Horse blankets repair

[Catharina]

As suggested in the new member gallery, I am starting a new thread in here,for horse blankets repair, while technically not only leatherwork, they are part of the horse care and ownership, right? If not, please move the thread over to where it belongs, if there is one in this forum? So, having aquiered a new to me Pfaff 545 H3 machine, and thinking about making felt saddlepads, I could also do some blanket repair work, there a quite a few horse owners around my place (in France) that might be in need. So what would be a good thing to have on hand for the repair work? Strips of leather in different lenghts? Buckles? And what about the fabric? I could use probablly some fabric from the beyond repair blankets, but to start with, I haven't any. For those repairing, do you match the fabric color as closely as you can or are you just patching away? And another important question, do you get your blankets in already cleaned?  I really don't mind horse smell, having horses myself, but not in my workshop where a lot of things non horsey are being made too.. Any hints, tips and suggestions welcome?

Thanks!

Catharina

[Handstitched]

@Catharina Good idea putting this thread here  Can't think of anywhere else.

Later, I will give a you a  full run down of what bits 'n' pieces you need for horse rug repairs, the most commonly used/broken parts etc.  , what I've been doing , a few  ' before & after' pics etc. , and, what to do about those smelly rugs, sourcing materials and so on   . I've lost count the amount of times I end up smelling like a horses butt .  I've been doing it for quite a while now. 

Get back to you soon. 

HS

[chrisash]

I would suggest going to a few stables around your area and asking the manager about what he/she wants and expects. really they need to be cleaned prior to any work and that is limited to the surface, sweat does go dep so i was told when i enquired about it and owners unwilling to spend much  on repairs

A Google search shows the new costs of some blankets which can be surprisingly low

Edited February 17, 2022 by chrisash

[Handstitched]

1 hour ago, chrisash said:

I would suggest going to a few stables around your area

Its a bit different here in Oz.  No ' stable managers' , just  private horse owners  that attend  clubs, and various horse events etc., and some that own horses for leisure/ pleasure  / for the love of horses.   A lot of my horse rug trade is ' word-of-mouth'' and some local advertising, and attending some of those events  to get known. That didn't take long. 

Its a case of ' know your customer and the area  ' .  The market may be  a lot different in your part of the universe   

HS

[Catharina]

1 hour ago, Handstitched said:

Its a bit different here in Oz.  No ' stable managers' , just  private horse owners  that attend  clubs, and various horse events etc., and some that own horses for leisure/ pleasure  / for the love of horses.   A lot of my horse rug trade is ' word-of-mouth'' and some local advertising, and attending some of those events  to get known. That didn't take long. 

Its a case of ' know your customer and the area  ' .  The market may be  a lot different in your part of the universe   

HS

That sounds a bit like the situation here in France. I don't think it will be a problem to find horse owners that need horse rug repairs. But before I start making myself known I would like to have some material to get started.  I'll have a look around on various websites.

[Mulesaw]

I repair a lot of horse blankets. Here is what I have found out:

I use a Singer patcher with a homemade table that fits around the arm. It makes it a lot easier to me that I can keep the horse blanket "still" and change the direction of the needle. 

The blankets should be washed when you get them, otherwise the dust and sand will quickly cause extra wear to your sewing machine.

I charge an hourly rate + spareparts/materials.

Most of the time the crossing surcingles (50 mm webbing) that goes below the horse are torn off. The front closure is also prone to require some work. 

My suggestion of spareparts for a start up is:
50 mm webbing, you can start out with 15 m. I just use black. 
25 mm webbing for the front closures, 2 m will do for a start.
50 mm velcro, get 2 m.
50 mm buckles for the surcingles, get 15 sets.
25 mm halter type buckes for the front closures, (5 pcs)
25 mm karabiners for the front closures, (10 pcs) (these are often the first thing that needs to be changed on a halter as well)

Often if another horse has been biting the blanket, the inside with the padding is torn off. I just use whatever thin fabric I have to repair that on the inside. If it is e.g. a wool blanket with a long open tear, I will put a piece of reinforcement on the inside and sew along the sides of the tear. I often use 50 mm webbing for the reinforcement. 

