Hi, I am up in Massachusetts and we’ve had normal November swings in temps with one weekend it’s 70 F, the next week 30 F. I am partial leasing a lovely appendix horse for the winter and wonder if folks use a quarter sheet on the really cold days. The horse is fit, strong, sturdy, accustomed to turn out daily but with a blanket. He’s 16 years old and generally a happy guy. Do other riders use them in the cold months? One person mentioned the static that can come with the quarter sheet. I ride mostly indoors so we are out of the wind. But, I ride at 5:30 p.m. after work so when I take off that warm cozy blanket, how does that affect the horses back and ability to move well.
It totally depends on the horse, but I’d say most riders in New England use a quarter sheet at some point, the only thing that varies is at what temperature they start using them. Probably at least in the 20s and 30s for an unclipped horse, higher for a clipped or cold-backed horse.
Since you are part leasing, what does his owner/other rider(s) do? What do others in the barn do? If he seems to be the same to ride in the cold as he is other days, he may just need one when it’s really really cold. If he seems stiffer or grumpier in the cooler weather, he may be cold and benefit from a quartersheet. Maybe you can try borrowing one and see how he likes it?
I haven’t had issues with static, but I use with a Rambo Newmarket quartersheet, or a Back on Track quartersheet. There are aerosol sprays you can buy that help, sometimes it depends on the horse’s coat and how it interacts with whatever the fabric of the quartersheet is.
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I use a wool blend from Schneider’s for every ride (warm up mostly) when it’s <35 degrees. I’ll use it for our walk warm up and then pull it for the rest of the ride. If it’s below 20, I’ll leave it on for part of the trot and canter warm up.
I won’t ride in a fleece quarter sheet due to the static. I pull the quarter sheet off while I’m still sitting on my horse and don’t want him to get shocked. I think the Rambo are a little better than normal fleece, but if you can find a wool or wool blend, you don’t have to worry at all.
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I always used a fleece quarter sheet in Ohio when it was <32°F; never had a problem with static.
I’m like theresak. When I lived in the Northeast, I regularly used a quarter sheet, albeit a wool one. I think wool does everything (but wash) better than fleece. And I think the static electricity problem is one I’d try to prevent.
I’m in Massachusetts and I use a thermatex quarter sheet when it drops below 30 “realfeel” temp. My guy is trace clipped.
Cold Canadian here! I ride indoors in the winter and once the temps hover around freezing I always use a quarter sheet for warm up and cool down.
Yes. I use a Thermatex Quarter Rug when I hack out or otherwise intend to leave it on for the whole ride. When I only use it for warm-up and cool-down, I use a Back on Track with velcro at the withers.
I live in a dry climate where static is a fact of life in the winter. I keep a can of Static Guard spray at home to keep my clothes from clinging, and a can of it in my grooming tote in the winter.Quarter sheets and coolers get a quick spray before they go on the horse. No big deal. Clipped horses seem to generate less static than teddy bears.
I used quarter sheets for the warm-up on cold days in New England, and sometimes use them for the whole ride now that I’m at a facility where the arena doesn’t stay a little warmer than the outdoors. It’s a useful thing to have for cold after-work rides.
My original one is quite old - more than 20 years. But my new one (I think it is the “Nordic” whatever style you can remove while in the saddle) I got from Cool Equestrian in the UK. It was about $175.
Centaur actually makes a passable if not quite as good dupe of it, called the “climate control.” It’s a little less wool content and no custom colors but also a lot cheaper and suitable for a quarter rug (I wouldn’t compromise on the cooler itself). I think I paid like $75 for the one I got after I realized mine wouldn’t fit my new guy and I needed one asap.
I also have a Premier Equine full rug in the same material that I love, but sadly they don’t make a quarter sheet.
I went to the barn last night to ride my horse. The outside temperature was about 35 F. Inside, it felt slightly warmer. I used a large, wool picnic blanket that covered the saddle and his back very nicely. It fit really well and used that for warm up walk and cool down walk. I might stick with this for a while. It’s washable and no static.
Another rider in the ring used a rug that covered the riders legs, saddle and all the way to the tail. It was designed to be removable or adjustable during the ride.
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Here in the PNW people use them religiously on clipped horses, and I use a waterproof one for riding outdoors. But it rarely gets much below freezing and it wouldn’t occur to me to use a quarter sheet for warmth on my unclipped horse. She is usually more forward on crisp days!
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@Dutchmare433 Mine is quite old as well. My last one was purchased off ebay UK. Shipping wasn’t too bad.
I use one on my older horse - I ride early in the morning before work so it can be like 30F when we get started. I think it’s a good way to ease him from his blanket into work. Otherwise I feel like it’s such a shock to them - pull off their toasty blanket and it’s freezing cold all of a sudden!
