Drying Turnout Rugs

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worldchimp

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Can any offer some top tips for drying wet, smelly turnout rugs? With it chucking it down outside and one wet horse, my OH is going to complain again about bringing rug into the house and drying it over the hobby horse. Thanks
 
If it is dry underneath (which if it is not then the bin is the best place for it anyway), then leave it on! They are breathable these days, no need to have stable and TO rugs IMO.
 
Best way to dry modern rugs is to leave them on the horse, sorry other than than I cant help.... put it in the tumble dryer OH wont be able to see it, might complain where the smell is coming from lol
 
I agree with chestnut cob, Unless the horse is wet underneath, leave the rug on. Unless you can dry the rug in a nice warm room they get very sticky and damp if left to dry in an unheated cold tack room. I have learnt over the years that this is the best way.

If your rug is not is not waterproof you would probably be best to buy another turnout rug and get the other one waterproofed. Both my horses have 3 turnout rugs each. One on, one in the wash and one spare!
 
Like others say, leave it on the horse, or buy a rug drying rack (I've got a Centaur one - it's really good) and get it a simple timer to stick in the socket
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I just take mine off, hang over the hay and put his stable rugs on. I don't find my horse is particularly bothered by a damp rug (on the outside) being put on in the morning - he is too busy stuffing his face for that
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Couldn't bear to leave my horse in a stable with a dripping wet rug on
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Couldn't bear to leave my horse in a stable with a dripping wet rug on
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My mare has her (out 24/7 just this moment) t/o on all night and day, even if she comes in at night. I swap around two lots of t/o's every so often... but as long as they are waterproof then it's not on their back per se. It's the outside that is wet. It does dry so, so much quicker on their back.
 
I leave them on horse, mum wont! so they normally end up draped over the hay in the (small) barn.

Best thing we ever did was buy decent rugs though (they now have rhinos) despite all this rain we have yet to have a night when they havent been dry by the morning when on the bales and they are never wet underneath in comparison to the various cheaper brands of polyester rugs we have had over time.
 
The ones that are out 24/7 have their rugs on 24/7, but I woudl find it hard to leave any horse in overnight in a TO rug - esp if its wet.

Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I like him to look snug in his jim jams. Plus I think that changing rugs is important to relieve any potential pressure points, even on modern rugs
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Leave it on the horse! BEst way to dry them.

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Second this. As long as it is a breathable rug - which most of them are.
 
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The ones that are out 24/7 have their rugs on 24/7, but I woudl find it hard to leave any horse in overnight in a TO rug - esp if its wet.

Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I like him to look snug in his jim jams. Plus I think that changing rugs is important to relieve any potential pressure points, even on modern rugs
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My horse has had the same two TO rugs on 24/7 (well obviously aside from riding!) in the winter for the past 4 years. No rubbed shoulders, no pressure points, nothing. If the rugs fit properly then you don't get pressure points. I hate the fact that stable rugs soak up the wet and smell vile, and I also can't quite get my head around the fact that I am feeding my horse to allow it to heat up rugs if I change them twice a day - it has to use energy to do that, and it gets that from the food I give it, therefore it seems more sensible to allow him to keep the warm rugs on. I despise handling wet filthy rugs, I hate the way that unless you have a heated rug room the insides are inevitably a bit damp when you put them back on
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Hmm, well I don't get to ride during the week in winter, so I also like to check my horse still has a body underneath his rugs
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The horses that are not ridden (either retired or on a break) have their rugs left on but as a matter of sensible management we take them off weekly to check their body condition, etc. We certainly do not change them however!
 
Phew! I was going to mention that those out 24/7 only get checked they still have skin at weekends - but thought I might get pulled to pieces for admitting that!

Sometimes I might hose their feet off too, just to make sure they still have hooves.
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Hmm, well I don't get to ride during the week in winter, so I also like to check my horse still has a body underneath his rugs
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The horses that are not ridden (either retired or on a break) have their rugs left on but as a matter of sensible management we take them off weekly to check their body condition, etc. We certainly do not change them however!

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Ditto
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If it is dry underneath (which if it is not then the bin is the best place for it anyway), then leave it on! They are breathable these days, no need to have stable and TO rugs IMO.

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Wish somebody would tell our liveries that,lol
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The ones that are out 24/7 have their rugs on 24/7, but I woudl find it hard to leave any horse in overnight in a TO rug - esp if its wet.

Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I like him to look snug in his jim jams. Plus I think that changing rugs is important to relieve any potential pressure points, even on modern rugs
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I hate the thought of taking them out of toasty rugs and sticking freezing cold ones on their backs
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,like me putting clothes on after they been left in the garage all night when the temperature is 0 degrees
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No thankyou!
Most of our horses rugs are dry on the inside (even after torrential rain),they are toasty warm and have lovely dry rugs within hours of being in!Plus i hate dealing with soaking wet,muddy,cold rugs in amorning
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Another vote for not using stable rugs.

My horse gets really cheesed off if I start swopping rugs about while he's having his tea. He's already cosy & if he were living out he wouldn't be getting them changed anyway, so why change them if he's coming in?

So much easier the next morning too - open the door & off they go!:)
 
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