How many/what type of blankets do you own?

[Dutchmare433]

Don’t know how to quote yet but this is the post I was replying to:

So, I still think they’re great, but use them differently now. For example, a sheet can double as a heavy with a 400g liner added. You are rarely going be switching between those in a week. Then you have a separate medium - since you may need to alternate sheet/medium or medium/heavy on alternating days. It saves you many, many, changes of liner - but lets you get double-duty out of the shell.

This is what I do. Each horse has 2 rain sheets and 2 medium weight turnouts. Once it gets cold enough, their heavy weight liners (400 or 450g) get attached to one of the rain sheets and stay that way unless we get a really warm and wet week. In a pinch if the temps are swinging around a bunch, 2 mediums is more or less equal to one heavy weight. So lots of layering options with this set up. My horses are all fully clipped and 2 of the 3 live outside full time. One of them runs super hot and doesn’t get the medium til the low 30s and doesn’t get the heavy until colder than that.

[Simkie]

@Dutchmare433

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@Simkie

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[WinsomeTK]

I live in Quebec. Last year before I purchased him, my horse lived outside 24/7, unshaved and unworked, and was wearing multiple blankets most of the time. He now lives in a barn that isn’t heated. This year his coat grew in super fast so we gave him an irish clip and he wears a wool cooler after our rides (we already stopped working outdoors unless it’s a warm day, lately it’s been yo-yoing a lot). He has a stable sheet for when it’s just a bit cold, a thick quilt that’s cozy to add under any other sheet (rain, stable, 300 gr with hood). That way we can layer them depending on temps. Low maintenance here and most blankets are second hand, Facebook marketplace has a lot to offer on the area equine groups.

[WinsomeTK]

@SharonA1

OP, just reassuring you that you don’t have to get a full set of blankets at once. Start with a no-fill turnout sheet, for staying dry when it’s chilly and rainy, or just chilly and windy. Then you have a month or two before you need a medium-weight. Then you have another month or two before you need to break out the heavy-weight.

It’s a bit hard to plan what the weather will be! The heavyweight may need to come out January 15th with a -30 celsius cold snap out of nowhere, or may not be needed if it’s mild and layering up is enough. I personally wouldn’t want to be caught without the heavyweight during those weeks of “my nose hairs freeze when I inhale”.

[walktrot]

My 26 year old Paint gelding has been boarded outside for 20 years. He is built narrow in front and I found some blankets that were cheap, well made and fit perfectly. When they finally wore out they were out of production. I tried a number of brands including Weatherbeeta, Pessoa, and SmartPak. Nothing fit right. The neck was cut too generously so his shoulders were wet most of the time. I called the store where I bought original batch and she steered me to Horze Avalanche. I didn’t think much about them because they were Horze and the brand doesn’t have a reputation for good quality. I walked into a booth at Equine Affaire and they looked good. Buy 2 get one free bought a medium, heavy, and the rain sheet was free. I’ve added, on sale, a medium with insulated neck cover and a rain fleece - nice fleece lining and warmer than the regular sheet.

She was right about the fit. They are high neck but they have a gusset sewn in above the withers so rubbing is not a problem and he stays dry. The shoulder gussets are cut high and the front has 2 double sets of t-buckles. The tail flap is huge, keeps the back end clean.

I’ve sent them out to be laundered and waterproofing renewed. They come looking like new.

[sophie]

@lauran

Where I’m at now, temps rarely drop below 50 - maybe 45 a few days of the year. Despite her short coat though, my mare’s never been bothered by the “cold” so I’m feeling pretty good (have to point out however that our winters are very sunny.) At least, she’s gonna have a much easier time adjusting than me I’m sure LOL I’ll definitely be keeping watch over her often for the first winter to see how she copes. I never realized winter could be so expensive

I am in Maine, my horse is a Tb mare who grows a decent winter coat, and she only has 3 blankets, all waterproof/breathable turnouts:

• unlined sheet (rain if less than 60F, cold wind)
• 100g lined high neck Rhino sheet (wind chill, freezing rain, snow)
• Medium weight Amigo with detachable neck (blizzard, freezing nights)

I don’t clip her in the winter. She is in at night, out all day and has shelter in her paddock so I don’t worry, knowing she can get out of the rain / wind. Wind chill factor here can be nasty.

She rarely wears a blanket at night unless it really goes down into the teens or single digits, then the mid-weight goes on. I just give her extra hay on extra cold nights.

I’ll always remember when another Tb mare of mine was out all day in a blizzard with no blanket on and no shelter. When I finally got to see her, there was a crust of frozen snow all over her. But underneath, her skin was warm and dry.

I keep that day in mind when I freak out about the weather and my current mare…lol

[outerbanks77]

I’m in Idaho, and also have a large blanket collection!

My retired gelding is easiest - he grows a good coat, and basically just wears his Thinsulate or 220 gram turnouts all winter. I have a turnout sheet for him as well, but we rarely get the kind of rain where he needs the waterproofing without any insulation. If we have a crazy frigid week like we get every few years, I can put a neck cover on his medium and add a fleece layer underneath.

