Patch Your Old Horse Rug and Save Money

Horses tend to rip their horse rugs quite often, and since horses equipment is expensive, I have found a way to save money by patching the rips easily. This not only saves me money because the blanket lasts for many years longer than it would have otherwise, but I can also buy cheaper blankets. The 1200 Denier Rip-Stop blankets are very expensive; I can go with a cheaper 300 Denier blanket because I know how to patch them so effectively.

Duct tape is a favorite material used for patching horse rugs, but I use fabric and the no-sew iron-on tape which can be purchased at any fabric store. If you don't have any scrap fabric, you can buy a remnant of a sturdy material like denim for a couple bucks.

Launder your horse rug and let it completely dry on the line. Then place it on the ironing board so the ripped section is where you can work on it. If it's badly torn, you can whip-stitch the torn edges together quickly, but that usually isn't necessary.

Cut a patch of fabric that covers the ripped area with at least an inch extra all the way around. If you use pinking shears, the edges will not fray quite as much. Then simply utilize the no-sew, iron-on tap to glue the fabric patch onto the ripped section of the blanket. The iron-on tape stops the rips and it holds it all together and makes it stronger.

For extra durability, you could use a sewing machine to sew a blanket stitch around the edges of the patch, but that isn't entirely necessary. It's also very difficult to do unless you have a free-arm sewing machine.

Lastly, apply some waterproofing spray to the new patch. You can get spray like this at a shoe store, for use on suede shoes and gym shoes. Let the spray dry thoroughly and your newly decorated and repaired horse rug is back in business!