“His Blanket, Your Life.” That’s the title of a Buywise feature in Horse & Rider (September ’09), and it also sums up a reality about blanketing: If your chosen blanket doesn’t fit your needs as well as those of your horse, it isn’t your best buy–no matter what it costs!
Use the links below to see sample blankets suitable for certain needs.
1. Away All Day
When you can’t be at home to swap out blankets as the weather changes, you need a blanket that’s waterproof, and with breathable fibers that’ll allow body heat to escape if necessary.
Sample blanket: Weatherbeeta Landa Original Standard Neck
2. Weighty Questions
You’ve moved to a different climate or will be traveling to one with your horse, and you’re unsure of what blanket weight will be best. You need a blanket that’s good for layering, much like a favorite jacket of your own.
Sample blanket: Kensington Roustabout Blanket
3. Equine Escape Artist
You have a horse that’s a regular Houdini when it comes to getting his blanket off, which means you need features that’ll help keep a blanket in place.
Sample blanket: Weatherbeeta 420D Stable Blanket Closed Front.
4. Blanket-Rub Damage
In the past, your horse has ended up with rubbed-out patches of hair from wearing a blanket. You need one that’s tailored to his body type.
Sample blanket: VTEK? Marathon Heavyweight Turnout Euro V-Free
5. Outdoor Oldster
You have an equine senior citizen that lives outdoors and has trouble maintaining his weight in winter. Here, you need a blanket that serves as a comfortable second skin.
Sample blanket: Rambo Supreme Turnout Lite
6. Repair/Cleaning Shock Factor
Even the best blanket needs occasional cleaning and/or repair. But you’d like to minimize those extra expenditures as best you can.
Sample blanket: Masta Easy Wash Stable Blanket
