Turnout Sheets with Tail Cord Vs Leg Straps - Just as Safe?

[Mouse_amp_Bay]

Only horsewear for decades now. Never had this happen. They have never blown over, the horses have never caught up in them (despite having two ‘super rollers’ that roll every day, all around, both sides). This includes fly sheets in the summer (30C + , hot and muggy) and thick winter blankets & liners in the winter (think -20C and tundra).

Having had to deal with some none horsewear blankets with annoying as heck features (neck loops you can barely fit straps through, requiring you to duck under the horses chin to try to fasten; snaps that are too small and fiddly to maneuver with gloves on etc.); I’m team Horsewear all the way.

Your mileage may vary, of course … but may I kindly suggest that some issues may be resolved by proper fit? The seam for the tail flap should end just past (maybe an inch or two) past the dock of the tail. Too large and you’re going to have shifting.

[Mouse_amp_Bay]

If you have an ikea nearby, their giant blue bags are fantastic for carrying large items like blankets or even hay out for turnout. They now even have a ‘fancy’ beige version

lol.

The holiday and zip up storage bags are almost large enough to fit a bale of hay, also great for storing blankets.

[Montanas_Girl]

I’ve worked with every kind of blanket imaginable and know how to fit one, thank you very much. Fit doesn’t address the stability issues I have witnessed on every single tail strap blanket I’ve ever seen.

On the fit note, none of the Horseware type blankets fit my types of horses anyway, so I also avoid them for that reason. Schneiders seems to be the only blanket manufacturer that realizes not all horses are 16+ hands tall. Even the “pony” versions of Horseware type blankets hang down past the knees of my horses.

[bingbingbing]

@BrookdaleBay

I buy Greenhawk tail cords to replace the cotton ones on my Amigo stable blankets. The plastic coating makes cleaning super easy. https://greenhawk.com/en/blanket-accessories/36812-shedrow-tail-cord-replacement.html

Oh, thank you!! I hadn’t seen those. I like the snap ends better than the plastic clips from horsewares.

I will never use leg straps again. Tail cords are so much faster and I have never had an issue with shifting or a blanket flipping up over a horse’s back.

[B-burg_Dressage]

This is such an interesting conversation. I had no idea people had such strong opinions on leg straps versus tail straps.

I prefer leg straps. All of my winter blankets have leg straps and my horses are out 24/7. I don’t see them as a safety issue. I check/change twice a day as needed. No real shifting or issues.

My fly sheets have tail cords. They do get gross (sweat/poop), but not overly so and not on the legs. I still prefer the leg straps because they don’t get anything on them ever. Seems like the easiest solution.

[endlessclimb]

What are yall doing that make tail cords “so much faster” than leg straps?

Less than 10 seconds to put on, and that’s if I biff grabbing the offside the first try.

[Bbs20]

I also only use leg straps. We have super windy winters and very strong storm fronts. All of the horses are out 24/7. Needless to say I was very upset when my heavyweight Rambo blew off my gelding with windchills of -18f. He was still somewhat tangled in the blanket. If he wasn’t so tolerant I don’t what to think of what injuries could have occurred.

I’ve had the same issues with my Horsewear fly sheets (never came all of the way off but that was almost worse). So I cut all the tail straps off and sent the blankets to have d rings added. Then I attached leg straps.

When I was a working student it didn’t matter if it was leg straps or tail cords. If the blanket didn’t fit great they both got nasty.

[Feathered_Feet]

@Bbs20

So I cut all the tail straps off and sent the blankets to have d rings added. Then I attached leg straps.

I’ve added D rings for leg straps (and neck hoods) too. I’ve often wondered why companies don’t just put d rings on for both: D’s up higher for tail cords, and a few lower for leg straps. Given the strong opinions expressed in this thread, I think companies would be smart to appeal to both groups by allowing their blankets to acommodate both!

[trubandloki]

@theresak

So yes I’ve seen some horses with gross tail cords, but I never touch mine, so what’s the big deal if there’s poop on them?

