The Various Types of
Horse Blankets and Sheets
If you look in any horse catalog or browse through the blanket
section of any tack store you will immediately notice that there is
a wide selection of several different types of blankets. To the
uninitiated the exact use for each of these blankets can be
confusing.
Turn-out rugs are exactly what they sound like. Turn-out rugs are
blankets that are sturdy enough to handle the wear and tear of life
outside. They are designed to hold up to the roughest of play. They
are also designed to rip if the horse gets caught on something in
their field.
There are two types of turn-out rugs. The heavy variety are
designed to be used during the cold winter months while the lighter
blankets (the lighter variety of blankets are typically called
sheets while the heavier type are called rugs).
Quarter sheets are strange looking things. Held next to the full
size sheets and rugs they look like somebody forgot to attach the
from half of the blanket. Blanket designers haven't forgotten a
thing. Quarter sheets are designed to hook to the saddle and cover
the horses haunches. These blankets are typically used to keep a
horses muscles warm while the rider
waits to go into the show ring after a rider has finished their
pre-class schooling session. Some riders decide to save money and
instead of purchasing a quarter sheet they simply use their stable
sheet folded in half to cover their horse.
Stable sheets are light weight sheets that are too thin to be
used outside of the stabling area. They are generally used to cover
the horse after its been groomed and bathed. They have the very
specific purpose of keeping the horse clean. Some riders use stable
sheets to cover a horse while it is being transported. Many large
stables have their stable sheets
custom done in their stables colors. Some catalogs and tack shops
refer to stable sheets as dress sheets.
Coolers are another type of blanket that are self-explanatory.
Coolers are placed on a hot horse to help slow the cooling process.
They cover the entire horse, ear to tail. The open design of
coolers allows the air to flow through them. Coolers are typically
custom designed in a stables colors and can be monogrammed. Several
shows give away coolers, instead of trophies and ribbons, as an
reward for high point championships.
Fly sheets are blankets that are designed to help keep flies from
pestering their horses. Horse owners can choose between a close
knit fly sheet or one that has a large weave pattern.
Blanket liners are typically designed from thin smooth material
that is designed to slide smoothly across the horses muscles
without rubbing off the hair or chaffing the skin. Typically
blanket liners cover only the horses chest and shoulders where
blankets typically wear at the horses hair.
No matter what type of blanket you decide to use it is important to
make sure that the blanket properly fits your horse.
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