Old fashioned horse stuff sometimes still the best...

[Doris68]

Not in my case. A square wool blanket (army surplus itchy thing) was placed over the horses back and neck, up near to the poll. The jute rug went on over the top and the blanket was folded back from the poll over the jute rug, then a roller secured the whole lot in place. As my horse had very little wither, 2 pieces of sponge were placed either side his wither to prevent pressure.

Fond memories of folding the blanket back, usually into a point and then putting foam over the point under a surcingle. Also, just gave away the infamous blue "string vest" cooler - brilliant for thatching! All these things worked well way back when!

 

[Cobbytype]

That description takes me back, if you were very 'posh' you had a witney instead of an army blanket.
When I was a wp all the horses were rugged like this, blankets (sometimes multiples) and jutes. In the mornings we would take the blankets off, and put the jutes back on with the fronts turned back under the roller, so like quarter sheets. When we quartered them we had to keep the rug on all the time.

To be honest, once I left the last livery yard, I've had very little contact with the horsey world (I live in an area with few horses), so when I came on this forum... well... it was a whole new world. I'd never heard of feed balancers, treeless saddles or matchy matchy. I thought I was really out there because I own a Polypad And up until I lost my horse, I quartered him when it was cold - it didn't really occur to me to do any other.

 

[Cobbytype]

Fond memories of folding the blanket back, usually into a point and then putting foam over the point under a surcingle. Also, just gave away the infamous blue "string vest" cooler - brilliant for thatching! All these things worked well way back when!

Yes that's right - I used to think my boy looked like an envelope until the blanket was turned back So much pride in making a neat job of it all.

I hang my head in shame - didn't realise 'string vests' were no longer used. Mental note to me: GET OUT MORE

 

[Ladyinred]

I've got loads of them, three or four in white, two in black and one in green and still use them regularly.

I last used a string vest type cooler around ten years ago for a very cold, wet horse and thatched underneath it. Didn't think that was at all unusual until I saw the whole yard gathered at my horses door because they had never seen it done before! Made me feel very old.

 

[marmalade76]

Just for you Enfys

And under vintage summer sheet (although a little big on this pone, I have found it hard to find really small ones).

 

[Gift Horse]

when I came on this forum... well... it was a whole new world. I'd never heard of feed balancers, treeless saddles or matchy matchy..

Me too

 

[BlairandAzria]

I have an old wool Witney but I can't seem to store it without it getting damp...does anyone have a solution for this?

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

I have an old wool Witney but I can't seem to store it without it getting damp...does anyone have a solution for this?

It needs to be really dry then you can keep it in the airing cupboard, make sure it is hung in a warm dry place for a few days,

 

[Ladyinred]

I have an old wool Witney but I can't seem to store it without it getting damp...does anyone have a solution for this?

Get all your friends to save the packs of desiccant that come in new shoes/bags etc and throw a heap of them in as you fold it.

 

[Doormouse]

We used to put the jute rugs on inside out on the racehorses and hunters when they were sweaty after exercise and they would dry them and wick away the damp. So I fact they doubled as stable rug and cooler.

I do remember taking the rugs off a hunter one day and collapsing underneath the weight of all the heavy blankets!

 

[paddy555]

I have an old wool Witney but I can't seem to store it without it getting damp...does anyone have a solution for this?

airing cupboard but consider something like moth balls.

 

[Welly]

There is a item on the H&H web page with a photo about Themes valley police horses and they are all in Witney rugs they look so smart!