Layering up with rugs..?

[naza]

Do people layer up with rugs or best just to use one heavyweight?
Pony in question is out 24/7 so if layering up with rugs would it better to double out turnouts or would a normal under rug with outdoor on top be fine?
Or just a 350gram outdoor would keep him warm enough?
(He is clipped btw but has access to a barn where hay is fed etc)

 

[NinjaPony]

I layer under a heavyweight if I need to. So for my retired pony, I normally pop a fleece, or a 100g stable rug under his night rug when it gets very cold at night and he needs an extra layer. My Connemara rarely if ever needs more than a heavyweight- check your pony and see if he is cold. When I had my previous mare out all winter 24/7 I put a 200g stable rug under her 370g heavyweight when it was well below freezing and never had a problem. I prefer to use a light stable rug under a turnout as opposed to 2 turnouts which can get very heavy.

 

[Spottyappy]

Think you need to gauge how hot he gets.
Even fully clipped a lot of ponies don't need thick layers.
I personally would go with layers, as you can easily strip one off during the day and pop back on at night when it's colder.
I prefer to use thinner layers too, so like a cooler rug, or very thin stable rug if you do need extra warmth rather than 2 turnouts which would be rather bulky IMHO.

 

[Slightlyconfused]

Just a 100g stable under the heavy should be fine, fleeces can pull back on the shoulders. Or get a rug liner from horze, a friend has one and it fits under any make rug. You can get them in three weights.

 

[3Beasties]

I layer my rugs up. Usually I use a liner rug under the normal rug. For example, during the day when turned out my mare has a 200g liner underneath a 450g Turnout. At night, when in, she has a manetic rug under a 350g liner with a 450g stable on top.

 

[angelish]

i only use rugs with under rugs now
i have the premier equine trio with the liners and i really like the fact i can put the liners in my washing machine so my horse can always be wearing a reasonably clean rug
there also really easy to unclip and pull out from under the outer layer if he's a little warm

 

[Pinkvboots]

I would rather use one thicker rug the modern ones are lighter but still offer good warmth, seeing horses with 2 turnout rugs on is a bit of a bug bear of mine they must weigh a ton and just look uncomfortable to me, unless they are the type where you put different liners on underneath.

 

[eggs]

I mainly use the Rambo Duo turnouts so just pop a heavier liner on when it gets very cold. You can get a 400g liner and the outer is 100g. The PE Trio is a similar concept and most of their rugs have attachments for the liners so you can get a real heavyweight rug.

I think there is more chance of a rug slipping if you layer up but if I had to I would use either a stable rug or another turnout. In my experience a Thematex or fleece tend to slip back behind the withers if they are used under another rug.

Unless your pony had an underlying problem I would think a 370g rug would be sufficient. A hood adds extra warmth without having to go with a heavier weight rug.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I layer my rugs up. Usually I use a liner rug under the normal rug. For example, during the day when turned out my mare has a 200g liner underneath a 450g Turnout. At night, when in, she has a manetic rug under a 350g liner with a 450g stable on top.

Do you live in this country? 2 rugs at night thats 800g plus a magnetic rug thats alot of rug.

 

[3Beasties]

Do you live in this country? 2 rugs at night thats 800g plus a magnetic rug thats alot of rug.

Yes I do. The magnetic rug was only added tonight so I am hoping I will be able to reduce the weight of the other rugs if that helps to keep her warm.

 

[smellsofhorse]

Yes I do. The magnetic rug was only added tonight so I am hoping I will be able to reduce the weight of the other rugs if that helps to keep her warm.

Is it really that cold yet?
What will you put on when it gets to -12 as they are suggesting it might?

 

[naza]

Thanks guys! Will do what I've always previously done and get a normal under rug it's only because someon said to me the other day that they use 2x turnout when it's wet to stop the rug underneath getting wet :?

 

[maccachic]

Yes I do. The magnetic rug was only added tonight so I am hoping I will be able to reduce the weight of the other rugs if that helps to keep her warm.

Warm cooking is prob more accurate

 

[fawaz]

Wouldn't layering rugs with fill defeat the purpose of the fill? The fill is warm due to the air trapped within it. Putting another rug on top effectively squashes the air out of the rug underneath compromising its insulating properties.

Wouldn't it make more sense to layer with a good quality wool rug or fleece? These come in different weights and can provide just as much warmth as a synthetic turnout or stable rug.

 

[3Beasties]

Warm cooking is prob more accurate

Maybe to your horse it would be. But for mine, or one of them at least, it is not. She is rugged as needed. If I need to 'over rug' as people may assume I am, to keep her warm and happy then so be it.

 

[PollyP99]

800g, my mare has not gone above a 100g yet, she is stabled though at night but 800g seriously, seems excessive..

I say go for a good quality heavy weight, in today's rugs there is no need for layers which equal bulk and uncomfortable horses

 

[NinjaPony]

800g, my mare has not gone above a 100g yet, she is stabled though at night but 800g seriously, seems excessive..

I say go for a good quality heavy weight, in today's rugs there is no need for layers which equal bulk and uncomfortable horses

I disagree- with a fully clipped horse there is a need for layers. If it goes down to -12 my arthritic, retired and cold welsh pony will certainly need more than his 450g.

 

[Cragrat]

Who remembers - Jute stable rug, with a single wool blanket if REALLY needed, folded and tucked under the roller, and a canvas New Zealand with a single layer wool blanket lining to turn out in. No neck rugs. How on earth did my horse survive in north east Scotland in the 70's ?

