How long do your Horseware blankets last nowadays?

[eponacowgirl]

I’ve got all my horses in Rambo blankets because I love the fit and longevity…

I still love the fit, but my Rambo Supreme LW sheet just started leaking. Pretty badly, across the whole top, neck cover and sheet. I can’t remember WHERE I got it, but from what I can tell from my records (I had bought a wug and then sold it because I got a decent deal on a supreme a few days later) I got it in spring 2010, making it right outside the 3 year warranty.

My barn owner has a Rambo that is pushing 15 years old and it has never leaked, which is WHY she and I spend the extra money to get Rambos, figuring the purchase price is worth it in the end, but at $330 for 4 years of wear, I might be more tempted to go with Smartpak’s 10 year replacement plan in the future.

Is this the new trend with Horseware blankets or did I just get a bad one? I have thousands of dollars of Horseware blankets at this point, so I’m going to be irritated if I have to replace them all sooner rather than later- I might as well just buy a new Saxon every season and save myself the cleaning and storing.

[skipollo]

I have a Rhino Wug heavyweight for my retired gelding, and it’s 10+ years old. This year is the first year it’s really starting to look worn, and I’m questioning it’s waterproofing. The hardware is shot on it, so this is it’s last winter. For being so old, I’d say it was worth the $$. My mother got a new heavyweight Rhino with a detachable neck, and he’s had it for a month or so and already ripped it (not badly, it’s fixable.) It seems really waterproof though.

I’ve seen the SmartPak blankets–they’re really nice and seem to hold up really well to playful youngsters.

[IFG]

I got a Duo in a great deal last year, and it started leaking along the seams within months. Rambo did replace it under warranty. I have a heavyweight that I bought when my horse was 8 I think, and he is now 22. That will have very minor leakage at the seam along the bottom of the blanket if I forget to re-proof it when I wash it, but none of my Rambos has ever leaked across the back. That is pretty bizarre for a Rambo.

[Lady_Eboshi]

I’ve got a few that are between 10 and 15 years old or more; holding up is not the problem. Waterproofing is! At least every 2nd year I have to pay extra to have them re-waterproofed, with somewhat mixed results.

[Rainier]

I’ve got the smartpak ultimate and love it so far. I had Rambos for years, but it seemed like the quality was diminishing and they didn’t have anything similar in warrantee.

[Couture_TB]

My old ones that are 15 years plus are amazing. Now any in the last 7 years don’t hold up worth a darn. I won’t buy them anymore. My Schneider’s ones hold up better and are cheaper. The worst Rambo was my Duo , that thing just didn’t hold up to anything.

[Vesper_Sparrow]

I bought a Wug just a few months ago and already the binding is coming off the tail flap. That never happened with all the cheapo Greenhawk blankets I had.

[judybigredpony]

My 10 year olds are still going and after a proper wash…not a hose off and fence dry…I re waterproof cause nothing lasts forever…But the new ones aren t worth crap…the pricer the worse…so I keep buying the cheaper versions when I come across them and some how they hold up better ( horseware).

[Hawks_Nest]

We’ve slowly been replacing our old blankets with Rambos as they die (most recent one was getting a supreme mid weight after my horse tore a leg strap off his weatherbetta for the second time) but we have some older ones as well that hold of great. I think at the moment our oldest is a mid weight supreme right when they started developing the wug sort of closure and it is still doing great.

I will say, we get ours professionally washed and re-waterproofed once a year (in the spring) so that might help. I still think the only time I’ve personally had a problem with a horseware blanket was when another horse pulled it off a rack and proceeded to tear it apart (it was an amigo heavy)

[Lady_Eboshi]

Thanks for the tip about the Smart Pak ones; I’ll definitely check those out. I’ve also noticed the decline in quality with the newer offerings from Horseware; many of my clients’ blankets have already needed major repairs at under 2 years’ use. That’s unacceptable at premium prices!

[subk]

I’ve not had any real problems with any I’ve bought in the last few years. I have 12 or 13 and another one in the mail. The oldest still in rotation is 20 years old–granted the 20 year old one is a little iffy on the waterproofing and if weather is a problem I through a sheet over it. I have found that a good cleaning with Nikwax Blanket Wash helps, and I try to re-proof with Nikwax Rug Proof once a year. I have a few that need reproofing (nothing major) but my laundramat that I do them in stop allowing horse blankets so they are going on a second and third year.

