How long do you expect a blanket to keep your horse dry in the rain before switching out?

[PNWjumper]

Wow, I don’t know what you guys are all doing differently than me, but when my horses opt not to come in and stand out in the unrelenting rain for hours to days on end, I’ve never had [any brand of] a waterproof sheet/blanket that didn’t eventually get wet! And I’ve owned every brand out there from cheap to stupidly expensive (I currently own ~150 blankets). I probably have more Rambos and Amigos (my two favorites) in that mix, but also have a myriad of others (Schneiders, Weatherbeeta, Shires, Pessoa, Tough-1, and so on). Will also note that my experiences with blankets have been more individual blanket dependent than brand dependent. I’ve had varying waterproof levels on identical blankets more than a few times.

I’m in the minority, but I’m with the CSR on this. If you have blankets that keep the horses dry you’ve either got periodic rain, horses that come in for periods, or horses that are warm enough that they’re drying the blankets via body heat…ORRR I’ve been insanely unlucky over the course of 300+ blankets. Every blanket I’ve ever owned lets water in through the neck (even on high neck blankets - less so with neck covers, but often still around the neck where it attaches), from the bottom up, or through the seam on the back.

The most waterproof blankets I’ve owned haven’t breathed well enough for daily use and wind up wet because of condensation (and often in the areas where the blankets are less lined)

And then I’ve had some cheap 1200D waterproof sheets (e.g. Tough-1) that seem to make the horses wet underneath regardless of the weather (though the med and heavy blankets I bought at the same time do not - so maybe an issue with the breathability of the waterproofing there too…at least when it’s directly against the skin?). I guess I wouldn’t be terribly shocked to find a horse wet under a rain sheet with no fill and at the same time dry under the part that has fill. I would also be curious about how well the sheet would work if you threw a light sheet/cooler underneath when the horse was out?

The only thing I disagree with the CSR on is the idea of throwing it in the washer/dryer to “revive” the waterproofing. That seems to be the kiss of death for waterproofness in just about everything I’ve ever washed. Like others have mentioned, I line my blankets up on the fence in the summer and power wash everything.

OP - was your horse cold? I guess my feeling is that as long as the horse is not cold, I don’t really care if it’s 100% dry 100% of the time. And when my blankets do get soaked, I leave them on the horse (again, assuming the horse is not cold) to dry.

[Libby2563]

I would be annoyed too, OP. The blanket does not sound waterproof at all and the CS rep’s response seems adequate. We’ve had a very rainy year and I’ve never found my blanketed horses soaked through no matter how long they choose to stand in the rain (another Amigo and Rambo user here, for the record).

@PNWjumper

Every blanket I’ve ever owned lets water in through the neck (even on high neck blankets - less so with neck covers, but often still around the neck where it attaches), from the bottom up, or through the seam on the back.

I can’t claim anywhere near your level of blanket experience but I think that is a little different than what the OP described. Water coming in from the sides and bottom is different than seeping through or saturating the entire blanket, so that the horse is uniformly wet underneath.

[fordtraktor]

@Libby2563

I would be annoyed too, OP. The blanket does not sound waterproof at all and the CS rep’s response seems adequate. We’ve had a very rainy year and I’ve never found my blanketed horses soaked through no matter how long they choose to stand in the rain (another Amigo and Rambo user here, for the record).

I can’t claim anywhere near your level of blanket experience but I think that is a little different than what the OP described. Water coming in from the sides and bottom is different than seeping through or saturating the entire blanket, so that the horse is uniformly wet underneath.

Totally agree, I expect a regular neck blanket to let water in on the neck, but not on the back. I typically use Wugs and Rambo Supremes now after going through too many cheaper options. Saves money in the long run because they stay mostly dry (as long as you don’t wash the blankets wrong). You can often get good deals at the end of the season on random colors. I have a couple of Wugs that are 6 years old and still perfect, despite heavy, heavy use in 24/7 turnout.

[PNWjumper]

@Libby2563

I can’t claim anywhere near your level of blanket experience but I think that is a little different than what the OP described. Water coming in from the sides and bottom is different than seeping through or saturating the entire blanket, so that the horse is uniformly wet underneath.

