Are Premier Equine rugs better now, less heavy when wet?

Fifty Bales of Hay

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Remembering previous posts I have read about Premier Equine rugs, and I have never bought one because of their being "heavy when wet" and difficult to handle. Talking a 6'6" heavyweight filling premier equine rug, a 16.2hh horse combined with me just over 5'1" tall.

Am I going to manage easily or is there still better options for "lighter when wet" rugs to consider?
 
I'm interested in this too..I like the look of some of the PE rugs and the features but the 'heavy when wet' thing really put me off buying any.
 
I never had an older PE rug but purchased a buster light weight , used three times and leaked like a sieve.

When I spoke to PE they told me to send over pictures showing the wet inside and both sides outside . They tried to tell me their rugs conform to the BETA rug guidelines - there is no such thing- BETA confirmed this. PE sent me over the BETA guide to purchasing outdoor rugs.
http://www.beta-uk.org/media/riders/download/32284 BETA-rug leaflet.pdf

I asked numerous times to see what the manufactures years warranty covered and this was never produced.

PE advised there would be some water intake around the stitching untill the stitching became water logged , it would then swell to fill the holes that were made when the rug was stitched. I guess they are not taped on the stitching ?


In the end they agreed to refund the rug, unworn neck and an unworn liner as I would have no use for it. They did offer an exchange for their cheaper lower denier rugs however I declined and will not be using them in future.
 
I'm 5'2" and had no problems handling a 6'3" Maxima Equestrian HW turnout rug on our 16 hander this winter, even after a torrential night's rain. They are 1200 denier so plenty tough enough and come in much cheaper than the PE rugs as well.
 
I have an oldish 300g and it can be pretty heavy.
I now prefer to have 200 or 300g liner with a top rug clipped to it. Much lighter and easy to wash. Can be a bit of a faff with the clips etc tho.
 
They have gone rubbish .... Tensile strength of a cobweb and always leak these days. Two I had to send back as they leaked and now the third I've bought isn't waterproof either. What a flipping waste of another hundred quid!
 
Thanks guys this is really helpful..I love a smart looking rug but even I draw the line at £100+ for one that will leak
 
I've found mine can be a tad heavy but is still waterproof after about 4 winters of use. Pony has finally managed to rip the bum this year though so is currently awaiting repair. Think this is more a reflection on the fencing of current field than the rug as he's also ripped 2 x fal rugs (both a couple of years old now) and a brand new (he did it on day 2) swish rug this year. From what I can see through the rip the PE is better made than the Fal ones though
 
They have gone rubbish .... Tensile strength of a cobweb and always leak these days. Two I had to send back as they leaked and now the third I've bought isn't waterproof either. What a flipping waste of another hundred quid!

I would ask for your money back, not fit for purpose.
 
I used to be a big fan of PE but as others have said, the quality is very poor now. I like the Rambo or Rhino range from Horseware, or also Swish. All those that I've had are waterproof and lightweight, have been good quality, and are still going strong.
 
It's very irritating, I used to love these rugs but being third time let down with them is more than a coincidence. Got to find a new brand that will fit big necked horses ....
 
They have gone rubbish .... Tensile strength of a cobweb and always leak these days. Two I had to send back as they leaked and now the third I've bought isn't waterproof either. What a flipping waste of another hundred quid!

It's very irritating, I used to love these rugs but being third time let down with them is more than a coincidence. Got to find a new brand that will fit big necked horses ....

Weatherbeeta now doing a larger cut. I think it will stick to them ongoing. Amigo also do an XL cut.
 
Weatherbeeta now doing a larger cut. I think it will stick to them ongoing. Amigo also do an XL cut.

Thanks pocketrocket .... I'm in a quandary about complaining about the third, because I bought it ages ago, before Xmas .... but only recently used it, though it does still have the tag on it.
 
