Tack: Care and Cleaning by Cherry Hill

Author:Cherry Hill
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC
Published: 1991-03-25T16:00:00+00:00

Blanket Construction

Purchase well-made domestic blankets. The outer layer of such blankets is usually made of high-quality, tightly woven, durable materials such as Cordura, nylon Pack Cloth, duck canvas, or in the case of coolers, 100 percent wool. Blankets made of acrylic, other fleeces, acetate, or fibers with loose, open, or uneven weaves are easily shredded, shrink unevenly, or may be impossible to thoroughly clean. Many of these import blankets look very attractive when new and have design features of the more expensive, domestic blankets but just do not hold up to normal horse use. What is doubly difficult for the buyer is that many of the import blankets do not have fiber content information on them.

Most nylon products are tough, resist tearing, and provide a smooth, dense surface. Nylon-lined blankets keep the coat slick and don’t easily pick up hair and dirt so they don’t require frequent washing. Fleece- and blanket-lined blankets accumulate a lot of debris so they are very difficult to keep clean and hard to repair well. In addition, fleece and blanket linings compress over pressure points on the horse’s body, such as the shoulders, hips, and withers. Often such blankets are also heavy and result in bare spots or raw spots. Nylon-lined blankets are less likely to cause hair loss. In the case of a horse that is very sensitive, even with a well-fitted blanket, a blanket lined with pure silk can increase comfort.

Polyester or Fiberfill stuffing provides good insulation and is comfortable for the horse. It is light, easy to wash and dry, and allows air to circulate more freely through the blanket. Whether a horse might get wet from external moisture or from his own body heat and sweat, it is important for the moisture to be able to escape from the blanket. Foam-stuffed blankets, unless they are of a very light foam, are not as breathable as polyester, are generally heavier, and are stiffer when dirty.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.