Horseware vs budget turnout blankets: how do the specs compare?

Fill weights and closures overlap a lot. The guarantee is where the terms differ most, and it pays to read what each one covers.

The Horseware columns come from our Horseware blanket guide and our Horseware blankets page, which report Horseware's own specs. The economy column describes the turnouts in the entry price tier of our own catalog from makers other than Horseware: 56 styles from 11 makers, as their specs are recorded in our product data. It is a picture of that tier, not of every budget blanket sold.

Deciding whether the premium is worth it for your horse? That's a separate question, and our are Horseware blankets worth it page answers it. This page sticks to the specs.

The University of Maine Cooperative Extension's Winter Blanketing Guide says denier indicates the strength and thickness of the weave, which relates to durability, and that a 1200D blanket will be stronger and likely will last longer than a 600D one. That holds when you compare like with like.

So a 1200D polyester economy turnout and a 1200D polyester Amigo are on the same scale, and the 1200D beats a 600D of either. But our Horseware guide points out that a 1000D ballistic nylon Rambo is stronger than a 1200D polyester Amigo even though the number is lower. Ballistic nylon and polypropylene are different fabrics, so their denier doesn't line up with polyester's.

Horseware also publishes strength claims for its own fabrics. As our Horseware guide reports them, Horseware says the Rhino's 1000D polypropylene is 50% to 100% stronger than the coated polyester used in most turnouts, that the ripstop polypropylene on the Rhino HexStop Plus is 30% stronger than its standard polypropylene, and that its 1680D ballistic nylon is 120% stronger than its standard 1000D. Those are the maker's figures. Our blanket labels page explains the numbers on a tag in more detail.

The University of Maine guide says grams refer to the polyfill insulation and that the higher the gram count, the heavier the insulation. Our Horseware guide gives Horseware's weight bands: lightweight 0 to 100g, medium 150 to 250g, heavyweight 300g and up.

The economy turnouts in our catalog run from no fill to 400g, including in-between weights such as 180g, 220g, 300g and 350g, so you'll find a match for most Horseware weights. The difference to watch is Vari-Layer. Our Horseware blankets page says a Vari-Layer medium is 250g over the back, 150g mid and 100g at the base, and our Horseware guide says the number on the label is the fill over the back, where it's thickest. A flat 250g blanket and a 250g Vari-Layer blanket are not built the same way.

Pick the weight by your weather first. Our blanket weight page and blanket weight calculator help, and the medium turnouts and heavyweight turnouts pages group blankets by fill.

Horseware rates every turnout, Amigo, Rhino and Rambo alike, waterproof to over 3000mm and breathable to 3000g/m², as our Horseware guide reports. The economy turnouts in our catalog are labeled waterproof, and the University of Maine guide says to check that a blanket is labeled waterproof before using it in rain or snow.

A rating describes the fabric, and a blanket's waterproofing can still wear. Our waterproof or water-resistant page explains what the mm and breathability numbers mean. The construction matters too: Rhino's Barrier Layer puts the waterproofing in its own layer under the outer, which our Rhino page says keeps working if the outer is scuffed or nicked.

Care keeps any turnout dry longer, and our washing and reproofing page covers it. One difference to know: our Horseware guide says reproofing a Horseware turnout in its first three years can void the guarantee.

Our Horseware guide lists them: Classic, a straight front for narrower horses; Surefit with V-Front, which extends past the withers and takes pressure off the shoulders; Wug, a higher, snugger neck for narrow, high-withered horses; and Optimo, Rambo only, with a dart above and behind the shoulder for big-bodied horses. Surefit with V-Front and Wug come in Amigo, Rhino and Rambo.

Our Horseware blankets page adds the XL cut, with a 20% deeper neck and a 10% deeper body, and pony cuts with a 10% shorter body. Horseware's size guide, as that page reports it, says to measure from the center of the chest across the point of the shoulder to the center of the tail, then take off 4 inches before choosing a size; our Horseware blanket sizing page has the charts.

For an economy turnout, look for the neck height, any shoulder gussets and the drop in the product description, and use the size chart on that product page. Our pages on which blanket cut fits your horse and fit by body shape show what to look for.

In our product data, Horseware turnouts list clip, snap, T-lock, disc and buckle front closures, and the economy turnouts list buckles most often, then clips, with T-locks, snaps, a disc or touch tape on a few.

Our Horseware guide says most current Horseware turnouts beyond the Original cuts have leg arches and three crossed surcingles, and some use a tail strap instead of a tail cord. Our Rhino page says the best-selling Rhino Wug uses leg arches in place of leg straps. On an economy turnout, check the product page for the same details: leg straps or arches, how many surcingles, tail cord or strap.

Hardware is also where wear shows. Our turnout blanket lifespan page lists buckles, clips and leg strap rings among the parts to check for rust or cracking, and Horseware's Turnout Guarantee covers hardware on select Rhino and Rambo turnouts.

As our Horseware guide states Horseware's terms: a 2-year warranty on Amigo, a 3-year Turnout Guarantee on select Rhino turnouts and hoods, and a 10-year Turnout Guarantee on select Rambo turnouts and hoods bought on or after January 1, 2024. The extended guarantee covers waterproofing, breathability and hardware, not rips or tears, damage from outside force like a fence or a kick, or normal wear and tear. Horseware says to register your purchase to ensure eligibility.

Economy turnouts carry whatever warranty their maker sets, so read it on the product page and ask the same questions: How long? What does it cover? Does it need registering? What voids it? Our Horseware guide lists what can void Horseware's: the wrong wash, repairs by anyone other than Horseware, reproofing in the first three years, and bad storage or strong sun.

Remember that a guarantee is not a lifespan. Our turnout blanket lifespan page explains the difference, and how care adds seasons at any price.

Use the product pages, and for Horseware, our Horseware blanket guide.

• Outer fabric, then denier. Same fabric? Compare the denier. Different fabric? The number alone won't tell you which is tougher.
• Fill. Match the grams to your weather, and check whether the fill is flat or zoned like Vari-Layer.
• Waterproofing. Look for the maker's mm and breathability rating, and whether there's a separate waterproof layer.
• Cut. Neck height, shoulder design and drop for your horse's build.
• Closures and straps. Front closure, leg straps or arches, surcingles, tail cord or strap.
• Guarantee. Length, coverage, registration and what voids it.