 

[maccachic]

Who remembers - Jute stable rug, with a single wool blanket if REALLY needed, folded and tucked under the roller, and a canvas New Zealand with a single layer wool blanket lining to turn out in. No neck rugs. How on earth did my horse survive in north east Scotland in the 70's ?

I still prefer canvas (but Im in NZ) breathes so much better than these fancy new ones. My horses survived in snow in just canvas rugs its a bit warmer now Im further north and they are naked 95% of the time.

 

[Geek]

I layer but I try to use something like a liner or an under rug as I always feel something with an outer 'shell' is designed to not let the heat out of it and therefore if you feel between lets say two turnout it feels pretty cold but if you feel between an under rug and a turnout it is warm, which makes me think that using two rugs with outer 'shells is pointless because the outer one does a minimal amount.

 

[saddlesore]

I like layering. I either use a l/w stable rug or liner. Much lighter on the horses back

 

[JoJo_]

A lot of people do not know this but you should only layer up when using UNDER RUGS or LINERS. These are designed to be breathable. If you use something else for example a lightweight stable rug under a heavyweight, the warmth does not flow through the lightweight and it is pointless. Actually its probably worse than using just the heavyweight. You can ask any rug company about this. I used to work in a big tack shop and had training from many company reps who explained this.

Its the same with turnouts. Only use rugs which are called under rugs or liners to put underneath them.

 

[Highlands]

I would rather use one thicker rug the modern ones are lighter but still offer good warmth, seeing horses with 2 turnout rugs on is a bit of a bug bear of mine they must weigh a ton and just look uncomfortable to me, unless they are the type where you put different liners on underneath.

Agree hate seeing horses with three rugs on who cant mve

 

[southerncomfort]

My almost-26 year old pony has a LW stable rug underneath a HW turnout at the moment. Never had to do it before but she has been very, very poorly and lost 15kgs in weight. If I didn't layer her rugs like this she wouldn't be able to go out at all (and then all her joints swell up...but that's a whole different thread!).

Must admit that I'm looking forward to her regaining all her lost weight so we can dispense with some rugs!

 

[Tiddlypom]

I use the no fill Rambo original turnout rugs with leg arches. I can layer up and down as necessary, and the liners are easily washable in a standard washing machine.

The liners clip into place onto dedicated fastenings on the rug, so they never pull back, slip or rub. Brilliant invention. Much better IMHO than a separate rug of any sort.

Much as I love Thematex and fleecy rugs, they are a devil for slipping back if used as under rugs.

 

[TGM]

A lot of people do not know this but you should only layer up when using UNDER RUGS or LINERS. These are designed to be breathable. If you use something else for example a lightweight stable rug under a heavyweight, the warmth does not flow through the lightweight and it is pointless.

This doesn't make sense to me - surely you don't want the warmth to flow through the lightweight, you want warm air trapped against the horse?

I used to work in a big tack shop and had training from many company reps who explained this.

I'm not sure rug company reps are the best to give unbiased advice on this matter!

That said, I do prefer to use liner rugs under my turnouts (I use Amigos) - but that is because the fact that the liner is shaped similarly to the top rug seems to eliminate pulling back and rubbing. I also like the nylon lining of the liners which cope well with wet conditions in the field. I've used stable rugs underneath before, and found they worked just as well for warmth, but those with cotton linings suck up mud and wet from the field if the horse gets down to roll.

 

[JoJo_]

This doesn't make sense to me - surely you don't want the warmth to flow through the lightweight, you want warm air trapped against the horse?


I'm not sure rug company reps are the best to give unbiased advice on this matter!

That said, I do prefer to use liner rugs under my turnouts (I use Amigos) - but that is because the fact that the liner is shaped similarly to the top rug seems to eliminate pulling back and rubbing. I also like the nylon lining of the liners which cope well with wet conditions in the field. I've used stable rugs underneath before, and found they worked just as well for warmth, but those with cotton linings wick up mud and wet from the field if the horse gets down to roll.

If the air is trapped between the LW rug outer shell (non breathable) and the horse then it is as good as just using a LW.

You want the air to flow through the liner/underrug and the heavyweight filling, hit the non-breathable outer shell then back down to the horse to benefit. Its all about the breathability of rugs.

Yes rug company reps are biased but they all say the same thing regarding the technology of rugs and all of them do underrugs/liners so I dont see how that comment is relevant.

 

[NinjaPony]

I don't see how putting my 100g stable rug (polyester and smooth) under my heavyweight is any different to putting a 100g liner underneath...

 

[TGM]

No that still doesn't make sense! You want to trap warm air against the horse - that is what keeps it warm! There is a point to breathable rugs though, and that is that if the horse gets hot and sweaty for some reason, then any moisture can evaporate through the rug to the outside rather than the moisture being kept against the horse's skin. But breatheability is not just restricted to under rugs and liners - lots of decent quality stable rugs are breathable.

 

[JoJo_]

No that still doesn't make sense! You want to trap warm air against the horse - that is what keeps it warm! There is a point to breathable rugs though, and that is that if the horse gets hot and sweaty for some reason, then any moisture can evaporate through the rug to the outside rather than the moisture being kept against the horse's skin. But breatheability is not just restricted to under rugs and liners - lots of decent quality stable rugs are breathable.

Trap the air between a 100g LW and the horse or a 300g HW + 100g liner and the horse? It does make sense.

If your stable rug is breathable then the heat will escape... Thats what you dont want so your contradicting what your saying regards trapping the air. It cant be breathable and trap air. Wearing a underrug/liner on its own is pointless aswell as the heat just escapes.