What do you do with them? I feel bad throwing them away, so I’m wondering what others do.
Salvage the hardware to use on other blankets.
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Make insulated, cozy winter boxes for barn cats.
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Use them as lap robes for socially distanced outdoor get-togethers with friends this winter? kidding/not kidding
Is there an animal rescue near you that would take them? I know ours appreciates worn-out towels and blankets they can cut down and use as bedding.
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salvage some bits for repairs, rest goes for dog bed in the outdoor run (my one dog likes to shred dog beds)
How worn out? If they can be washed and repaired and waterproofed, donate to a rescue. Might be a nice gesture to wash them first. Much can be done with Shoe Goo and tent repair goo for smaller rips, and a big can of waterproofing spray.
I have never heard of anyone actually throwing away a horse blanket unless it is actually ripped in half :). There is always someone out there who would like it for a pasture horse, a rescue, or we have a rescue that runs a thrift shop too.
I use my older blankets as mud covers for my newer nicer ones. We always have the week of of sloppy yucky rain and I put the old leaky ones over the top of my good blankets so they are not totally encrusted in mud. Then I can pressure wash the muddy one and brush the edges of the good ones.
I also cut them into squares ( save the hardware for repairs) and the make great dust covers for saddles. Both my riding mowers and the ATV have old horse blankets as covers. My old foal blanket keeps the pressure washer covered. I never buy moving blankets. They can be cut down to make plant covers or insulate my mini greenhouse.
I always have a few usable average sizes (not pretty but serviceable) for the neighbor who just needs one or two for whatever reason. I have a couple old Big D’s that have been an outdoor dog bed for like 10 years, those were indestructible.
My old antisweat sheets are cat scratching posts. Old coolers make a cat bed heavenly.
I have also boxed them up and given them to the handicapped riding program or to CANTER if they are in reasonable shape. Maybe they are not really warm or waterproof but to a rescue horse, they could be heaven.
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This.Then throw them out. They are usually quite bad at that point - repaired to death before the end.
We use them to cover plants, well pressure tank and exposed water pipes if the temps go below freezing.
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Contact your local Blanket repair person. The hardware and strapping can be reused and often some of the fabric can be used for patching.
When I was fixing a lot of blankets I gave owners a bit of a discount on repairs if they let me have their old trashed blankets.
Small animal shelters may also be able to use them for bedding. Husband has also stuffed his archery targets with them.
