Standalone turnout rugs vs. rugs with liners

[Renn_aissance]

I’ve always used turnout rugs, layering multiple turnouts when necessary. I’ve never used stable blankets or liners. My elder statesman seems to really like having a blanket with a hood, and of course, his medium and heavy rugs are both Wugs so they’re incompatible with a hood. Rather than replacing both, I’m wondering if I shouldn’t replace the midweight and get a compatible 200gm liner so that I can layer the midweight on top of the liner to give heavyweight fill, then just layer from there when the weather gets colder.

Does anyone do this? I’m wondering about shifting, since it seems like the liners only have a couple of points of attachment and no surcingles of their own. Also, do they absorb and hold moisture if, say, the horse lies down in the snow and a corner of the liner is peeking out?

Is this more annoying for barn staff to deal with than putting two blankets on top of the other since they have to be hooked together? (I am already That Boarder about blankets, I do not want to get kicked out of the barn.)

[Moon_River]

Love liners, the ones I’ve had (Premier Equine and Horseware) have all been cut shorter than your average turnout in both depth and length so you don’t get overhang, they do hold water if, say, your horse decides to lie down on very wet ground so exposing the material to wet or your top rugs get so wet that it goes through (my horses lived outside and we occasionally have prolonged rain that no rug can stand up to). Very easy to wash and dry when they do get in a state. I never bothered with the velcro fasteners at the shoulders and just used the metal clips at the back to hold them to the top rug. Slightly more time to put on and off as you’ve got two lots of fasteners at the front to do up/undo. I did self care though so didn’t have to worry about staff time/abilities!

[Simkie]

Many barns have rules about liners, because having to swap out liners, keep track of the pieces and different weights and attach them to the top blanket frequently is more work than just swapping out blankets. If you want to go that route, definitely talk with your barn FIRST, to see if they have any preferences or restrictions.

If your winter weather is such that weight changes are infrequent and the blanket/liner combo gets handled as a single piece for the most part, it’s probably not a big deal. If you’re talking about having to deal with it several times a week (or daily, yikes!) then it’s best to go with complete blankets.

If you’re buying a new wardrobe, can you find pieces that don’t need any layering at all?

”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹

[horsepoor]

I use liners but I do all my own blanketing, even when boarding. Like Simkie suggests, I’d probably check with the barn to find out what will work best for them. I have not had a problem with the liners wicking up moisture since they are cut a bit smaller than the outer blankets. I do have extra liners so if one does get grungy, I can swap it out, and they are super easy to wash even in a small top load machine (of course, I have small horses now and don’t ever need more than a 200 g liner in our climate). Mine are the Horseware liners and I do use the velcro at front and clips at back to attach to outer blankets and have not had any issue with shifting.

[Hawks_Nest]

My boy lives out 24/7 and his “heavy weight” consists of a 250g liner and either a 100g or a 200g turnout with neck cover depending on how cold it is going to be. I’m using the premier equine blankets but have done the same with horseware. I have not had a single issue with slippage or anything of the sort. I’m lucky that this guy will let me add or remove the liner without having to fully take off the top layer.

As others have pointed out, the real issue is the hassle of dealing with the liner vs just switching out blankets. When I was managing a boarding barn liners would have been entirely unpractical, although the best way I’ve seen liners used is actually getting a 400g liner and come winter, putting it in the rain sheet that you won’t have to use for a good long while. Then you have a medium and a heavy and no sheet for the winter, come spring you go back to a sheet and a medium by removing the liner.

[betsyk]

I’ve done it both ways and I think I prefer single-piece blankets. I think the horses like them better because they’re lighter and probably fit better (mine do, for sure). I’ve also found the liners fall apart after a season or two, or get tears you can’t really fix because the fabric is so thin. That said, mine are out in midweights and (torn, ancient) liners today because I am trying to keep my heavies clean! It’s December and the midweights are already filthy and the heavies are still in their bags from the cleaners…

[Jealoushe]

I hate liners.

I prefer a blanket for every temperature. Light rain, heavy rain, 50gm, 100gm, 250 gm, and 400gm. I have indoor 200 and 400gm. I like one blanket beause there is less rub, less weight, and less time. Also, I have a million blankets now :lol:

[fanfayre]

I LOVE liners and it’s all I use. I have liners in all weights except the heaviest (because we don’t need 400g out here on the wet coast :lol: ). If it gets “really” cold (for Vancouver Island- it’s all relative) I will layer the liners to add up, but I’ve only done that once for a day or two during an extremely cold snap.

Often, I don’t even attach the liner at the neck, just clip the liner to the cover sheet/blanket at the tail strap. I’ve never had a slipping problem. I ONLY use Horseware, and have converted my BO to them too. I have 2 varieties of sheets, though- the original with a detachable neck, and a Wug, so my mare’s covered for all conditions.

