Do you change rugs in winter for cleanliness reasons?

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NellRosk

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I ask this because both mine are in mediumweights and probably will be all winter as their clips are nearly all grown back and I don't think they're doing enough work to warrant being clipped again. They live 24/7 in these rugs as I don't have time to put stable rugs on at night. So their rugs are pretty filthy as you can imagine. I have clean vacuum packed rugs in my garage but I'm always trying to cut down on costs and don't want to pay for loads cleaning in the spring if I don't have to!

So my question is do you swap rugs when they get too dirty? Usually in winter I'll be swapping them to increase weights so they get a clean one on anyway but I might not have to this winter (provided it doesn't get really cold!).
 
I use the Rambo Duo and PE Trio so that I can just pop the liner in my washing machine when they get a bit greasy. The outer gets washed in my washing machine once a year.
 
If it was just the outer that was dirty, then no, I would hope that the rain would wash the worst of it off. If the inside was horribly greasy then yes, I probably would swap rugs - but then that is the reason I have the Duo and Trios.

Years ago I I always put a summer sheet on under the rug so that I could wash that when it got dirty.
 
eggs said:
If it was just the outer that was dirty, then no, I would hope that the rain would wash the worst of it off. If the inside was horribly greasy then yes, I probably would swap rugs - but then that is the reason I have the Duo and Trios.

Years ago I I always put a summer sheet on under the rug so that I could wash that when it got dirty.
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Inner and outer is pretty gross! Next time I get a rug I think I'll save up and get duos and trios, sound a lot more practical.
 
I brush my horses daily so they don't get that greasy. I have one indoor and one outdoor rug and they are filthy on the outside but the inside is still fairly clean despite being worn since October. I will clean them in summer.
 
I wouldn't want a really greasy/dirty inside on my horse 24/7 from now until spring. None of mine seem to need a wash more than once a year though but I use separate stable rugs as they are quite a bit lighter.
 
I am extremely fussy with rugs and my youngster has two of each weight so I can wash them regularly. I am lucky in that I have a washing machine in the tack room that takes up to 12 kg load and so even the heaviest turnouts with necks fit in it. So I would guess that turnouts get washed once every 3 weeks or so. I don't use stable rugs at the moment as filly doesn't like a rug on in the stable, but used to wash my stable rugs for my mare and gelding weekly. However, my liveries don't request rugs to be washed very often and so their horses probably only get them washed once a year. I do charge for washing rugs (£10) but this includes hosing and scrubbing and two goes through the washing machine with nikwax, so probably cost price really. So I don't really understand why my liveries don't request more washes. Maybe I'm too fussy about my rugs?
 
Another one who uses cotton sheets under rugs to keep them clean (YO does it too) . . . and, yes, I am very picky about taking care of my rugs - all turnouts have a sacrifice rug (an extremely lightweight rain sheet) on top so that the heavier rugs don't get wet which makes them ridiculously heavy, disgustingly muddy requiring washing and reproofing, and are protected from boisterous gelding play sessions. It's a darned sight easier/cheaper to wash/reproof and/or replace lightweights than it is some of the lovely M/W and H/W rugs Kali has.

Cotton sheets, fleeces and thermatexes (worn as underrugs) and stable rugs get washed regularly because I can't stand having him (or me) stinking of wee. Ditto gamgee and bandages. We now have a small washing machine and dryer that can handle cotton sheets, light fleeces, etc. When I wash his H/W poly, it has to go to the laundrette - it's far too big for the machine at the yard - or mine at home.

P

P.S. He is fully clipped - so rugs aren't interfering with his ability to fluff up his coat to keep himself warm . . . that's why he is rugged ;)
 
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I don't find the insides get so greasy that I need to wash turnouts. However the stable rugs get covered in poo and wee so I swap those regularly. I have one horse that hates rugs being taken on and off so it's kinder to him not to layer so he doesn't have to go through it more than once.
 
PolarExpress said:
Another one who uses cotton sheets under rugs to keep them clean (YO does it too) . . . and, yes, I am very picky about taking care of my rugs - all turnouts have a sacrifice rug (an extremely lightweight rain sheet) on top so that the heavier rugs don't get wet which makes them ridiculously heavy, disgustingly muddy requiring washing and reproofing, and are protected from boisterous gelding play sessions. It's a darned sight easier/cheaper to wash/reproof and/or replace lightweights than it is some of the lovely M/W and H/W rugs Kali has.

Cotton sheets, fleeces and thermatexes (worn as underrugs) and stable rugs get washed regularly because I can't stand having him (or me) stinking of wee. Ditto gamgee and bandages. We now have a small washing machine and dryer that can handle cotton sheets, light fleeces, etc. When I wash his H/W poly, it has to go to the laundrette - it's far too big for the machine at the yard - or mine at home.

P

P.S. He is fully clipped - so rugs aren't interfering with his ability to fluff up his coat to keep himself warm . . . that's why he is rugged ;)
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Oh my goodness PolarExpress you have far higher standards than me! My horses are just vile horrible mud creatures that constantly roll in everything disgusting. My mare frequently uses her piles of droppings for a pillow and I was late in clipping them this year so they built up some grease... therefore both the insides and the outsides of the rugs are just horrible! I am kind of loathe to put clean ones on though because I know in about 2 seconds they'll be gross again..
 