If a blanket is too far gone, some parts of it can still be used for spare parts such as webbing or hardware if there is still any of it left. Just be sure to ask the owner if they want it back or if you can buy it for a symbolic sum. 

Laederiet.dk or pethardware.cz has got all the spare parts that you will need.

Have fun.
 

[TomE]

This book on rug repair might be helpful. https://www.ebay.com/p/16038802178  The author is a master saddler and I own his other books on bridlework, repair of harness and tack, harness decorations, etc.  They are well written and have filled gaps in my knowledge.  The JA Allen pictoral guides are brief but cover main points of each subject.  This article on the JA Allen book shop is a fun read for anyone interested in equestrian history https://www.museumofthehorse.org/j-a-allen-the-horsemans-booksho/

[jcuk]

Here in the UK it is a legal requirement to have the rugs washed and cleaned before any repairs are carried out. Some of the rugs to be repaired may have be stored with horse mess (to put it nicely) still on them that may have mould spores on them also stored where Rats and Mice may have messed on them too, there is a big chance some may have Ring worm and other such nasties on them and its widely  know Ring worm can survive quite a long time of some surfaces including wood thats why a lot of stables will be steamed cleaned if there has been a big out break, so be careful you don't want to get this in your work shop in some way or more importantly on you or any of your customers. I don't know if it is a legal requirement in France but you may want to check if it is, if it not you may want to offer the washing and cleaning side of it as part of the service at a cost of course, lots of people started companies doing such a thing when it became a requirement here, some i know do good business doing this.

Here a company that will have everything you need to repair rugs.

https://www.abbeyengland.com

Hope this helps

JCUK

Edited February 17, 2022 by jcuk

[DrmCa]

Here's a tip: used seatbelts can be had nearly for free at scrap yards because they cannot be legally reused. They make for very good, strong webbing. They also come with some slide buckles. I always try to have a shopping bag full of seatbelts on hand, for all kinds of repairs. They also come on child carseats.

[TomE]

9 minutes ago, DrmCa said:

Here's a tip: used seatbelts can be had nearly for free at scrap yards because they cannot be legally reused. They make for very good, strong webbing. They also come with some slide buckles. I always try to have a shopping bag full of seatbelts on hand, for all kinds of repairs. They also come on child carseats.

We bought this seat belt webbing for $0.17/ft at https://www.repurposedmaterialsinc.com/seat-belt-webbing/ to repair horse blankets.  Free shipping in the US.

Edited February 17, 2022 by TomE

[Handstitched]

2 hours ago, jcuk said:

Here in the UK it is a legal requirement to have the rugs washed and cleaned before any repairs are carried out.

Thats where things are different here. Thats not required. 

2 hours ago, Mulesaw said:

I charge an hourly rate + spareparts/materials.

I charge differently, but  not by the hour, I wouldn't get any repeat business if I did that ( here in Oz) .  Theres  someone that I know that charges just for a quote , hmm ?  needless to say the customers come to me.  We're all going to have differences  in the way we do things, depends on your market. At the end of the day, so as  you, and the client is happy with the work........ and they  make recommendations to others......and they come back, reputation is everything in a small town like mine. Thats exactly whats happened to  me    However, COVID slowed things down a bit. 

HS 

 

Edited February 17, 2022 by Handstitched

[Mulesaw]

@Handstitched How do you charge then, just curious? 
When I say hourly rate then they only pay for what time I actually use, down to minutes. I just thought that it was much easier to do compared to having rates for changing a buckle, and changing this or that. Because not all buckle changes are equally fast etc. 

I keep a piece of paper near when I work, and I write the start time and stop time, and any materials I use. 
First I always make a quick assessment of the blanket, to see what needs to be done, and then I make a loose plan inside my head for how I want to go about the repair job. The assessment also helps so that I am sure that I will fix all the little faults and not accidentally send a blanket out the door where something is still bad/broken.

If the owner delivers the rugs / blankets themselves, sometimes they'll say what needs to be done, but often I just get a pile and then I just repair them as I see fit. 