[wildlifer]

I’ve done both & my older horse still has a heavyweight. I’m a recent liner convert, on my 2nd year & I can’t see myself buying a heavyweight blanket EVER again. I do have my horses at home so I don’t have to negotiate with anyone.

I use the Horseware liner with non-Horseware blankets. Things I love-

WAY cheaper than buying separate blankets.
Omg, so much easier to handle & wash, & take up less storage space.
Stay in place securely, even though I’m only using the two clips by leg straps. And this is on a young OTTB who rolls like a wallowing hog & plays acrobatic games.
The two layers (liner + midweight) are warmer than a single heavyweight.
I timed myself - I can remove liner from underneath midweight (or put it back on) faster than I can swap out whole blankets.
Seem durable - no tears, loose stitching, so far.

The only thing I would change is to make them out of anti-static fabric, but thanks to COTH, I just keep a dryer sheet in my barn coat pocket, rub liner on occasion, problem solved. I also purposely bought an open front liner, I knew I would not like a closed front as it would put a big dent in efficiency.

”‹”‹”‹I could see how some boarding places might not like them, but I have do know a couple folks who board & use them & with a clear labeling system, it really doesn’t make more work.

[BrookdaleBay]

I have Amigo’s, so no liners, but I think they are great. My barn manager even encourages boarders to get Horseware blankets with liners if they need a new turnout. I also work where I board, and swapping out the liners doesn’t take very long, honestly.

[Mouse_amp_Bay]

I love liners. We are expecting an arctic blast and I just swapped to 300 g liner + 200 g turnout on top. The liners are easier to wash, easily swapped and limits my blanket collection. I don’t want lots of shoddy blankets; I’m much happier using a good quality turn out on top of liners.

[Dutchmare433]

@Hawks Nest

My boy lives out 24/7 and his “heavy weight” consists of a 250g liner and either a 100g or a 200g turnout with neck cover depending on how cold it is going to be. I’m using the premier equine blankets but have done the same with horseware. I have not had a single issue with slippage or anything of the sort. I’m lucky that this guy will let me add or remove the liner without having to fully take off the top layer.

As others have pointed out, the real issue is the hassle of dealing with the liner vs just switching out blankets. When I was managing a boarding barn liners would have been entirely unpractical, although the best way I’ve seen liners used is actually getting a 400g liner and come winter, putting it in the rain sheet that you won’t have to use for a good long while. Then you have a medium and a heavy and no sheet for the winter, come spring you go back to a sheet and a medium by removing the liner.

I do this—both horses have 2 rain sheets, 2 medium turnouts, and 1 400g liner. In fall and spring they use both rain sheets (they live out, 1 needs to be able to hang to dry). In winter the heavy liner gets attached to 1 rain sheet. When it gets very cold (they’re both body clipped!) I’ll put the liner into one of the mid weights just so they don’t have to deal with the extra weight of the sheet.

Ask your barn staff what they would prefer. When I moved barns in Feb of this year, my blanketing set up from the old place didn’t really work. I’ve tweaked it (and acquired more blankets) so barn staff almost never have to do more than either one off or one on morning and evening.

[RedHorses]

One of mine has been in stable quilts and rainsheets for several years (because he could roll through the waterproofing in less than six months and I wasn’t going to buy new turnouts every year!). I wanted a 200g for him and ended up with a Horseware liner for his 75" rainsheet. I haven’t used it much yet, but I Velcro and clip it to the rain sheet and treat it as one unit when taking it off/putting it back on. I could see this becoming a pain if the temperature continues to yoyo, if not for the fact that he goes up to a 78" rainsheet when he’s wearing heavier quilts. I’ll be able to leave the 200g liner in place for the winter.

I do have a 100g Horseware liner that I added surcingles to so that my other horse could wear it under his Wug. The back snaps broke fairly quickly so it has a baler twine tail strap now.

”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹I should mention my boys live out so there’s no daily on/off for barn staff, just me.

The other horse has a rainsheet Wug, a 200g Wug, a 100g blanket with 150g neck rug (to go over the 200g Wug when it’s very cold), and the above mentioned 100g liner.

[Highflyer]

I hate anything with Velcro. I admittedly haven’t tried not velcroing the liner in (because it’s not my blanket) and if I didn’t have to do that I guess I wouldn’t care.

[Renn_aissance]

Thanks, everyone! It sounds like these would not be a good fit for my barn as a replacement for standalone rugs for turnout.

But it does sound like these are substantially lighter in weight than turnout rugs- is that right? I’m wondering if I can make my horse more comfortable in the most bitter temperatures by using a 200gm liner under a rug instead of putting on his midweight turnout in those conditions. So, instead of ex. lightweight, heavyweight, midweight- which is what he wore last night turned out at 5 degrees with significant wind- put a 200gm liner under his 100gm sheet and the heavy wug on top.