I have used a wool quarter sheet, but only when riding outdoors. When I lived in cold climates with an indoor (sounds like you have), I didn’t use a quarter sheet. I adjusted my warm-up to include more movement. I avoid fleece. I perhaps added a wool cooler (ear loops) when walking to the indoor. That said, I don’t ride when the temp is below 28-ish because it is stressful for the horse to warm freezing air when working and breathing. I found it was hard on my horse…and me! I currently ride outdoors and don’t use one (temps are rarely below freezing but in the 30s in the winter when I ride) - I adjust my warm-up.
Since I have to stop and rest so much when I ride the horses started grumbling in the cold, north winds in the winter.
I bought a Back on Track exercise sheet and the horses got MUCH happier with me! Then, for the extra cold and windy mornings, I got a regular exercise sheet to put over my BOT exercise sheet and the horses got even happier with me.
I ride mostly at the walk with some trot, so I can’t really get the horses warmed up like I could in my youth, when I had the energy to do a lot of trotting and cantering to get my unclipped horses warmed up and toasty.
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Good thing you aren’t in Canada or you wouldn’t be able to ride for 5 months of the year.
It’s true that there’s more risk if the air is cold and dry, however most of the studies that I’ve seen have involved racehorses working in the winter. Most sport horses wouldn’t be breathing as hard or as fast. I’ve never had a horse act distressed doing normal work down to freezing temps, regular walk, trot and light canter down to 10-15 farenheight (-10C), or walk and trot below that.
For my young horses I’d rather control they’re exercise and give them some mental stimulation vs having them outside running until they’re puffing when it’s significantly cold out. Both for their muscles and their lungs. If I had a horse with COPD or one that was really out of shape I’d cut the exercise back a little more when it’s cold.
Anyway, back on topic. To the OP, in Canada you’ll find lots of people who either use their quarter sheet for the whole ride, or fold a cooler in half and drape it behind the saddle like you’re doing with the blanket to warm up and cool down. My older horse gets his when the temps are around freezing, my younger one gets his on the really cold days (below -15C). Neither horse is clipped, but the arena is the same temp as outside.
I’ve got one of the Rambo fleece ones. I spray with some static guard before I put it on.
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YES! To using a quarter sheet. I even have different weights for different temperatures and depending whether we are indoors or outdoors. Here’s my (likely excessive for most people) list for my very fine coated horse who wears a full neck sheet or blanket from like October to May.
Light weight fleece quarter sheet which I either sit on to hold in place just for warm up and cool down. On cooler days secure it in place.
Wind proof quarter sheet for nicer days outside.
Full light weight fleece sheet which I sit on top of. I find the bit that drapes over her shoulders (it’s not done up in front) keeps her that much warmer. Again, I will either use it just for warm up and cool down if she gets warm under it during warm up, or I will leave it in place for the whole ride.
Heavy full length cooler which comes out on coldest days in the indoor and stays put.
Wind proof riding blanket for windy or cold days outside. That thing is the bomb. Ugly as hell but it stays in place and gives her chest a little protection from the wind while still allowing full shoulder freedom.
About static cling. Well, turns out my current horse is allergic to sheep epithelials so all my gorgeous Newmarket crap is in storage until I decide whether to sell it or hang onto it for the next horse or to line it with something so all the above riding wear is synthetic. Occasionally I might get a little pop when removing something if it’s really, really cold but it’s more of an oops for me than an OMG for my horse. She notices it less than I do. She notices, it’s just not the end of the world for her. On days that there is even a tiny bit of sweat making its way through the fleece, there is absolutely no static to be concerned with. That tiny bit of perspiration kills it. It might not seem like the blanket is even damp, it doesn’t take that much moisture to kill the static.
BTW, I’m in Canada. I ride year round 6-7 days/week as much of that outside as possible. Outside in winter is limited by lack of daylight after work and by crappy footing (please let us have snow this year instead of the ice of the last 2 years), but is not limited by temperature. The more layers you put on, the heavier your horse’s riding wear and the longer you should take to warm up.
Caveat to all of the above - although my current horse is not clipped, I blanket and treat her like a clipped horse because her coat is that fine and short. If your horse is a wooly bear, you will need to adjust your thinking on weights of quartersheets/coolers as necessary. Keep the horse’s muscles warm, avoide unnecessary sweat build up. Play around until you get your combos just right.
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I use a quarter sheet religiously for my TB when it gets below freezing. He warms up noticeably better. Once it gets below about 15F it generally stays on the entire ride. I have access to an unheated indoor and my horse is only trace clipped, but it gets cold and WINDY in South Dakota. I used to use two when I rode out to check cattle. Only a small part of me misses those days lol.
As far as materials, I prefer my nice thick fleece one over my nice wool one. I can tell you the fleece is warmer than the wool – I used to use them as ATV blankets if I wasn’t riding out to cattle. I do, however, have a Weatherbeeta fleece one that is just as thick as the Rambos. I wouldn’t bother with a thin fleece if that’s the material you decide to go with.
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