Has anyone else been confused when blanket shopping? I know when I got my first horse, I was totally lost on the subject. I knew he would need a blanket but my only criteria was the cheaper the better. It took a couple rounds of buying crappy blankets to figure it out. I’d like to clarify in this post the different kinds of blankets and their uses, some terminology you will see when blanket shopping, how to measure for size and a few troubleshooting tips.
Types of Blankets
Firstly let’s talk about different kinds of blankets. These are basically broken down into turnout versus stable blankets. Stable sheets, sometimes called dress sheets, are only for keeping a horse clean for a short time. I use them in the stall overnight after bathing to go to shows early in the next morning. They offer no warmth and should not be used for any variety of weather protection. A stable blanket is warm, often quilted with fill material but, is intended for use while stabled. You could imagine it as a well-shaped bed spread on your horse. It doesn’t have the waterproof outer shell to handle mud and weather, so it will soak through leaving a soggy, cold, or even frozen horse. Turn out blankets are supposed to be fully waterproof and can be used when the horse is in or out.
Blanket Weight/ Level of Warmth
Both stable and turnout blankets come with different insulating fill weights which are expressed in grams. Sheets have no fill, so they provide no warmth. You could imagine wearing a windbreaker or summer rain jacket. There may be an official guideline somewhere, but I consider a light weight blanket to be less than 200 grams. Between 200 and 300 grams is a medium weight, and anything 300 grams or higher is a heavy weight. The exact conditions in which to use different weights is highly individual and a whole separate subject. For more information regarding blanket use see my post “To Blanket or Not to Blanket”.
Outer Shell
Another word you will see a lot when blanket shopping is denier. Denier refers to how heavy the thread and how tightly woven the outer shell of the blanket is. The higher the denier count the stronger the material. For example, 600 denier is considered medium and 1200 denier is considered heavy or strong. This also applies to both stable and turnout blankets though stable blankets typically stop at 600 denier. I personally try for 1200 denier for turnout. Why go lighter when it has to survive both your horse’s antics and the elements?
Sizing
Sizing also took me some trial and error. Most blanket companies do sizes in two-inch increments, some go on the odd numbers and some the even. Like buying jeans online, it’s always a bit of a guessing game – some brands run big or small. The cut means everything and you rarely know until you try it on. But the size your horse measures is the starting point. To measure a horse, you’ll want to use something flexible, such as a rope or soft measuring tape. Measure from the center of the horse’s chest to the top of the tail, wrapping around his shoulder and hip.
I like to go one size bigger than the actual measurement as I have repeatedly found the exact size I measure to be a little tight. If you expect a horse to gain or lose weight from when you are measuring adjust one size up or down for that as well.
Adjustability and Fit
When you have a good blanket that is just worn out, it can be easiest to buy from the same company as the cuts and sizes should be pretty similar. If that is not an option, I prefer to shop for a highly adjustable neck and chest area to allow for snugging up as needed. Having both buckles for tightening and clips with a couple different rings to choose from on the chest closure is great. Velcro straps to adjust the neck are also nice but not a must.
You never want a blanket to sit right on the ridge of the horse’s withers. It will rub a hole within days, especially when it gets wet. It is best to have your blanket set just in front of the wither unless it is a high neck design. Some stable blankets are designed to sit well behind the wither. As long as the blanket otherwise fits, this should be fine. With any blanket design, I routinely watch for signs of pressure and rubbing. Often, poor fit or need for adjustments are not apparent until slight rubbing has begun. The most common points for horses to rub are the withers, front of shoulder, over the hips, and occasionally along the sides of the belly.
Preventing Rubs
Since rubbing can be such an issue, make sure the material against your horse is smooth if intended to be worn for a length of time. The only exception here is dress sheets as they are short term wears anyway. Rougher materials like fleece and felt that are sometimes used as fill in cheaper blankets are abrasive especially if any moisture gets inside. Smooth materials help to lay the horse’s coat down for low-friction contact.
Layering
As my final troubleshooting tip for today, when you get that bitter cold blast of weather and your horses have to make do with a run-in shed, layering blankets is sometimes the best protection you can offer them. You can use either a turnout or stable blanket as the base layer, then place a looser fit turnout for waterproofing as the top layer. If your bottom layer is not waterproof, always make sure it is completely hidden by the top layer. If it sticks out, it will absorb water, even just from rolling in the mud or laying down and wet your horse, completely negating any benefit it may have had.
Final Thoughts
So, there it is, an overview of blanket lingo and what it means in real life. Hopefully this has clarified some things for you that I had to find out the hard way. It’s fun to pick through decorative blanket patterns and colors and experiment with some of the bargain blankets out there. Next time you need to go blanket shopping just keep in mind that if it doesn’t hold up and protect your horse, or even fit your horse comfortably, it’s no good no matter how cheap or pretty it is!
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Great information