NellRosk said:
Oh my goodness PolarExpress you have far higher standards than me! My horses are just vile horrible mud creatures that constantly roll in everything disgusting. My mare frequently uses her piles of droppings for a pillow and I was late in clipping them this year so they built up some grease... therefore both the insides and the outsides of the rugs are just horrible! I am kind of loathe to put clean ones on though because I know in about 2 seconds they'll be gross again..
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Oh I am just a bit sad really . . . I even dust the rugs hanging in his stable . . . yes, it's pathetic really ;).

P
 
The only time I change rugs in the winter is if they get trashed or need repairing. Our ground freezes so we don't have mud and (maybe due to the constant minus temperatures?) the horses don't get greasy here.
 
Feel like such a bad owner :O
Have to say I think I've had 3 Rug professionaly washed on all my time of owning my boy! All be it he either had grown out most or I sold them! I would wash if it got awful greasy inside but my boy will be in his med/heavy stable rug from now till probably the middle of Feb when the weather picks up again. He is in 24/7 though and isnt too greasy thank goodness! :)
 
My cob mare is greasy , she is groomed etc but it's her coat. I even bathed her before clipping and regularly too. Have got rug washed in winter but now use summer sheet. Three are clipped so have medium /. Litesc(100g), medium and a heavy each so all will be washed and reproofed but I wait till April and send on a £4 a rug wash with 1/2 reproofed so it's £8 a rug! Smaller rugs will go through my big capacity washing machine when I get it plumbed in
 
I don't ave turnout and stable rugs for my boy - I figure the turnout indoors keeps the stable stains on the outside, and when worn outside, the worst of the stains may wash off...

I only change for cleanliness if they get really greasy inside,but this doesn't happen often. He's having a bit of time off at the mo and has grown out his clip so haven't moved to a heavier rug yet - have 2 180 combos, so will just swop to the clean one if/when the one he is wearing gets disgusting. Especially with him being on part livery, I like to make it as simple as possible - same combo in/out, with an extra 100g over the top at night. Seems to work :)
 
i NEVER wash the outside of the turnouts as once you get in to the wash/re-proof cycle they are never as good IMO..............however, we dont get mud so the outsides still look brand new on some of them!!!!

inside i scrub by hand with hot water and shampoo to get the grease out, but as being as i wipe down inside the neck and shoulders a few times a week with a hot towel,they dont get greasy really either.

stable rugs get washed once or twice a year, the thin LW and fleeces and sheets maybe 3 times as they do soak up the pee a bit more, but generally mine all have thick beds so dont get that stinky or dirty and again get wiped down inside to take the grease out.

i only send the very very rare dirty ones to the pro people-mostly do them with water and shampoo plus hose/yard brush then hang to drip dry on gate and once not dripping they go in our drying room (about 12 x 12 with radiators and next to house boiler room so very warm).

I would have to send a lot more to pro prople if we didnt have the drying room i guess.
 
Oh gosh I must be dead fussy!

Weekly wash of PJ's I have 2 of everything so as one set is being washed and dried at home the others are being worn. I have a large washing machine so can wash rugs quite easily

My turn outs always have a fleece under so again weekly wash for the fleece so the Turnout stays clean and of course they have a proper wash and reproof when not required.
 
PS I only wash the insides of my turnout rugs/brush the outsides too. No drying room though and a v.v. small flat so summer job!

Those using cheap cotton rugs underneath do you not find they rub/pull back? I buy the turnouts I do because they do fit him so well around the neck/shoulder (v-necks on rambos/rhinos) and do find that anything not designed particularly for turnout use/movement fits as well. The only one that I put under a turnout is his fal domino multipurpose sheet but he wouldn't have one of those if it was more than the £20 on ebay :p.

It isn't something I would do purely because I don't like having more straps and surcingles on a horse than necessary when turned out - I find the concept of a LW turnout over a heavier weight v. bizarre, they are designed to get wet and muddy :D, I can sort of understand on the gelding play thing but the current pairing are a bit more sensible than last years ;) so far Frank still has a tail flap :p.
 
ester said:
Is drying them at this time of year not a nightmare wagtail?
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I have rug hangers in the tack room and a couple of heaters in there. They do take two - three days to dry thoroughly though.

NellRosk said:
Cotton sheet sounds a good idea! And Wagtail.... I want to move to your yard! I'd LOVE that facility and would happily pay a tenner for that.
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Thanks. It is as cheap as I can make it, but surprisingly the facility is little used.
 
Nope unless I know he is in for a few days on the trot then he stays in his turnout rugs.

They are aired inside out on the door when I'm riding or doing stuff and they aren't on him or the are Hung up in his stable outside in so the air gets to them :)

Washed annually if required.
 
PolarExpress said:
Oh I am just a bit sad really . . . I even dust the rugs hanging in his stable . . . yes, it's pathetic really ;).

P
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Blimey! Now that is fastidious. I'm afraid the rugs that are hung up in my stable block are dusty if left there without being used for a while. I just shake them off outside. I really need to dust all the stable bars etc. too but by the time I do all the really essential chores, I'm knackered! Then there's the house... I have to get it all cleaned before family come round tomorrow. It's a tip! :(
 
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