Agreed, but what she described sounds like a combination of leakage from neck/bottom and potential condensation on the inside (the Tough-1 sheets I mentioned leave my horses wet on the sides - but it happens whether they’re in the rain or in the sun and a little warm). She said the horse was dry along the back and where the lining was. That would imply to me that the moisture did not leak in through the usual biggest leak culprit - the top of the back (which I’ve had leak on both center seam blankets and seamless blankets).

I’m not disagreeing that that particular blanket is not great, but it sounds like a general design fail or waterproofing fail (meaning the waterproofing isn’t allowing the blanket to breath and is consequently causing condensation) as opposed to a leaking blanket.

[WhiteOakFarm]

A brand new unwashed turnout should last for months and be waterproof, providing no rips or tears. I’ve only had problems with cheap brands, so I stick with Horseware turnouts and Dover Hugs (not the Abrazo or Prize hugs). Dover uses Teflon, and Horseware has some magic underliner that stays waterproof despite a hole in the outer layer. Smartpaks turnouts I’ve returned due to to leakage along with some other cheaper brands. I’ve also had good luck with weatherbeetas.

Also, how you wash them affects their waterproofing. I only wash in front load, cold water, use Nikwax and hang to dry.

[Hazelnut]

@barnesthenoble

Thanks for the responses, everyone. They echo how I felt about the situation!

The company I reached out to was Schneider’s Saddlery; I’ve used their blankets for years with great success and love the fit and durability for my playful TBs. I’ve also never had an issue with the waterproofing–until I ordered their VTEK Armorflex Warrior/Stormshield Marathon lightweight blankets, which have 80gms of fill along the topline and are essentially sheets with no fill through the sides. I wasn’t thrilled to discover this design, since I am not a big fan of sheets and don’t typically expect them to stay super waterproof, but figured I would give it a try since their guarantees are so good. Well, first big storm, and my horse is wet on his sides but dry through the top. Ok, well, I’m not pleased and contact them–get a fantastic reply and they send another blanket promptly, saying this was considered a waterproofing failure. No kidding? I expect the second blanket to work better–nope, big storm we had in CA last week, horse is wet underneath the sheet part, dry underneath the fill. Mind you, these blankets are less than 6 months old and never seen a washing machine or even a hose. They lived in their packages inside until the rain started. Additionally, the horse in the medium weight of the same style and size that I ordered at the same time stayed totally dry through three days of unrelenting rain.

So at this point I resign myself to lightweights only being suitable for light rain/mild weather, and call to inquire about the Tekno-Fleece lined blanket, which is supposed to be comparable to a lightweight but hopefully the complete lining will help it stay drier. Then began the entire discussion where the CS rep essentially told me I was nuts for using these blankets for that long on pastured horses and “no breathable blanket will go hours without getting saturated.” This is a really sharp turn from the amazing customer service I’ve received from them in the past. As I mentioned in the original post, she had no response when I mentioned my medium weight SSTack blanket staying waterproof and dry for three days, or the fact that I have one of their 100gm EuroCut stormshield blankets from 2014 that has never been washed beyond a quick hose down, has sat out on fence posts during the summer, and just generally been through hell but STILL remained waterproof for several days when I had to swap it out because my brand new one was soaked! And my Shires blankets did just fine as well, keeping everyone dry and comfy for about a week straight of nasty weather.

I suspect I would be quite happy with the Tekno-Fleece blanket, but I’m so peeved they may have lost me as a customer. Her suggestion was to toss the nasty blanket in the washer and dryer to “revive” the waterproofing, and just have enough blankets to swap out, or to stall my horses. Um…NO!

Time to go see what other blankets Shires has on offer…

Hi, I have the medium weight and the techno fleece blankets from Schneiders that you are discussing, as well as their sheet and experience the same results.

I love the midweight- it is in its second year of 12 hour turnout in pretty much all weather and my guy is always dry underneath, the same with the tekno fleece (I love this). When the blankets are wet on the outside, I leave them on him and they dry so well, but he is warm and toasty underneath.

But the sheet? NO. The sheet always soaks through in hours. I use the sheet for a wind breaker- but NOT in rainy weather. Frustrating

[cnd8]

That’s so odd. I LOVE sstack and have always had great luck with their blankets and customer service. I never had a leaking issue with my V-fit adjustable ones.

[purlsnponies]

@barnesthenoble

Then began the entire discussion where the CS rep essentially told me I was nuts for using these blankets for that long on pastured horses and “no breathable blanket will go hours without getting saturated.”

