Friday, December 11, 2009

So Much For That

I bought Scorch's blanket on Tuesday evening, and by Wednesday when I got home, less than 24 hours later, it was not only covered with muddy hoof prints, but had a 5" tear over his left flank. Okay, boys will be boys.

I got home last night (Thursday), and it no longer even looked like a black blanket. It was caked with mud. That's okay, too — that's what horses do.

It was hanging funny in the front. I went to refasten the top clasp on his chest only to find the metal itself is snapped (as in broken, as in only a portion of it remains) and the whole other half of the fastener is gone, ripped off. As I adjusted it so he could at least keep it on, I found that the right shoulder seam is ripped open 12-14".

It was too dark and I was too mad to take pictures.

Scorch's $80 blanket + 48 hours = destroyed. Tough-1 my ass!
Poco's $39 cheezy end-of-summer clearance blanket + 2 years = just fine, thank you very much.

And that, as my mom used to say, is why we don't have anything nice.

12 comments:

jacksonsgrrl said...

Oh Funny! The reminder of that mom comment, not the ruined blanket...
I have found myself yelling that to my own kiddo several times lately. Like when I find him eating waffles with lots of syrup on the new couch....etc, etc...! My mom used to say it too.. :)
You asked where I am from in Pa...
Ever heard of Harleysville? Between Souderton, Lansdale and Spring Lane? 40 min NW of Philly. My mom now lives in Boothwyn, brother in downtown Philly, sis in Lancaster and dad in Montoursville.... I almost went to college in Bethlehem and my best friend did, and I visited frequently after h.s.graduation. It always seemed COLDER in Bethlehem. Maybe it was that lone star up on that hill every year for Christmas...Do you remember that?
~Mindy

Unknown said...

"And that is why we don't have anything nice"

Oh, you totally cracked me up with that. I suppose you could add "for long" on that one.

:)

We need thrift shops for horses. that way you could load up on blankies - ones that survive, that is.

Hang in there (no pun intended)!

Angie said...

I had a Tough One blanket once. I then decided to go ahead and pay the extra for a better quality waterproof blanket. I realy did like the neckline of the Tough One.

AareneX said...

My old mare was hard on blankets. She loved to roll, and would thrash around and kick at the blanket straps in order to *scratch that spot*...inevitably, she would kick one of the belly straps somehow and tear the whole thing. Sigh.

Young mare is (knocking wood) much easier on her outfits. I see her rolling, but not so vehemently. So far, so good. It's a Saxon, I'm pleased with it thus far. I've also had good luck with Weatherbeeta (had several of these) and Rambo (likewise). I worried that the goats might chew the bottom edges of the blankets, but they haven't...yet...

I've also noticed that geldings seem to rip their blankets more than mares--because they are goofballs when they play? My mares are much more serious!

Nuzzling Muzzles said...

That sucks. I've been putting two horses together so that they can share the water trough with the de-icer without me having to rotate them every two hours since I've been sick, and already I'm finding rips and missing pieces to their blankets. I always threaten my horses and tell them that if they destroy one more blanket, I'm going to make them pull a carriage for a living to pay me back for all I've invested in them.

Esther Garvi said...

Oh, how cumbersome!

On a cheerful note, I think of you every time I go out and give Arwen one of those delightful treats you sent. She loves them!!! and it's really hard to find anything that she will actually take! Sorry for the other girls (who likes sugar cubes, peanut cubes and other things you can get hold of here) - they're not getting nearly as many as Arwen is... :-D The peanut butter is great and the only thing we have yet to try out is the Uno game, but that's only for lack of time to sit down tranquilly without being active in the kitchen, with the dogs or out riding in the bush.

Warm greetings from Africa!
Esther

Laughing Orca Ranch said...

YIKES!!! I would be scorching mad, too! gah!

Does Poco chew on blankets? Did Jaz's blankie ever have rips or tears or chew marks on it? The hoofprints? wow! I wonder how those got on there. I bet you're wishing you had a camera out there to videotape what they get into when you're not around.

They must have been having a grand old time!!

~Lisa

cdncowgirl said...

Wow! My Applejack can be a bit rough on blankets but even his last longer than that :o

Leah Fry said...

Call me naive, but I would have thought $80 was buying a high quality blanket.

I have no other choice but to blame the damage on Poco, now that you mention it. Jaz's blanket is a mess too, but I always blamed it on Jaz's boyish nature. Poco's the only one whose blanket is intact.

Mindy, that is the Moravian star atop South Mountain. The Moravian culture/influence adds the most wonderful flavor to Bethlehem, no more so than at Christmas. Moravian sugar cookies...YUM.

Jeni said...

Ok that comment made me laugh. Gramma always would say it too.

I HATE buying blankets, they are so expensive and some are worth it and most are not. So far I haven't had to replace Bonnie's turnout. I bought it when a tack store closed about 3 years ago. Being my first winter with Rosie and because size 84 blankets are hard to find I'm borrowing my barn buddies. So far she's been kind to it.

Desert Rose said...

There is nothing worse than blanket hogs...I mean horses who act like little pigs when in a nice new warm blanket and roll around in the mud!!! Jesse keeps his better now that he is older but when he was young I wanted to cry everytime I would see him covered with mud. Fly masks are the 2nd issue but at least they are affordable!

Michelle said...

Wow, and I thought my horse was rough on attire! That even beats her antics!

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