Blankets...

I'm trying to decide whether I want to get Lacey a new blanket...

Her current one is alright but it's basically just one layer of felt and nylon or whatever that stuff is over the top of it and it's a little tight on her shoulders. And it needs to be re water proofed (which is easy to fix but still.)

I wouldn't be worried about it aside from how last winter we got over 2 feet of snow and had temperatures in the low teens to single digits when we hardly ever get more than 6 inches of snow, ever. I would feel like a terrible owner if that happened this year and she wasn't warm enough again...

Do you suggest preparing for the possible (super cold) or the likely (really wet but temperate)?

She is getting older so I'm inclined to start looking at blankets to see what might be in my price range.

What brands do you suggest for an high (for an Arab, her blanket is always getting caught on them) withered, wide shouldered Arab?

I live in England and I have 2 light/medium-set horses who drop weight as soon as there is a gust of wind !
For this reason they always rugs on from around september/october to march/april time, purely because of their breed - as they have 2 feeds every day, are turned out in the daytime and have ad-lib haylage every night when they're in their stables.
(just to avoid people saying I neglect my horses because they drop weight)

As she is an arab and is getting older I would definitely be wanting to keep her really warm during the winter.
One of mine is a warmblood with very high withers, I have found that "Masta" and "Mark Todd" rugs fit him very nicely.

Hope this helps !

Oh, I guess I should add that last year she grew a monstrous coat, it was 4 inches long in some places and super thick.

Thanks hollybee, I'll check to see if we get those brands in the US. =) I don't want my baby to be too cold!

Amego or any other HorseWear Ireland brand is really good, as is Rider's International!

I have medium weight (with insulator) waterproof (!!) Saxon for my horses (Best value! Economy Saxon Turnout Sheet by Weatherbeeta.). That's a cheaper blanker, but I have them for 3 years already and was very happy with them (although thinking about getting new because my qh grew). Even though people are saying horses are OK without one I found out mine LOVE to have blankets on in snow or in wind and cold.

Do you think I should go with a heavyweight blanket or just a midweight one? I'm kinda getting conflicting information on that front. One site told me that if a horse is unclipped they'll be fine down to 10 degrees F with a midweight blanket while another site said to switch to a heavyweight at 20 degrees. Usually where I live in Oregon doesn't get below 20 but like I said, last year it did. =/

What do you guys think about this blanket?
AVAILABLE in 25 COLORS, SAVE 65% OFF McAlister 600D MW Turnout Blanket All sizes Turnout Blankets Blankets and Sheets HorseLoverZ.com

Is it worth the money? It looks pretty good to me, but I'm not so good with blankets.

If I were to get a heavyweight I'm considering this one:
HUGE SELECTION, HUGE SAVINGS! McAlister 600D HIGH-NECK HW Blanket All sizes Turnout Blankets Blankets and Sheets HorseLoverZ.com

Thoughts?

I would get a midweight blanket for your mare. It sounds like she grows quite a decent coat so I think she would be fine with just a midweight. Also, I've heard to stay away from the Mcalister blankets because they fall apart extremely quick and don't hold up very long.

I would suggest getting an Amigo turnout. They are very durable, waterproof, and not too pricy. Here is a link of the one I'm talking about...
Amigo Turnout Blanket from SmartPak Equine

Oops... After looking at the one I posted for you I realized I did the wrong one. I have the one with polyfill for warmness. If you go to jeffersequine.com and look for Saxon Blanket they have one for $44.95 (with like 180 gm polyfill - MEDIUM weight).

Do you clip your horse and how cold it gets in your area? The 1st one doesn't seem to give any protection from cold, so I personally wouldn't get it. 2nd one may be too heavy depending on your horse and weather. But if your horse is older and it gets cold, I'd go with the 2nd one.

Wow, I'm glad I asked! =D

That Amigo blanket is way out of my price range right now. =( I'm looking for something more in the under $100 range, preferably even under $70. Alas, it looks really nice though!

I don't clip Lacey, I might end up doing some sort of clippage this year if I work her a lot since she seems to grow a huge winter coat and last year she got a little bit sweaty when I'd free lunge her. I'm not sure yet though. I most likely won't.
Oregon is pretty temperate. According to the weather service people the average low of Oregon is 32 but we usually have at least a week or two where it's in the twenties, not usually below 25 but like I said, last year it got all the way down to 15 for two weeks straight. O.o

I didn't even notice that about the first blanket I posted! I'm so glad someone pointed that out. I like that Saxon blanket you posted Kitten_Val, I wish they had it in a different color though! Haha

I'm going to go measure her today and find out what size she needs.

They have very nice on-line live Custom Service, so I'd really recommend to contact them and double check again how much polyfill they have if you decide to go with one. Mine has 160 or 180 gr and the weather seems to be about the same you have. I have younger horses, but I still put it on when the temperature goes below 25 or we have snow. Yeah, color choice is poor - that's for sure.

Amigo is a great blanket as far as I heard. BTW, I do remember I've seen the cheaper Amigo one... And after some checking on my "usual" stores... Guess what? Amigo Mio Medium Turnout Blanket - Dover Saddlery.

It's still over $70, but way under $100! So you may want to check it out (and it's medium with 200 gr fill).