I think my mare took it is a challenge one winter. I ended up having to cut the tail cord off (because it did not have clips on both ends, so cutting was my only option) because she managed to freeze enough manure and urine to it that It had a fist sized blob of frozen yuck in the middle of it.

For those gasping at how this could possibly happen I will admit it took her a few days of no blanket change and me not noticing it. Not having any digestive issues or anything. Just perfect sticking to tail cord weather I guess.

[scislandsprite]

For me, a good chunk of the benefit is that I don’t have to mess around with their legs as much. Mine gets a little funny if hind legs are touched from prior injuries. In regards to actual time, both leg straps and tail cords are fairly quick!

[Spudsmyguy]

I have this dirt cheap turnout blanket for my TB with leg straps. That thing has never shifted or caused him any problems whatsoever. I’m not a big fan of tail cords, I can’t see how they would keep a blanket from shifting.

[ytr45]

@Feathered_Feet

I’ve often wondered why companies don’t just put d rings on for both: D’s up higher for tail cords, and a few lower for leg straps.

Well said!!

[Simkie]

@Feathered_Feet

I’ve often wondered why companies don’t just put d rings on for both: D’s up higher for tail cords, and a few lower for leg straps

Premier does just that, at least on the few blankets I’ve bought:

Horse Rugs

(I don’t like the fit but did appreciate the tail cords.)

[bingbingbing]

Maybe I am slow with leg straps. But when you are blanketing 10-15 horses, for me, it goes a lot faster with a tail cord. It is one quick motion to pull the tail over the strap, no bending over and fishing for two straps and fastening them. And if a horse is moving around at all, it doesn’t slow the process down with a tail cord.

[stb]

I agree. Hanging upside down to loop and fasten leg straps just doesn’t seem like a good idea to me, either. My horses are lovely and well behaved but it seems like a particularly precarious situation to put yourself in, frankly. I don’t undo the tail cord so just pull it over the rump and pull the tail out over the cord and I’m finished. If I’m feeling fancy I sometimes pull the tail through the tail loop as well.

[Angela_Freda]

Or they can’t actually lift the tail very high.
A Friesian I cared for had wet poops, but also his tail just didn’t lift very high, even in blanketed his tail was gross.

I’m a leg strap preferr-er
Attached to same side at both ends, but wound around one another twice to reduce rubs

[RedHorses]

Horseware Ireland did have the front rings for leg straps on their Amigo line for a while. I haven’t examined my latest blanket (Rhino) to see if it does.

Younger horse has gotten popsicles on his tail cord. I just drop that end of the blanket on the floor and stomp on it to break it off. I had a Rambo with the plastic covered elastic cord but the plastic snaps break in the cold here so I stick with the strap type.

Rhinos and Amigos fit my two and stay straight even on my younger can-roll-the-bonded-waterproofing-off-the-fabric horse. If the blanket fits and the straps are adjusted properly side slip in minimal on any blanket. I find side slip most likely to occur when the blanket is too long chest to tail.

I find tail cords easier than leg straps. With tail cords I never have to wrap my bare hand around a frozen closed leg strap snap to get the blanket off or on. I very rarely have to undo the tail cord.

[ridernc]

I don’t have a lot of experience with tail cords, just my Rambo fly sheet that seemed to work fine this past summer. I do not have my horse at home and therefore rely on barn staff to do blanket changes. Just this week, I pulled her from pasture to find one leg strap dangling unclipped and one looped outside of her leg. She was chill as could be, but what the heck happened? This was probably an issue with the barn staff putting the leg straps on incorrectly instead of an inherent design issue with leg straps, but this is the staff I rely on to blanket my horse, so I am a bit wary about leg straps now, and it might be a potential risk to consider if you (g) aren’t the sole individual blanketing your horse.

[ytr45]

I’ve seen those snaps get stuck in the open position all the time. (especially the dover/rider brand). I wouldn’t blame the barn help, blame the snap hardware.

[trubandloki]

@ridernc, I can’t list brands but I can agree with @ytr45, leg strap snaps can wear out and just be a jerk. If your barn staff is typically capable, I would not get too upset about a leg strap issue happening once.