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Elite Veteran
Posts: 629
  
| So, for what it's worth I live in NC and we have had some nasty cold winters here the last few years. I love them, but they make for tricky blanketing. Here's what I do with mine.
First, it's important not to load a horse up with blankets if they are still wet/sweaty. Sorry, I think I saw someone say they put a cooler on when wet then, under a blanket to trailer. This will only make the horse hot and sweat more. If they're sweaty, put the cooler on to wick away moisture, and when dry, remove the now wet fleece, and put a blanket on or a dry fleece.
If the temps are below 25, they get a fleece liner, with their mid weight turnout blankets. If its 25-35, just their blanket. 35+. depends on the wind. If its windy, which at my house, it usually is very chilly. They're at the top of a hill, with no wind break when they are out grazing, so they will usually have a lightweight blanket, or a fleece with a sheet over it.
I have one persnickety mare that shivers if its below 45 degrees, and she usually at least has a sheet on to break the wind, but she usually lives in her cooler/sheet combo from late December-February. She is the only one that has a heavyweight blanket.
Also, they are in the barn at night, with an abundance of hay because that's the coldest part of the day, and like I said, usually windy, so I force them in and out of the wind. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1467
Location: PA | i agree with the schneiders blankets, they have many cuts and styles and temps to choose from. I also have a heavy weight high neck Rambo that I use, and I'm in PA, similar weather to MD. Just one blanket and they are in if its too frigid. |
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 Not Afraid to Work
Posts: 4717
| I am a big layer person. Live in MN so it gets from cold to colder to frigid. I usually keep him in a sheet from 40s-50s. A sheet with liner in the 30-20s. Mid weight 20-single digits and then a heavy weight single digits and colder with a liner if its frigid cold.
I have bought Tough 1, they didnt gold up. I have a Weatherbeeta which I really like, they run a bit big. I want to try Schneider this year. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 629
| My ideal blanket is a closed front belly band, and I cannot find one that comes in different colors (so I know whose blanket is whose). I have 2 that wear a 76, and one 78, so they're hard to tell apart if they are the same color.
I have a closed front sheet from schneiders that I LOVE. It has the v free withers and it doesn't rub her mane out at her withers like some of the other blankets I have. |
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Expert
Posts: 1599
| I love my Tough 1 turnouts. Really last and the price is good! For my inside horses I just layer with whatever I have..... |
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Expert
Posts: 2531
Location: WI | BARRELHORSE USA - 2015-09-10 12:40 AM If your water buckets do not freeze I wouldn't even think of putting a blanket on a horse that is stalled up with 1-2 hour turnout. If up to 8 hour turnout would consider a med blanket while outside. Mother Nature knows how to fluff a horses hair to keep them warm when dry and horses thrive on 30-40 degree weather ... hay is the internal furnace to keep a horse warm .. If heavily blanketed ... who is there to pull the blankets off if temperature goes above 50 degrees?? .. also when blanketing horses is discussed I never hear anyone mention washing the blankets over the 4-5-6 months of wearing them ... lol I know my stud horse liked it when bathing was infrequent in the winter months when I squirted him with some POLO DOUBLE BLACK to make the ladies smile at him... lol I only blanket horses if I'm riding through the winter. Sheets when it gets below 60F, light weight 30-45F, medium weight 15-30F, heavyweight on when it's under 15F.
He is out 24/7. I am out everyday and am always checking the forecast to make sure he is blanketed right.
I wash my blankets as needed throughout the winter, we have an industrial washer in the barn. Honestly, with all the snow cover they don't really get that dirty until the spring when everything is soggy.
Edited by linds 2015-09-10 9:51 AM
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 "Spaz-tacular"!!
Posts: 20309
Location: Bennett, CO | Some of you all may remember my addiction... When I moved from Oklahoma to CO 12 years ago, I had a horse blanket "problem" No kidding, at one point, I counted up my hoard of horse blankets, and there were 70 some in there... every brand and type. My BHW pals had an intervention, and I sold all of them off, except 1 heavy and 1 light weight for each horse. (I think I bought all of these so worried about them being cold in Colorado, and they were just fine) Anyhow- The good thing that came out of this mess, was I was a good Horse blanket evaluator. I found a blanket out of the UK called Shedrow. They were crazy expensive for the 2100 denier turnouts.. like $400 - but MAN- they were awesome! I still have the 2 I bought 12 years ago... They have had minor strap repairs- THATS IT. About 5 years ago, I found out that the Shedrow blankets were being sold over here under the name brand Country Pride. Ive only found them on www.bigDweb. com The ones they have are well over 2000 denier, bulletproof and stay on. I have all of my ponies wearing them in the blizzard type conditions. They are not terribly expensive either. I love that they come up the neck and keep snow and wind from getting in at the withers.
 (Big Dees Blankets.jpg)
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 Veteran
Posts: 242
| Big D magnum. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2457
| TwistedK - 2015-09-09 2:35 PM FlyingHigh1454 - 2015-09-09 2:25 PM lol linds! Great minds think alike. haha Add me in this group... have 2 of them and LOVE them!
Ditto - I've got 3 of these and they are awesome. 100% worth the money.
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 Expert
Posts: 1229
Location: Royal J Performance Horses, AZ | Big D blankets hands down. They are the BEST
Last the longest, Look classy, and are adequate in stuffing/warmth.
I have 3 big Ds all 3 were bought 2nd hand, i've been using them for 6 years and they are in GREAT condition. I usually take them in every 2 years to have them cleaned and patched if needed.
PLUS i'll point out that PHT magnetic blankets USE BIG D blankets. You know why? QUALITY, THeir stuff lasts! |
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 It's not my fault I'm perfect
Posts: 13739
Location: Where the long tails flow, ND | lindseylou2290 - 2015-09-10 2:00 PM
TwistedK - 2015-09-09 2:35 PM FlyingHigh1454 - 2015-09-09 2:25 PM lol linds! Great minds think alike. haha Add me in this group... have 2 of them and LOVE them!
Yup my barn is full of these blankets! |
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Veteran
Posts: 180
| FlyingHigh1454 - 2015-09-09 12:24 PM
Both of mine just have weatherbetta Freestyle medium to heavy turnout blankets, then if its after a race and they are sweaty, we put the coolers on under the blanket to keep them from getting chilly (we have a stock trailer).
Just the one blanket was enough for ours, and they didn't grow much of a winter coat (a little fuzz, but nothing that a day of shedding didn't take care of).
Ditto Flyinghigh and I also often add my BOT underneath. Keeps mine slick. 
Edited by gypsykalgirl 2015-09-10 10:33 PM
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7268
| BBrewster - 2015-09-09 9:26 PM
Schneiders makes awesome blankets and has info on what weight of blanket for the Temps you get and horse coat you want to maintain..
I second this. They aren't pricey and mine have lasted for years. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1611
Location: bring on the heat, NV | Most important thing about blanketing is the correct blanket per temperature. I usually get along just fine with a midweight but we are not horribly snowed in or get lots of sleet. Just LOTS of wind or weather inversions. So little mositure on a horse in the wind with no shelter can be bad..... they are tough critters... I blanket the wimpy ones and riding ones. im building my blanket collection LOL. I have a weatherbeeta still looks brandnew and I swear its going on its third year. My tough 1 is at least a year older and is great other than I need to replace straps my little mare got a leg stuck and ripped them off. Still water proof. Gelding has shredded the undersides of the tough 1 and artic heavy weight which is 5 years old. Im not sure if its 100% water proof so will maybe get a sheet to put on that one. |
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