I have given up with PE. They fit my cob beautifully and are fine when its nice weather but too heavy when wet. I also had one that leaked, although I did get a full refund. I wonder how many they take back.....
 
Thanks pocketrocket .... I'm in a quandary about complaining about the third, because I bought it ages ago, before Xmas .... but only recently used it, though it does still have the tag on it.
They have a years manufactures warranty , what that covers they would never say .... I think as long as it doesn't show excessive wear your well within your rights. I took pictures and called them to get an email address and sent details over.
 
I gave up on mine. I first tried the PE as my horse had filled out and his Weatherbeeta rugs were a little bit snug on the chest. The first one I bought Winter 2014 leaked. They took it back without hassle but had run out of stock so I waited for another to arrive in Autumn 2015.

I loved the length of them on my 15.1 as it provided him with a bit more protection but the replacement was probably worn no more than 10 times before I sold it. It was so heavy even after a bit of rain I had to drag it off my horse to his stable, and then trying to hang it up to dry was another matter! It also took much longer to dry than any of my Weatherbeeta rugs so I've now gone back to Weatherbeetas and I'm hoping the new wide chest rugs will work for him.
 
I've got 4 - rainsheet, 70gm, 200gm and 450gm, and they fit my horse perfectly and never slip. Unfortunately he has trashed all but the 450gm (which he only wears if it is terrible weather in the depth of winter and has just been clipped). I'm loath to replace the other 3, if they are performing so badly, but every other rug I have tried rubs his shoulders. Not sure what to do! None of mine leaked btw....
 
They used to be fantastic! I have four horses and in five years have bought them all 40, 70, rainsheets and trios, each. I've spent over a thousand pounds easily with them and the quality was so good I was happy to do so. Now it's time to replace them all, everything I've had from them has leaked, although they have replaced them, there has been absolutely no apology about it either. Just about to send another shoddy one back ..... It's a shame as they are a beautiful fit
 
They used to be fantastic! I have four horses and in five years have bought them all 40, 70, rainsheets and trios, each. I've spent over a thousand pounds easily with them and the quality was so good I was happy to do so. Now it's time to replace them all, everything I've had from them has leaked, although they have replaced them, there has been absolutely no apology about it either. Just about to send another shoddy one back ..... It's a shame as they are a beautiful fit

How were they to deal with recently? Have you seen my post about them?
 
i own one pe rug. its been used the grand sum of 2 times having cost over £100. im 5ft7 ish and its a 5ft9 heavy weight all in one with neck for my 13.2 pony. when wet i can barely get the blooming thing off the pony let alone hang it to dry! even with husbands assistance it was hard work. i dont want my pony carrying something that weighs a hell of a lot more than a saddle when wet all day. i cant bare to chuck it as it looks so new its such a waste of money, so in the shed it stays, still in its bag, looking pretty but about as much use as a chocolate fireguard ! horseware rugs all the way now
 
Nice looking rugs but sadly nowhere near as good as Horseware rugs, and I clean them for a job.! Rambo are far more superior, especially the Duo. I have a Duo which is 10yrs old now, has been washed and re-proofed numerous times by myself and it has never ever leaked....not cheap outlay but worth it in the end, especially the layering system. Wouldnt waste my hard earned cash on PE rugs ever.
 
Just to buck the trend - I disagree. I have all 3 of my horses in PE rugs and not had one leak yet. My older mare is in a 6'6" rug and I don't struggle with it. BUT I don't buy HW rugs - I buy a LW outer and then use liners underneath - so whether the issue is more with the MW & HW rugs - I don't know.

To be honest the PE rugs are the only rugs I have found that fit well on my youngster. The Horseware & Weatherbeeta rugs are just not the right shape - and I haven't wasted money experimenting further than that!

However, I won't go back to buying MW or HW rugs again. By getting LW outers and liners it means I can wash all my own rugs in our washing machine and I haven't got to pay someone for cleaning rugs anymore!
 
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