Problem with horse blankets?

I have been a barn manager for 10 years, so I've seen a lot of blankets. Unfortunately most "waterproof" blankets turn out to be "water repellant" at best. One of my boarders bought a new turnout sheet from a well respected brand which was guaranteed waterproof, and the first rainshower we had the horse was completely soaked. It wasn't even just one spot like your blanket. It was all the way through the entire fabric. Any place where there is stitching through the outer material can be a weak spot for water to soak through, like seams or where rings and hardware are attached.

If you want a really truly waterPROOF blanket you should buy a Rambo. The have no center seam and no D-rings or anything else to allow water to get through. They are also much more expensive than $135. But of all the different blanket brands in the barn, these are the only ones I 100% trust to keep the horses dry. Even the Rambo will lose its waterproofing after a few seasons though unless you re-waterproof it. Unfortunately, you have learned that few things work as well as their advertising claims. What you could do if the company will only let you exchange it for the exact same model is buy a nice Rambo sheet and use it over the top of your blanket in rainy weather. Then you'd have a sheet to use in warmer weather too. I know that's not a great solution, but I doubt a new blanket (of the same model) will work any better for you.

Do you have pics of the outside of the blanket? You should show those to them as well.

If you can't get a replacement, you may just have to either get a tent repair kit to cover the Ds, or get sealant to coat the stitches in the blanket.

It looks like it's waterproof elsewhere, so re-waterproofing it isn't going to help.

Until you get it repaired, some duct tape should be fine. Put on one long strip going over the withers for the farther back Ds, and smaller strips for the others. You may have to wait for the blanket to dry for the duct tape to stick, depending on what brand you use. If it's dry enough to tape up, you can put it back on your horse, and since such a small area is wet, his body heat will dry it while he's wearing it as long as he has hay digesting in his gut.

Just keep in mind that any permanent changes you make to the blanket (i.e. sealant or tent repair kit) will probably lead to the company not taking the blanket back. So if you plan on replacing it, just use duct tape.

EDIT: Since the shop will only exchange it, hopefully the company will let you get a different blanket. Most companies like getting back goods that malfunction during normal use so they can fix whatever problem is happening in the manufacturing process. You may have to pay shipping, though, but they're not terribly heavy, so it shouldn't cost too much to ship it.

EDIT: And waterproofing spray isn't going to help- it's the stitching around the Ds that's the problem, and no amount of waterproofing spray is going to plug those holes. It just seems like the thread wasn't waxed and sealed right in the manufacturing process.

take it back and they should hopefully take care of it.... while your horse's neck was pretty wet and might be part of the shivering and cold, the inside of the blanket looks awfully wet as well, and a wet blanket doesn't work very well. If it was supposed to be a waterproof blanket it clearly has some problems.

*You could try spraying it with waterproofing spray to get through this bad weather, but if you alter it in any way the place may not take it back.... does someone have one you could borrow? If the place exchanges it for you your horse won't be long without a blanket at least.

To me it looks like a stable blanket. I have one very similar and it is not water proof.For now you can try to spray it with waterproofer. I even like to spray my turnout blankets every year just to make sure they don't leak. Hopefully the company will send you another type of blanket or give your money back. I am sure your horse will be okay in the barn for most of the day. Mine don't even like to go out when the weather is bad.

Although the blanket should not leak, I doubt that the small amount of wet down his sides was enough to make him shiver - more likely that he was cold through his neck being so wet.

I would say that the only thing you could so is to paint some sort of sealant over the stitching to prevent the water seeping through.

Take it back where you bought it and tell them your story, they will probably want to give you another just like it, it is probably a design flaw, I would ask for my money back not a replacement which will probably do the same thing. Tell them that if you do not get a refund in Cash that you are going to post your problem with their name and the name of the manufacture on Facebook, and do it.

That looks like a stable rug to me. You need a waterproof turnout rug for outside.