blanket question

[Warpony]

I am going to make some blankets for Sparrow, and i was wondering what kind of fasteners you all prefer for blankets on your mini's. I've never blanketed anything smaller then a full sized horse but i am considering clipping Sparrow next month and i want some blankets for him, and since i love to sew I want to make my own.

I'm used to the standard "two straps with buckles in front, belly bands with hooks around the barrel, and snaps on leg straps"... but i was considering velcro since i could make the blankets more adjustable that way... I'm just not sure I trust it to hold.

So what type of fasteners do you prefer on your blankets? and does anyone have any tips or suggestions on making your own blankets? I'm fairly experienced at sewing costumes and stuffed animals from my own patterns so I will likely try working from my own pattern but if anyone knows of patterns for mini sized blankets I wouldn;t mind hearing about those too...

 

[Steph G]

There are patterns at suitability.com for mini blankets. I made my own pattern with a cutback neck for one of mine and the other I made a one piece neck and body blanket but I can unvelcro the neck and fold it back if I don't need it. I did that to prevent rubbing the withers and mane hair.

I can email pics with measurements of mine, but I can't really describe my pattern. I just kinda wing it every time due to the fact that I've never had to make two the same size.

 

[ChrystalPaths]

Velcro for sure with an open neck w/ velcro too. I had to whip one up for Threa a few yrs ago of fleece and it's great.

 

[targetsmom]

I love the ones with velcro on the belly band and then an extra peice of velcro near withers or along back to hold the belly band velcro down! We have a couple of minis who love to undo velcro but they haven't been able to figure this out yet.

 

[Warpony]

I was looking at those suitability patterns and i wasn't sure if their "xs" was actually mini size or not... sounds like it would be worth getting even though I am pretty sure I could make one myself. I've made blankets for my dogs and i would assume it would be about the same just a little bigger.

I know my local fabric store has some nice wide heavy duty velcro, I was just concerned that it might not hold. Sounds like that shouldn't be a concern.

I love the ones with velcro on the belly band and then an extra peice of velcro near withers or along back to hold the belly band velcro down! We have a couple of minis who love to undo velcro but they haven't been able to figure this out yet.

do you have a link that shows how that is set up? That is my biggest concern, since Sparrow is really mouthy I worry that he will pull at it and undo the belly band then end up tangled in it with it still hooked around the neck.

 

[horsehug]

I am one who much prefers buckles on the straps to velcro. I also prefer a closed front.

This is because the only time my horses do not get out of a velcro blanket is if they are alone, but mine always either live in a herd together or at least a mom and foal together, and when I clip them our nights get really cold even all summer here.

I usually clip them after they are a few months old and back in with my whole mare herd and if it is only a velcro blanket they are "undressed" for sure by morning. The others seem to love investigating a blanket and find those velcro straps to pull on!!

I even sent a velcro blanket to a good friend who has a tack business in Canada to "remake " it and put on straps! She made me several others also and I am so happy with them now when I clip my foals each year!

Edited to add....... so far mine have figured out belly band velcro also, but possibly the way targetsmom described it with the back strap also, they wouldn't. I am not sure..... but am just so happy with the buckles!

Susan O.

 

[Kim]

Add me to the list of those that prefer straps over Velcro. The Velcro ones are great to start with, but after a while the Velcro starts to get old (and shavings get stuck in it that you can't completely get out, etc. etc.), and it gets a lot less sticky. I can't tell you how many Velcro blankets and sheets I have had to round up out of the pastures and paddocks due to them either falling off or horses ripping them off!

 

[Triggy&Blue&Daisy Too]

Personally I HATE velcro on blankets. They accumulate crud and hair and become useless in short order. All my horses hate the sound of it and they act like I'm pulling a bandaid off an owie most of the time.

I do love snaps though which make blanketing and unblanketing a much easier chore. Other features I've found I really like in any blanket are the elastic release on the belly bands. It's sort of a loop on the nylon band attached with a band of elastic. If the elastic breaks then the rest of the nylon band is still there to hold the blanket but it allows for some give before that happens. The top should not have a seam as that is a entry for rain to leak through no matter how well waterproofed, tail covers are nice to have on on turnouts and keeps the wind from blowing up when they turn their backs to it. I prefer adjustable elastic leg straps instead of the nylon adjustable ones and think they keep the blanket from shifting or being pulled off as easily. I cross clip them between the back legs which gives more room to move yet seems to hold the blanket on better than clipping in line on each side.

As I have before, Triggy hates blankets and I cannot keep one one him for long. He is so clever he can get them off even with leg straps, leaving all things buckled and in place--a total Houdini. Once he's found a way to be rid of it, he shows further displeasure by pawing it and pottying on it. Lucky for him he's got a thick natural coat. After I clip him I still try to keep him covered but usually find him naked in the morning.

 

[dannigirl]

Add me to the list that does not like velcro. Mainly for the same reasons. When two or more are together, they are smart little beggers and get the blankets off. Also, nothing I have found can get all the shavings out of them and lastly, when I wash them, the velcro always seems to get stuck to everything in sight and makes knots in the washer.

 

[targetsmom]

I think the secret with velcro is to have a really long (and fairly wide) piece that goes all the way over the back. The short narrow pieces do collect crud and then don't work. I like the velcro because I am always worried that the buckles will get hooked on something. Anyway, the second piece of velcro starts at the withers and has the fuzzy stuff stitched down along the back and then a piece with hooks that lays OVER the belly band piece once that is attached. So to remove the belly band, you must first undo the shorter piece of velcro right behind the withers, hold that out of the way and then undo the belly band piece which is at right angles to it. Easy for a human, but none of our Houdinis have figured it out yet. If you have 2 pieces of velcro on the belly band you could use 2 pieces of velcro along the back to hold them down.

 

[Steph G]

Forgot to mention that I like the velcro too, except that I have one hood that I bought that has velcro closures. The velcro did rip a little, but for all of the blankets that I have made I backed the velcro by sewing it onto nylon webbing. I made my velcro closures like a hook and loop closure and no one has been able to get it off, but I will definitely use the idea mention earlier by targetsmom if they do figure it out.

I ordered all of my metal loops and webbing from seattlefabrics.com. I don't have a good fabric store nearby so I also got some velcro from them too. They also have some great materials for making tough blankets, but I haven't gotten any of that yet.

 

[Warpony]

thanks for all the opinions everyone! Lots of helpful ideas and suggestions! i really appreciate it.

*heads off to check out seattlefabrics.com*

 

[Steph G]

Someone asked for pics of the blankets I made, but their email went to my junkmail and I accidentally deleted it as I was about to reply with the pics.

If you send it again I'll try and get those pics to you asap! Sorry

 

[lucyem]

I have only had bad experiences with velcro. The little guys will rip it off each other and the velcro gets

so dirty that it makes it even easier to rip it off. I prefer buckles and I prefer them to be like on a big horse blanket. One in the chest area and one underneath with the clasp underneath. I do not mind having to kneel down to clip it around the belly. I rather that then have a clip or velcro on the side or back where another horse can play with it and possibly rip the blanket.