Blanket 101: Care & Storage

When to start blanketing:

There’s no specific answer on this one, but my trainer always starts blanketing when the nights get below 45 and the days only get into the 50’s. I think 60 degrees is a bit warm for a blanket, unless there’s a downpour and it’s crazy windy and the wind chill is very low (again, it’s Oklahoma, you never know what can happen!). If it’s 45 and raining, put on a blanket. 45 and sunny…it’s really hard to say. Depending on your own weather, you should be able to tell when winter has officially started and when the temperatures are only going to drop instead of staying warm.

Blanket Repair, Washing & Storage:

If your horse rips his blanket toward the end of the season and you choose to repair it rather than replace it, there are many resources available. Repair kits are sold at most saddle shops, along with separate straps and the metal hooks and closures. If your horse happens to rip the nylon chest straps completely off like someone I know, I’ve found that sewing it back on with fishing line is the best option. I tried thick nylon thread and super glue, but the fishing line worked way better than anything else and it’s clear so it matches any color! If you do attempt this, be sure to use a large needle and a good thimble!

Washing your horse’s blanket will be a big chore no matter what, I’m not gonna lie! It’s very large and is often extremely dirty. First, I would recommend laying your blanket flat and using a rubber curry directly on the hairy areas just like you would on your horse. You’ll be amazed at how much hair it removes! Then, use a stiff broom to brush off as much horse hair and dirt as you possibly can on both sides. If you can find a laundry mat that will allow horse blankets, or one like mine that doesn’t have any rules about them and you can sneak it in, that is the cheapest way to go! I stuffed Dancer’s blanket into a large lawn trash bag and smuggled it into the biggest washing machine I could find in the laundry mat. I was a bit concerned about which detergent to use and I got many recommendations to use laundry detergent for babies or natural detergent as long as it’s mild. (Of course, you can also order blanket wash made specifically for horse blankets.) Before you stuff your blanket in the machine, use baby socks or ankle socks and place them over each buckle. Then use a rubber band to secure the socks. This will prevent the metal buckles from damaging the machine.

I chose the longest wash cycle for the blanket, using cold water, and then put it in the huge dryer on “air dry” for about 30 minutes. Don’t use the heated dry cycle unless you want it to shrink a few sizes! Many people don’t even bother with the dryer, but I didn’t want to take a sopping blanket home. I figured 30 minutes on “air dry” would be just enough to take it from sopping to pretty wet. Then, I took it home and draped it over the fence to dry in the sun. Be sure to remember that after washing, the blanket has probably lost is capability to repel liquids and it will need to be sprayed with some type of waterproofing before using it next winter (Scotchguard works great).

If you’re thinking of using your own machine, keep in mind that any blanket thicker than a sheet or light fill is probably too large for a home machine. I have used our machine for Dancer’s sheet and I followed the same routine as above. However, you will need to clean out the inside of the machine after washing your horse’s laundry. Clean the filter, wipe down and vacuum the interior. Then run an empty load with 1 cup of regular vinegar on the hot water setting. After this, I also ran a rinse cycle to remove the last traces of vinegar. I usually try to make sure the load after my horse’s laundry is full of my riding breeches and outdoor clothing just in case there are any stray horse hairs.

Storage

Storing your blanket in a blanket bag made for horse clothing is definitely recommended, but not required. You may choose to store it in a plastic container or something else, but make sure it’s completely dry before putting it away for the summer! I’ve heard of some people placing small bags of peppermint leaves inside the blanket folds to repel mice and spiders. i haven’t tried this but plan to this year because I’m curious and also because the smell would be nice! I prefer the horse bags though, because they aren’t airtight so I don’t have to worry about the blanket molding. They also hook right onto your stall so it makes storing the blanket super easy when the weather gets a little “iffy”. By that, I mean the few weeks each year – or a month in my case – that you might have the blanket on for a few days, off for a few days and need to have a place to store it that will be easy to grab and easy to put away. And you can have it up all the time for storage during rides, which is really convenient. I don’t know about you, but it drives me crazy to see people take their horse’s blanket off and just throw it on the ground in a pile and leave it until they get back. I know what you’re thinking… OCD much? I don’t think it’s clinical yet…

Anyway, I hope this guide helped you or entertained you or both! If you have any great blanketing tips to add, please leave a comment. Helpful suggestions are always appreciated!