I live in Mo & it can get pretty cold here. I am thinking about getting a quarter sheet & was wondering if they really help that much?
DD’s pony hates the cold. She gets tight and it takes forever to get her warmed up enough that she stops kicking out at added leg, stops making ugly faces and can open up her stride. DD always rides her in a quarter sheet in the winter and she’s been known to show over fences in the jumpers (schooling shows) in a quarter sheet if it’s really cold. It seems to help.
If they aren’t clipped then I usually throw a key hole quarter sheet on loosely (over their bum and my legs lol) to warm up and cool down. If they are clipped then I put a regular quarter sheet on for the whole ride. If I’m hacking outside then I usually put one on for the whole ride.
I tend to move a lot for work so every once in awhile I end up at a place with a heated arena, that sometimes changes my blanketing strategy.
I put a keyhole on to warm up and cool down! Mostly cool down though because I worry about his back getting cold and tight if we’ve just worked hard whereas with warm up obviously he’s getting warmer and looser as time goes on!
I use a quarter sheet on my blanketed TB. For me it depends on the thickness of the blankets. Last year she only wore a stable rug and rain sheet (not winter sheet) so I only put the quarter sheet on if it was about -10C or colder. I’m taking Equine Management at Guelph and now I think if your horse has a medium to regular winter coat, and they get hot when they work you should probably just toss one of the keyhole quarter sheets on for the warmup. I know people don’t want the horse to get a chill but I’ve learned its actually better not to put a blanket on a hot, sweaty horse in any temperature.
I don’t ride much past -15 so its not like I’m going to have a horsesicle under me as soon as we stop moving.
I used a quarter sheet when I had my guy. I usually only used it when I hacked him but if it was really cold I used it when I jumped him too. As he got older I noticed he had a harder time warming up and he was stiff in the really cold . The quarter sheet helped that so he warmed up better when I used it. Surprisingly he never really got sweaty with it on, even when he had a pretty good work out.
For my lesson this morning - around 20 degrees F, I used a quarter sheet on my clipped mare for the first 10 minutes or so, then took it off to jump. At the end of the lesson I threw it back on for the walk back to the barn.
I too shed a layer once I warmed up - it was much more pleasant than starting out cold - I would think she’d be more comfortable too. So yes, I use a quarter sheet. I use it when it’s cold enough for her to be in a medium weight turnout - 35 - 40 F taking wind into consideration.
I just bought SmartPak’s fleece quarter sheet - it got great reviews, and I really like it, especially for $45!
Now that I’m in a cooler climate I will be using one. Especially on clipped horses.
For those of you that use them… do you find your horses are more ‘goosey’ and cold-backed with them the first few times you try them?
I don’t think my gelding has ever had a QS until last week and the first 10m of warmup he was very jumpy about his backside, which is not like him at all. Come to find out when I take it off, we both got shocked… does that normally happen?
It may take them a few rides to get used to the feeling, but if they’re blanketed during the winter, they usually don’t notice too much of a difference. My horse is clipped and uses a quarter sheet during warm-up and cool down if we’re indoors, and during the entire ride if we’re outside.
[QUOTE=beowulf;7859164]
For those of you that use them… do you find your horses are more ‘goosey’ and cold-backed with them the first few times you try them?
I don’t think my gelding has ever had a QS until last week and the first 10m of warmup he was very jumpy about his backside, which is not like him at all. Come to find out when I take it off, we both got shocked… does that normally happen?[/QUOTE]
It’s probably from the static, not the quarter sheet itself–try some anti-static spray on it. Mine can get a little cranky if it’s very static-y, but actually really likes the quarter sheet. She’s generally pretty tight through her back anyway, so if it’s cold, I’ll do our dressage in one, or if jumping, warmup/coolout with one on. I’ve only ever popped over a few tiny (>2’) fences with one on, as I’ve always been told it was dangerous.
I’ve had a cheapie fleece one from Schneiders that was a bit thin and didn’t have a cutout, but worked well enough and didn’t seem to get super static-y. Now I’ve got one of the Newmarket Horseware ones, and it’s a heavier fleece, but seems more static-y.
I don’t clip my mare but she doesn’t get a ton of hair.
I throw either a quarter sheet or drape a cooler over her back and haunches after I have groomed and flip it over my saddle until I am ready to go out.
I keep it on for the first 10-15 minutes of walk warm up and then take it off while I ride until cool out time.
When riding clipped horses up north I used quarter sheets regularly. I made them myself, though, and used them in place of a baby pad, as well.
I got a bunch of big chunks of polar fleece and made my own. I traced a general quarter sheet pattern (cut back near the whither, curve in the front and cut back for my lower leg, then dipped down and straight back and then curved back up around the butt. Two quick darts in the butt (or not - I didn’t dart all my quarter sheets), and a length of ribbon for a tail cord. Could make the whole thing for about $15. I usually rode in this instead of a baby pad with a half back pad like usual.
Because they were so easy and cheap I made about a half dozen so I could wash them and have plenty.
On some days they would have some static cling when they came off. On very dry days I would make sure to run my hands all over the sheet before removing it and this usually discharged it so that the horses didn’t get shocked.
Mine are clipped, and I do use quarter sheets in the winter. This is by far my favorite: http://www.thermatex.co.uk/thermatex/Thermatex_Quarter_Rug.html
Haven’t read all of the replies, but I have a Rambo Newmarket quarter sheet for my guy. I really like the thickness and the cutaway so I can actually get my leg on him and not just spur the sheet! He is clipped, and I usually use it for warm up/cool down for lessons and the whole time if I am just doing a quick 20-25 minute light hack. I also have a back on track one but that one is too long underneath my leg, so I only use that one for warm up/cool down over my legs if it’s -35C or colder (we have a heated indoor arena)
I trail ride a lot and ride most of the winter. I have several without the key hole that I use. I made myself a 1/4 sheet a few years ago that is blaze orange with reflective tape as the binding. My Tb mare hates to be cold, so I pretty much use one every time I ride thru the winter.
I should add that although it was very very cold, I was riding in an indoor, so I didn’t have to worry about wind. Polar fleece, even the heavier weight, would probably fly around a bit in a stiff breeze.
They are annoying to use. If you do use one, I wouldn’t get a fleece one – when I clip and go for long walks in winter, I have one that I use that is a Thermolux/diamond quilted one. It is much less static-y. If I want to get dumped, I can put a fleece sheet on my horse and ride around, then watch the sparks fly and see how long it takes for him to buck me off!
(Thermalux are very similar to the thermatex linked above but diamonds instead of squares. agree they are the best for quarter sheets! They make a very nice stable blanket too that is great for layering.)
When I don’t clip, I don’t use anything at all, I don’t think it is necessary. I do blanket so they are used to wearing clothes, but they have enough hair they don’t get that cold for a short winter ride. In fact, it probably does more harm than good as their natural coat can loft if they have one.
Slight sidebar: I swear I grew up hearing it’s dangerous to jump in a quarter sheet. Did I make this up? I always take mine off to jump (I really only use it to warm up and cool down anyway.)
I like the Rambo fleece one. I don’t find it lightweight or staticky.
As long as you aren’t jumping alone and have someone who might notice if it were riding back and about to fall off or something I can’t imagine the issue. I never had a problem with mine. That’s why I stopped with the keyhole nonsense and just used them as my saddle pad as well.
I can’t image any other “danger.”
