Can't afford a Bucas Smartex or Power, soooo.......

Spyda

Spyda

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would using a Thermatex rug under a breathable turnout work for turning a wet horse out in cold weather?

Mine sweats a lot so I wash her off after exercise but haven't time to leave her drying in the stable before turning her out dry. I need to be able to turn her out for her few hours of field-time pretty quickly after washing off. Do you rekon the Thermatex would work okay under a breathable rug? Or unless anyone have a 6'6 Bucas Power or Smartex rug they wish to give me?! :D Nah, didn't think so!! LOL!!!! :D
 
Yes it would work, and ok for a few hours, but do bear in mind how much thermatex's stretch and hence pull over the withers creating pressure points - so not ideal as long term under rugs.

Mark Todd did a thermatex equvalent turn out rug and the Rambo's are all fully breathable too.
 
I did used to turn out my horse who just wouldnt stand in a stable to dry with a thermatex under and yes it works but it did always end up over his wither- Might work with a size too small?
I have a Bucas Smartex and tbh i'm not overly impressed. A friend got it me at trade price. Theres no way i'd pay full price for one.
Ebay's worth a look tho' I missed a 6'6 Smartex which went for £20 something a few weeks ago....gutting!
 
I'd go for a breathable turnout rather than a Thermatex personally. Not because I don't rate Thermatex rugs, we have got several of them. But because I wouldn't want the horse to be wearing them out in the field because of the way they stretch as Ihatework said. In the stable I find them invaluable but could never envisage turning a horse out with one on myself.
 
Hmmm.... mixed opinions then. *Scratches head*

I do buy my Thermatex rugs a size down from 'normal' and mine have the x-surcingles so don't tend to move too much - but I do know what you mean about them stretching uncomfortably around the withers after a while. My mare goes out for about 5 hours a day and I would want her to be comfortable, obviously.

I use lightweight Amigo XL turnout rugs, with an under-rug added if she needs it. Although the Amigo is advertised as 'breathable' I'm still not sure I'd want to plop one straight on, with her very wet underneath. Personally, I'd prefer to wait until she'd dried off under her Thermatex in the stable like normal, then rug her and turn her out but sadly time constraints no longer allow.

Majorly glad I didn't fork out on a Bucas rug McNally! Thanks for the tip off. The blurp looks great on their website but it's no good if the rug doesn't live up to it. And at the price they ask, you'd fully expect it to. PS: Cannot believe I missed a £20 Smartex either!!!! :eek: I actually have a 6'6 Bucas Power Combo turnout rug sat here in the garage but have never used it as it's the super heavy weight version and my mare has never been clipped until this year and even clipped it'd be too warm for her except for the very occasional exceptionally cold winter night. Think I bought it in the summer a couple of years ago on eBay for about £60. I was quite pleased with my 'bargain' - even though I've still not been able to use it yet! LOL.
 
Me too i'd love to be able to afford a Bucas rug for my boy!!! Cant believe i missed an ebay bargain in my boys size too!!! I'm always on ebay!!!
 
If my boy gets sweaty on a morning ride I will either put a waffle cooler under a LW turnout (a good fitting waffle, not one which will pull back behind the withers) or use a sweat sheet under his turnout rug, I have a sweat sheet with a fleece panel at the top and added a fillet string to it to keep it from slipping out the side!

Lastly I have used a thermalux under his turnout rug when I bathed him late one night which worked wonderfully but it was two sizes too small!!
 
lannerch said:
Disagree re bucas rugs not being up to scratch i love mine top quality and do what they say they do! I only buy bucas now I am that impressed!
Click to expand...

Do they really do what they say on the tin?!!! I am looking to get one for my Broodmare for when the weather is really foul but it has to be one that "breaths" so thought this would be perfect?
 
Put mine on my sweaty wet lad this evening ( power turnout ) I love the way that even when it is warmer he does not overheat. Cost an arm and a leg to buy however you certainly get what you pay for he has been out with thugs it is over a year old and bar the dirt as god as new.
 
2nd Lannerch.. have power with no fill and it was bril last winter .. serious minus temps and sunny days.. horse was warm and never overheated.
 
Bucas are amazing at drying a horse but i found them to be very shallow (i only had it on a light TB) for my liking and the lower portion isnt padded so its only warm to half way down- if that makes sense. In heavy rain my horse came in soaked to half way up his body (imagine he'd been lying in a deep puddle!)- never really understood why as his back was always dry so it certainly didnt leak. I found this with my Bucas Irish T/O aswell.
I think they DO do what they claim and they do it very well but as a turn out rug in bad weather it didnt work for me.
I still have it and in dry weather will certainly still use it.
 
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