Most of my customers have come to me because I change zippers in riding boots. That's a great way to get new customers I have found. WHen they come to pick up their repaired boots I always make sure to tell them that I also repair blankets and other tack, such as the straps on a saddle etc.

Brgds Jonas

[Klara]

I would strongly suggest not to buy a lot (or anything) before you have found out what types of blankets are used around you (with which hardware) and might need repairing. And whether there is a market at all (my horse had one rug all his life which he hardly ever wore and I repaired it myself).

I also have my doubts about seat belts: I cut some out of a car wreck and they are not just nylon webbing (at least those weren't): Inside it's almost like glass fibre. Very hard to cut, very difficult to sew. Not easy material to work with and not necessary for horse rugs. 

By all means, line up your suppliers (I second the recommendation of Pethardware, as far as I know they are the best for pet-related hardware with a nice selection of stainless steel buckles and snap hooks), but don't get carried away with ordering before you know exactly what you need. Paracord.eu is brilliant for roes and webbing, they sell by the meter and individual pieces of hardware. You know Decocuir? Leather, tools and hardware, but more aimed at light-weight things for humans.

Btw, I have no idea what "binding" is exactly, but I had a quick look into our local Self Tissus today and thought their rubannerie looked quite promising.

 

[DrmCa]

5 hours ago, TomE said:

We bought this seat belt webbing for $0.17/ft at https://www.repurposedmaterialsinc.com/seat-belt-webbing/ to repair horse blankets.  Free shipping in the US.

One has to dump $100 into the purchase, and o/s of US the shipping will be at least $50. Compared to free seatbelts that can be had at scrap yards it's a no-brainer. For someone who never goes to scrap yards it might make sense to buy.

[jcuk]

5 hours ago, Handstitched said:

Here in the UK it is a legal requirement to have the rugs washed and cleaned before any repairs are carried out.

I bet there are some here still repairing them without being washed, i did it many moons ago have to say not one of my favourite things i have ever done, but repairing rugs is not something i like doing anyway.  Would you prefer them being washed and cleaned first ?. Its a big health and safety thing here and for me its not a health and safety thing gone mad, i have seen some pretty minging rugs in my time.  

JCUK

[Klara]

12 hours ago, jcuk said:

.... Would you prefer them being washed and cleaned first ?. Its a big health and safety thing here and for me its not a health and safety thing gone mad, i have seen some pretty minging rugs in my time.  

JCUK

OT I think it's a health and safety thing that proves that people nowadays are sorely lacking in common sense and decency. Nobody should need to be told to clean a rug that's disgusting before handing it over. On the other hand, I wouldn't mind a rug with a few hairs on it (cause it was dry when the horse tore it up its first wearing).

@Catharina I looked up horse rugs on Padd and found that there's quite a good selection for about € 50. Do you think you can do the repairs cheaply enough to make it worth it?  Or do people in your area have expensive rugs? 

[jrdunn]

2 hours ago, Klara said:

@Catharina I looked up horse rugs on Padd and found that there's quite a good selection for about € 50. Do you think you can do the repairs cheaply enough to make it worth it?  Or do people in your area have expensive rugs? 

I wondered this but assumed everyone would know what a "cheapskate" I am for buying such a cheap blanket.  

[jcuk]

2 hours ago, Klara said:

I wouldn't mind a rug with a few hairs on it

Just remember those few hairs may carry the Ringworm which you don't want into your workshop maybe onto your bench, tools. and your clothing, other pets as well.

2 hours ago, Klara said:

  Or do people in your area have expensive rugs?

Some people do pay stupid money for rugs which could be ripped and ruined the first time their horse has it on i have seen this happen someone i know paid £600+ for a new rug for their horse only for it to ripped apart the first time the horse had it on overnight and no amount of good repairs would make it worth while to repair it. 

Hope this helps

JCUK

[TomE]

21 hours ago, Klara said:

I also have my doubts about seat belts: I cut some out of a car wreck and they are not just nylon webbing (at least those weren't): Inside it's almost like glass fibre. Very hard to cut, very difficult to sew. Not easy material to work with and not necessary for horse rugs. 