This was exactly the response I got when I called Schneider’s customer service after Thanksgiving on 2017. We had crazy rain on Thanksgiving Day, plus it was cold… I put my mare in her brand new D-Tech Viking turnout sheet and drove several hours to/from dinner. When I got home, my mare was completely soaked through - back and sides.

I called Schneider’s - I’d used their turnouts for years in Maryland and never had an issue. The CS rep told me exactly the above, and was incredulous that I didn’t have a barn or even a run in shed (I’d just recently purchased the property). She told me I’d need to have 2 sheets of each weight for each horse and change them out in the middle of rains if I expected the horses to stay dry. I felt like a horrible horse-mom after getting off the phone.

This year, my mares have a run in shed and aren’t getting blanketed (my work schedule won’t allow for unblanketing at an appropriate time).

[Libby2563]

@purlsnponies

The CS rep told me exactly the above, and was incredulous that I didn’t have a barn or even a run in shed (I’d just recently purchased the property). She told me I’d need to have 2 sheets of each weight for each horse and change them out in the middle of rains if I expected the horses to stay dry. I felt like a horrible horse-mom after getting off the phone.

Okay, that is really obnoxious! I have been thinking about this thread because it’s raining here again and no, I do not have 2 of each weight for each horse and it has NEVER been a problem, even when they choose to stand in the rain all day. You are not a bad horse mom for expecting waterproof turnouts to actually be, gasp!, waterproof. :mad:

[purlsnponies]

@Libby2563

Okay, that is really obnoxious! I have been thinking about this thread because it’s raining here again and no, I do not have 2 of each weight for each horse and it has NEVER been a problem, even when they choose to stand in the rain all day. You are not a bad horse mom for expecting waterproof turnouts to actually be, gasp!, waterproof. :mad:

Thank you for that! I felt guilty about it for months… good to know I wasn’t off base with my expectations.

[BigG_sMom]

I stopped buying from Schniders several years back. Sheet I bought was never water proof and I was very disappointed with the customer service.
I have been using Shires blankets/sheets and I will never buy anything else. They are incredibly well made and have lasted longer than anything else I have tried.

[wildlifer]

@purlsnponies

Thank you for that! I felt guilty about it for months… good to know I wasn’t off base with my expectations.

I don’t think you are either, if someone told me I should have two of everything for switching out, I might accidentally spit on them from laughing in incredulity.

I don’t generally buy expensive blankets or sheets – both my current sheets are cheap-os, 1 McAlister, 1…maybe Tack of the Day? Both at least 5+ years old. My horses do have a shelter, but will sometimes stand in the rain for a long time. While there are plenty of times the outer layer of the sheet is wet & there is dampness on the liner edges, the horses are dry on all their core areas.

I never buy anything less than 1200D & I only wash blankets or sheets MAYBE once every 2 years, often less than that. My blankets are currently SmartPak & Centaur, they are all definitely waterproof even after 5-7 years of use (the oldest SP blanket, a Deluxe, could probably use a “re-do” with a spray, bought it in 2013). I’ve had Weatherbeetas in the past too, also no problems. I wash all my own stuff in my gasp top load washing machine but I only use the Schneider’s blanket wash. But mostly I’m just knocking dirt off with a mud-brush & letting them dry either on the horse or in the sun.

I have never bought a Horseware anything, too rich for my blood – oh wait, I did just buy a neck cover, but it was on clearance for $30, but that’s it. Actually, the toughest blanket I’ve ever owned is that Centaur, its buckle front kind of annoys me, but it fits the horse well and will. not. die. I think I paid $50 for it maybe 6 years ago, I think I’ve washed it twice, it still has all the original hardware & stays dry & warm, not even a snag in stitching or lining - I’m just going to have to buckle forever, ha.

[Renn_aissance]

I expect my rugs to be waterproof period full stop. I launder with Nikwax Rug Wash a few times a season and wash in waterproofing at the end of the season. My horse stays dry.

I buy Horseware blankets.

[Fharoah]

Most rugs are guaranteed for three washes. I tend to swap mine regularly because I don’t even like them to be wet on top for more than a day. I sometimes bring them down and dry them by the woodstove and change blankets every 12 hours when my horse stands in the pouring rain.

