Top 5 things to consider while doing iron on patches

Having a horse is a wonderful experience, but they take a lot of looking after. They always seem to want to rip their rugs. Sometimes it’s because there is an itch that needs to scratched and other times, maybe because they’re bored, they bite and roll around until the blanket is finally torn or holed. Fortunately, there is now available, heavy duty iron on horse patches to make repairs easier.

Horse rugs are important to keep the animals warm during the winter and to protect them from the harsh rays of the sun during the summer, they are expensive, so are worth repairing.

These five things should be considered while applying iron on patches:

1. 1. The first thing you need to do is access the damage and make sure your house rug will stand the heat of the iron. Many blankets will have a label advising you of the best washing and repair methods to fix it. If this information is not available test a small area to make sure. If necessary, use a thick cotton sheet between the iron and the blanket to reduce any possible damage
2. 2. Ensure you have the right sized patches to fix the holes or tears. If there is any filling or padding material missing try and locate a suitable replacement
3. 3. In order for the patches to stick properly, the blanket needs to be as clean as possible. Wash it using a mild soap and scrubbing brush or take it to a laundromat and wash it in a large commercial washing machine. After washing, the blanket needs to be thoroughly dried. If it’s not possible to wash the blanket at least clean the areas where the patches will be attached
4. 4. Spread the dried blanket out on some other blankets on a flat surface so it can be ironed. Pull the blanket into the correct shape and then place the patches on the areas that needs to be repaired. Trim the patches so they have a good overlap, making sure all corners are rounded to avoid them fraying
5. 5. Carefully line up the patches to the area that needs to be repaired and cover them with the cotton sheet if using. Iron the patches in a circular motion and don’t hold the hot iron still in any area as this may damage the glue, the blanket or the patch. Make sure you have pressed the hot iron around the edges, then allow it to cool. Once cooled inspect the edges to make sure they have stuck properly. If not go over them again

Iron on patches are available in a wide range of colours and fabric styles so it’s relatively easy to make a very presentable repair, even if the horse doesn’t really care what it looks like.

It’s always important to make repairs as soon as you notice a tear, rip or hole starts so the damage can be checked before it becomes too big to repair.

Iron on patches are another fabulous invention that makes looking after your friend, your horse so much easier and also saves on the replacement cost of buying a new rug. They are easy to use, inexpensive and long lasting.

More For Horses is a leading supplier of horse rug legstraps, horse rug patches, horse rug repairs, iron on patches.