 

Seat belts in the US are a soft polyester weave that is a good match to existing on our blankets.  You can have a choice of colors, black or black.  It rarely breaks, but we use new webbing to add reinforcement to the fabric or reconfigure the straps.  What does break is cheap zinc diecast bolt snaps on the closures. 

[TomE]

One tidbit from the Steinke saddlery and harness repair book that I found interesting.  He recommends the single needle backstitch, instead of a saddle stitch, when sewing leather billets on fabric.  Suggests the longer stitch lengths on the backside (against the fabric) grip the weave and are more secure than a saddle stitch.  Of course, this doesn't apply to machine sewing which is how we do larger repairs on blankets.

[Catharina]

Thanks all for the input! Lots of information. I really think people should bring in clean, washed rugs. I don't think all hairs will be gone..... but most of them, and the rest is washed. How much I try to keep dog and cat hair out of my workshop, it is impossible. So probably, when people bring in rugs, there will be a few hairs on it as well. If it is an inexpensive rug, then, no, it isn't worthwhile repairing it. Same is with putting in new zippers in trousers, repairing holes in sweaters etc. There is just no point in it. I have no idea if this is going to be worthwhile or not. Just trying to see what I can do, create objexts either textile or leather, to make, or repair and make this into a little business. That is going to be difficult, so don't worry all, I have another job that is making some money. But if I can make this work, and quit my other job......dreaming....

https://www.facebook.com/AC.catharina

[jcuk]

7 minutes ago, TomE said:

One tidbit from the Steinke saddlery and harness repair book that I found interesting.  He recommends the single needle backstitch, instead of a saddle stitch, when sewing leather billets on fabric.  Suggests the longer stitch lengths on the backside (against the fabric) grip the weave and are more secure than a saddle stitch.  Of course, this doesn't apply to machine sewing which is how we do larger repairs on blankets.

Thats how's girth billets are stitched to the saddle webbing it does produce a longer longer stitch on the backside of your work ie the webbing. 

[Handstitched]

23 hours ago, Mulesaw said:

How do you charge then, just curious?

By the job.   Some are just small holes on the top layer, but some have gone all the way through to the lining.  Small holes ( on top)  take merely 5 - 10 mins to repair .  Through the lining may take only  20-30 mins at best. But, quite often theres  a number of holes to repair, and maybe a belly strap... and a leg strap etc. If new hardware, and new webbing  is required, thats added to the invoice .  It soon adds up.  Some rugs I've done have been completely destroyed, some just a few days old,  they  do take a while,  , but I re-build them and cheaper than buying  a newie for the client  . I've done enough rugs in a week  to earn me a weeks wage ( pre-covid) . 

4 hours ago, Klara said:

I wouldn't mind a rug with a few hairs on it

Never a seen a bald horse before .  Rugs do come with hair on them .  After doing rugs for over 10 +  years, never had any issues .  I've also been wormed ..ha!!  ...... so true 

As for seat belts, no scrap yards anywhere near here, much heavier to sew . Webbing is reasonably cheap anyway.  

HS

[DrmCa]

On 2/17/2022 at 10:12 AM, Klara said:

I also have my doubts about seat belts: I cut some out of a car wreck and they are not just nylon webbing (at least those weren't): Inside it's almost like glass fibre.

Not sure about France but in North America they are stiff when on the car but can be washed in a washing machine to become soft. They are waxed from the factory. I can keep them waxed for belt liners or wash them for binding or reinforcement on soft items.

[Mulesaw]

4 hours ago, jcuk said:

Thats how's girth billets are stitched to the saddle webbing it does produce a longer longer stitch on the backside of your work ie the webbing. 

Hmm, I just changed a couple, and I couldn't really see if they were machine sewn or regular saddle stitched. So I did a regular saddle stitch. It was  Kentaur saddle, I don't know if it is the same on other brands? (I suppose I could go out and check on my wife's Passier, but frankly I am too lazy at the moment. :-)