[4LeafCloverFarm]

If I’d spent $200 on a brand new “waterproof” sheet/blanket, and it didn’t keep the entire horse dry for it’s first 12 hours of use in rain, I’d be furious. Likewise, if some customer service person informed me that I need to buy additional waterproof sheets/blankets and swap them out several times a day for my horse to stay dry, they most likely would have hung up on me, as I would have told them what they could do with that advice.

I honestly can’t compare my sheets/blankets with what is available today. Mine are so old (20+ years) that some aren’t even made anymore! Like my Miller’s Everest turnout sheet. I wash once a year with Woolite in cold water, dry on cold/air (no heat) or hang up outside if it’s nice out. I re-waterproof with ScotchGard or similar when the sheet gets soaked through and so does the horse (about every two to three years).

As an old person who has dealt with sheets/blankets since the 70’s, even with the advances in blanketing technology (which are great), I’m not convinced that some of the old blankets aren’t better than some of the brand new ones. Not all mind you, but some. I just think back when people took care in what they were making, they made better products that lasted a very long time. Just my old timers observation.

OP, if they won’t take the blanket back and/or replace it, I’d just clean it (if it needs it) and go get a good waterproofing spray to re-waterproof it. You’re not expecting too much out of your new purchase at all. Sorry you got such a dismal response from customer service. Like products, customer service isn’t what it used to be either.

[Fharoah]

[QUOTE=4LeafCloverFarm;n10324218]
If I’d spent $200 on a brand new “waterproof” sheet/blanket, and it didn’t keep the entire horse dry for it’s first 12 hours of use in rain, I’d be furious. Likewise, if some customer service person informed me that I need to buy additional waterproof sheets/blankets and swap them out several times a day for my horse to stay dry, they most likely would have hung up on me, as I would have told them what they could do with that advice.

I’m not saying that my horse was wet underneath the rain sheet after 12 hours. I meant that I do not like a soping wet outer layer on my horse so i change blankets often when it’s poring rain. It’s my personal preference.

[4LeafCloverFarm]

@Fharoah

I’m not saying that my horse was wet underneath the rain sheet after 12 hours. I meant that I do not like a soping wet outer layer on my horse so i change blankets often when it’s poring rain. It’s my personal preference.

Sorry - I was responding to the OP’s original post, not commenting on your post. Of course it’s perfectly fine to swap sheets when the outer shell gets wet, if you have then handy. I was commenting of a the OPs wet horse under a brand spanking new “waterproof” blanket and the OP being told by Customer Service that after 12 hours you need to have another sheet/blanket to change the horse into.

[Fharoah]

@4LeafCloverFarm

Sorry - I was responding to the OP’s original post, not commenting on your post. Of course it’s perfectly fine to swap sheets when the outer shell gets wet, if you have then handy. I was commenting of a the OPs wet horse under a brand spanking new “waterproof” blanket and the OP being told by Customer Service that after 12 hours you need to have another sheet/blanket to change the horse into.

Sorry for the misunderstanding I would never expect my horse to dry under a brand new range sheet after 12 hours.

[lorilu]

I have a 3 or 4 year old midweight blanket, store brand (made by Weatherbeeta I have been told). Washed professionally 1x year. He wore it all last night in driving cold rain here in Ocala and was dry underneath this morning. THis afternoon he was out again for a few hours in same blanket and still dry underneath.

[EventerAJ]

@lorilu

I have a 3 or 4 year old midweight blanket, store brand (made by Weatherbeeta I have been told). Washed professionally 1x year. He wore it all last night in driving cold rain here in Ocala and was dry underneath this morning. THis afternoon he was out again for a few hours in same blanket and still dry underneath.

Nasty cold, unrelenting rain here in central FL today, 15hrs straight and still going. My horses are wearing Rambo (10yo blanket), Weatherbeeta (10yo), Centaur (8yo), Kodiak (2yo), and Amigo (1yo). All are dry and warm, though most of them have access to stalls or run ins, the blankets were wet on top but not beneath. I don’t bother swapping “wet” clothes unless the horse is damp.

One 11+ year old Rambo sheet was a little leaky over the hip, but I got it used so I don’t know its exact age or previous care. I have a 19yo Rambo Wug that is semi retired from wet weather, but it has rips in the lining, and two big patches over a hip and shoulder. It’s still useful on cold damp days, just not in a downpour.

Good blankets are expensive, but I expect at least 5-8 years of worry-free performance, and 10-15 years of useful life is not unusual in my experience.