depending on the horse as to which type I use, my fur balls I put a rain sheet on so they stay dry but it's light enough their natural winter coat can fluff up to keep them warm. My TB and another mare who never get winter coats get a mid weight winter blanket that is also waterproof. I dont use heavy weight (300gm) as if its that cold (-20+) mine would be in anyways. Brand wise I've had good and bad out of different companies, higher denier count is supposed to be more durable and "rip stop" but I've had them tear and cheapo's last 2-3 winters. others buckles have snapped and I just replace them with the snaps you put key's on (sortof D shaped with one side spring loaded snap) they work good to replace broken snaps.