I do think ground in dirt will eventually compromise water proofness and washing them in detergent is a big mistake too. My best older blankets were originally worn by a horse who didn’t like to get dirty and made a point of rolling in clean grass. My worst ones in terms of waterproofing are the ones worn by a mud pig. (Maddox-- cough, cough)

Lauren do you know any place on your side of town that will let you wash blankets?

[eponacowgirl]

Subk, there is a place up the road from my house (Blue Hole Road/Bell) that doesn’t not allow horse blankets. Guessing they don’t see enough to ban them. I only visit once a year and I use the ones closest to the door and then leave as quickly as possible when I’m done. They must not remember me. Lunch and laundry mat on the next crappy day?

[ake987]

I think the older Rambo blankets are definitely superior in quality. However, I still think the current Horseware blankets offer the best fit available. I second the sturdiness of the Schneider’s blankets, but they rub my horse, whereas the Horseware do not.

I have a very playful 5yo OTTB that is lead terror of the group, so I am not surprised when he tears a strap. I am, however, peeved that the inner lining on two Amigo hoods started coming apart, and I don’t think that is related to play-related wear and tear, more just poor quality. The Supremes are definitely better made, IMO, but still not what they used to be.

I wish Schneider’s made a blanket with a fit like Horseware.

[Wee_Dee_Trrr]

My BO’s horses both wear Tough1 blankets. They are 3 years old, no tears all waterproof, good-enough fit.

My two are in horsewear blankets that are 3-4 years old. 1 has HUGE rips, 1 has smaller rips. Both are still waterproof (except where the rips are). Fit is perfect.

All the horses go out together, so there’s no difference in that regard. I might just replace my blankets with Tough1s when mine can’t be patched anymore. They are SO much cheaper.

[yellowbritches]

I have Rambos that are well over 12 years old. They are holding up well but are due for some waterproofing.

I switched to Smartpaks rugs a few years ago when Vernon outgrew my Rambos. I wasn’t financially capable of buying a whole new set of Rambos in his size, so I gave the Smartpaks a try, figuring that if he destroyed them in short order, it wouldn’t hurt TOO much. Well, he didn’t destroy them (despite attempts) and neither has Toby and some of his very naughty pasture mates. I won’t go back, now.

[visorvet]

I purchased 2 Smartpak-branded Rhino Wugs last winter - one medium-weight and one heavy-weight. The lining broke down on each within a month (massive tears with the filling spilling out) and they accumulated more surface rips than I could keep track of. The blankets were for a quiet horse that is not rambunctious in turnout. The first round of repairs cost around $50 each, and by the end of winter a second similar round was needed. I love the fit for my horses but get far more wear out of cheap Weatherbeetas.

[trafalgar]

Gosh, I have used Rambos and Rhinos for years…about 20…and never had any problems period. I worry about the waterproofing because I know what they do at the factory is the best. Consequently, I sell mine every 4 years or so and make enough on them to pay for at least half of a new one if not more. I do wash mine at least once mid season and then again at the end of the season…I do it with the right products and temperature… I can’t stand how disgusting they get after weeks of rolling around in the mud.

[Rainier]

I will also add that the Smartpak ultimate is a great fit for my filly. She doesn’t have any blanket rubs whatsoever, even wearing it every day. I have not had that kind of luck in a long time. At the same time, for the most part, she is alone in her paddock with pretty well behaved neighbors

[pologirl27]

I have a Rhino Wug and Amigo sheet at are about 4 years old (same age as yours roughly) and they’ve held up great. Tiny tears are starting, but she’s a horse, she’ll snag her blanket. I will probably get the Rhino waterproofed this year.

Also have a 3 year old Rhino sheet with a neck cover that has help up beautifully, though my horse managed to bend one of the T buckels. I will get that fixed, but it is minor. Her pasture buddy has a 10 year old Rambo original that is in great condition still, unlike the cheaper blankets at the barn that have broken hardware half-way through winter!

[trafalgar]

One reason I prefer HorseWare blankets is the fact that they don’t need leg straps: I hate leg straps…they worry me. I posted a thread asking if people used the Dover NorthWind blankets successfully without the leg straps and found out people do. Do other blankets get used w/out the leg straps. I thought of trying a SmartPak blanket but they come with legstraps which I figured meant that they needed them.