For my mares, who are both in work, I just bought 50 gram turnout sheets, and really like them since they provide just a bit of insulation, but don’t make them sweat when daytime temps start getting to the low 50f range.

My Appendix mare doesn’t believe in growing a winter coat, so she gets heavier blankets generally. Her next up is a 150 gram, which sees a lot of use. I will keep her in that until nighttime lows start dipping towards 20f or so, then she’ll go into her 380 gram high neck.

My warmblood mare has more of a coat, and is not clipped. She’ll stay in her 220 gram high neck unless daytime highs are staying below freezing, then she’ll also go into her 380 gram high neck. Of course, if I end up giving her a big or trace clip, she’ll go into the heavier blanket at a little higher temps.

Both girls have 400 gram turnouts with full neck covers for any super frigid weather (below 0f).

[Posting_Trot]

I have an Irish Draught mare, unclipped, in western Mass. She doesn’t grow a thick winter coat but she also doesn’t feel the cold particularly, unless it’s also raining. She will also, if she’s uncomfortable in a particularly blanket, “disrobe” herself, as another poster discussed above.

She has two sheets (no fill) one with a high neck (a Rhino) and one with a regular neck (Smartpak). A 60 gram fill blanket (Rambo), and a 100 gram fill blanket (Perfect Equine). She’s never needed anything heavier.

[RInurse_Rider]

I have my horses at home, no stalls. They share a run-in and large dry lot paddock. The Canadian gelding is hairy like a yak and tends to get fat. No blankets. My paint mare is older and used to blankets. My palomino mare grew up in NH living outside, but dropped some weight her first winter with me, so she gets blankets. The waterproof sheet is the most important for my girls. Cheap ones won’t stay waterproof for long. Weatherbeeta is reasonably priced and very durable. I also use 100 gr blankets and 200 gr blankets. Sheets and blankets have hoods. My palomino won’t lie down outside on cold, wet ground without her sheet on. Wind and wet is more significant for me than just the temperature. Sunny and 30 degrees with little wind is easier than 40 degrees in a blowing rainstorm at night.

[blob99]

I fall in the ‘rain sheet only’ category. I used to blanket when it got cooler until i learned more about horses regulate their own temperature by lifting their fur to create insulation. This also means that a blanket that isn’t warm enough is actually worse than no blanket at all because it keeps the horses from fluffing their fur (not the technical term, lol). So, now unless my horses are clipped they go naked. If it’s cool and rainy they get rain sheets to keep them dry.

[luvmyhackney]

I have a fluffy, hairy pony who I swear has Cushings even though he test negative every year and sheds beautifully. Other symptoms are borderline. He runs cold, So he is a well-dressed little guy, as I refuse to have him shiver even if the others are fine.

I keep 2 of almost everything so I can wash as needed since he is outside as much as possible. I only buy Weatherbetta since they come in the smaller sizes and aren’t past his knees. They have cute patterns at the just for ponies store. I just got the panda turnout, and it is darling.
2- turnout sheets w/ no fill, detachable neck cover on one
1 medium turnout w/ no neck cover -200 fill I think
1 medium turnout w/ neck cover
1 heavy w/ neck cover
2 - liners that I think are 200 and 300 fill

[Obsidian_Fire]

After reading some of these replies, I don’t feel so bad! I have some blankets I have not even opened yet! (oops). I have 3 different sheet options, 2 (I think?, might be 3) medium/lite blankets (100/150 gram), 3 stable blankets (with another on the way), and I think 3 medium weight high neck blankets (200 gram +). I also have one HW liner, in 100 gram.
Now, all that said, I HAD 2 horses who wore the same size. Since I no longer have the one, miss maresy gets the benefit of all that.
And… there’s a couple who are going to be retired, as the waterproofing is no longer holding up. Or in the case of the stable blankets, I do not like the fit and have opted to quit using.

You all are a bunch of enablers!

[B-burg_Dressage]

My ottb has a trace clip and doesn’t grow the thickest coat. He lives out with a run-in 99% of the time. Does pretty well staying in the run-in when it’s rainy (I also feed them in there which helps).

I’ll give you my rough blanketing guidelines below, but know that sun/wind/moisture all are factors I think about as well.

Turnout sheet between 35-45
Medium between 25-35
Heavy between 15-25
Heavy with hood below 15
I’ll add a layer underneath if it’s below 0

I have two turnout sheets and two mediums to give time for them to dry if they get wet. May be less of an issue if your pony is in stable blankets inside at night. I prefer multiple blankets as opposed to layers for this reason though.

My unclipped and heavy coated Rocky Mountain Horse only gets his heavy blanket if it’s below 10. And honestly that’s probably more for my peace of mind than him needing it.

[Seagram]

I prefer layers and layers! I live close to the border of Quebec and Ontario, and some winter days are unbelievably cold. Minus 30, sometimes worse. I find layers keep them warmer, than just one heavy blanket. It also sometimes helps to put a rainsheet on top of a winter blanket (with liners under neath) as the snow can be really wet and melts, some blankets are not as waterproof as others. Trial and error, but just depends on the weather. Welcome to Quebec!