Maybe then I end up using the 200gm liner attached to his 100gm sheet as the “one thing he wears when it’s 25 degrees, don’t take the pieces apart, blanket change when he comes in the barn” and keep his heavy wug only as a layering piece.

I hate winter. Also, this is my one thing, I am a little crazy about blankets. I spent his younger years blanketing him lighter than I thought he needed because he’d undress in the field if he felt warm, and now I’m spending his older years blanketing him heavier than I think he needs because if I don’t he’s a stiff grouch in the morning.

[Saskatoonian]

Oh man, do I hate liners. I splurged for the Rambo duo 100g with a heavy liner and absolutely hate all but the 100g. I even hate the hood, which attaches with velcro stronger than the liner material. Ugh. Of course it’s shredded. The thing weighs a ton (so much extra hardware on it) and the liner doesn’t stay quite right so takes more fiddling than I like.

My favorite layering combination is actually an amigo stable blanket with a Rambo on top. The stable blankets are super light but warm, fit well and don’t move. They have no weird buckles or leg straps, but have surcingles so stay nice and straight under a turnout.

All that said, and sounds like you’ve already got this covered, but checking with the barn staff is a great idea. I try to do all of my own blanketing, but sometimes they have to change it.

[Simkie]

How many grams of fill is your bitter cold and windy three blanket set up? How old are those blankets…old enough to have lost some fluff and warmth over the years? That is certainly a lot of stuff. Might be possible to simplify with a heavy heavy weight and a heavy liner?

The Rambo supreme heavy is 420 grams, with a full detachable neck. For the most part, that amount of fill is more than enough, but when it gets below 0 and windy, I’ll add a 200 gram liner to that for my old lady mare. Or you could do a heavy (300g) liner. It’s something that doesn’t happen very often, and when temps are that cold, they usually dip, hang out, and then go back up, so it’s not frequent on and off.

But for the most part, the blanket set of Rambo 100g, Wug 200g, and Supreme 420g covers it really well without need to layer anything (even when we were in the Midwest, where it was mucho colder and windier than here!) I really hate having to mess around with blankets, and also prefer to keep them warm. The Rambo stuff has worked very well to limit the fiddling required from me.

[Jealoushe]

@Mouse&Bay

I don’t want lots of shoddy blankets; I’m much happier using a good quality turn out on top of liners.

Why do they have to be shoddy blankets? They could be good quality blankets too :lol:

@Renn/aissance I find the blanket and liners a lot heavier than a single turnout personally, but the higher quality the turn out the lighter the blanket is.

[skipollo]

I like having a liner as a backup or an inbetween. My horse is currently wearing a 250G medium with neck rug with a 100G liner (both Horseware.) If it gets warmer but not warm enough for a sheet, I just remove the liner. If it gets colder, he gets his actual heavyweight. If it gets brutally cold, I add the liner with his heavyweight. It gives you a lot of flexibility without having to buy a whole new blanket.

I throw mine in the washer at home, which I cannot do with my regular turnout blankets. I don’t think I would fully replace my turnout blankets with just shells/liners because I do like having single blankets at varying weights, but it’s nice to have a liner or two as an option.

My horse lives out 24/7, and he has no issues with it bunching/shifting/sliding. And yes, a 100G liner physically weighs less than a 100G turnout blanket despite having the same “warmth weight.”

[Renn_aissance]

@Simkie

How many grams of fill is your bitter cold and windy three blanket set up? How old are those blankets…old enough to have lost some fluff and warmth over the years? That is certainly a lot of stuff. Might be possible to simplify with a heavy heavy weight and a heavy liner?

I have a no-fill turnout sheet, a 100gm, a 250gm Wug, and a 400gm Wug, and a 150gm hood. Of those, the 250gm is older and has compressed some and the others are in good condition. I have a new 250gm on order, regular neck so that I can attach a 250gm hood (also on order.) So the 5 degrees and squall winds last night was a total of 650gm with 3 layers and a 150gm neck rug. I also have an older compressed midweight a size up from his usual that I can rotate in as a layering piece when it gets foul.

I’m in the mid-Atlantic, so although it’s rarely below 0 in temperature, we get a lot of wind and more sleet or freezing rain than we do snow.

Maybe the answer is a midweight stable rug with synthetic fill to which I can add hood rings, and put that under his 400gm Wug. That also fits my goal of a blanketing system where the difference between outside clothes and inside clothes is usually “take off the top layer.”

If anyone is thinking my blanket collection is a sign of madness, I love that 7 days out of 10 from December to March, I could take any rug home to wash or repair and still have appropriate clothing.