on the way from Ireland will test the upper temperature limits in SE GA. I still prefer their Rambos, but Hattie’s Bucas has held up well. Although I need to buy a neck rug to fit it.

Both Dover and Smartpak used to have charts comparing fill and comfort and temp., but I don’t know if they still do. I’ll look in my catalogues to see. Bucas was never in the charts though.

[Ryn]

Hello I know this is an old thread but wanted to share my experience regarding Bucas flysheets. Just wondering if anyone else has tried the new sweet itch zebra stripe flysheet? I purchased site unseen for my horse who was in training in another province. It seemed great when the weather was below 18 Celsius. Now it is causing him to sweat and rub. An expensive blanket which is no good when the flies are at their worst!. I think the company should go back to the drawing board on the sweet itch blanket!! Other Bucas blankets have been great. I purchased the Smarter blanket and it has been awesome.

[Ryn]

Should say Smartex