Leaking turnout rugs - rubbish rug or rubbish re-proofer?!

oofadoofa

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 April 2008
Messages
1,914
Location
Somerset
www.mearecourtequestrian.co.uk
I have a Premier Equine turnout, the 40g one, which I bought at the beginning of last summer. I had it washed and reproofed in the spring and put it on for the first time yesterday and I may as well have put a summer sheet on my horse - he came in soaked to the skin :eek:. So.... is this because the rug is rubbish? Or do you think the place that I sent it to for washing hasn't reproofed it properly? Just wanted to know as was going to buy another one for my other horse as really like the rug, but not much good if it leaks like that!!

Thankies :)
 
Every rug I have ever had washed and reproofed has leaked afterwards. It can't be the rug as this has happened from cheapie Weatherbeata's to expensive Rambo's. I don't get my outdoor rugs cleaned at all now. I prefer having a dry horse with a dirty rug than a wet horse with a clean rug!
 
Every rug I have ever had washed and reproofed has leaked afterwards. It can't be the rug as this has happened from cheapie Weatherbeata's to expensive Rambo's. I don't get my outdoor rugs cleaned at all now. I prefer having a dry horse with a dirty rug than a wet horse with a clean rug!



Same here. I don't get my rugs machine washed any more as it ruins them. I scrub the insides of them (if they are nylon) with warm soapy water. Don't touch the outside of them. Caked in mud is good! ;)
 
We've not found a re-proofer that works either. We followed the instructions on the side of the nikwax stuff meticulously and our waterproofs still leak. Not gonna try it on the poor neds' rugs...
 
I have a Premier Equine turnout, the 40g one, which I bought at the beginning of last summer. I had it washed and reproofed in the spring and put it on for the first time yesterday and I may as well have put a summer sheet on my horse - he came in soaked to the skin :eek:. So.... is this because the rug is rubbish? Or do you think the place that I sent it to for washing hasn't reproofed it properly? Just wanted to know as was going to buy another one for my other horse as really like the rug, but not much good if it leaks like that!!

Thankies :)


Does you lightweight rug have any filling? As I've found that no-fill rugs are a bit like tents.... if they have an inside and an outside layer, then they stay relatively dry inside, but if they only have one layer, they leak!

Get some old fashioned rug re-proofer, either the stuff that looks like white petroleum jelly, or the liquid. Both smell very strongly of petrol/white spirit! I melt the jelly stuff and paint on. The smell is so strong it makes my eyes run! But after a couple of days it susbsides, and rugs seem to stay well waterproofed.

Then once used, don't wash/brush the mud off, as this is an extra layer of waterproofing protection!!
 
Mine wear PE rugs and I have not had a problem with them, but then again I don't have them wash, somebody advised me not to have them done as it reduces the waterproofing.......
 
Thanks everyone. Never had a problem with PE rugs leaking before, that's why I was so surprised and I do have them washed and re-proofed every year.

Madhossy - the rug had a 40g filling, not much but definitely more than a thin sheet. I might have a look at that old fashioned reproofer - thanks!
 
Every rug I have ever had washed and reproofed has leaked afterwards. It can't be the rug as this has happened from cheapie Weatherbeata's to expensive Rambo's. I don't get my outdoor rugs cleaned at all now. I prefer having a dry horse with a dirty rug than a wet horse with a clean rug!

Same here - the only time I'd have a rug cleaned and re-proofed is if it needed mending and the shop insisted on working on a clean rug.. their never quite the same after cleaning
 
Oh dear!! I wash rugs as my business and use the popular Nikwax. Ive been doings rugs now for quite some time and Ive never had a problem with the re-proofer, Nikwax is fabulous stuff and their products for doing coats is excellent too. Rugs do come to a point where they wont wash and re-proof anymore just like coats. Wonder what the places you have taken rugs to to be cleaned have used to do the job.? What a shame...
 
Hmmm, thanks Izzwizz. I have not had a problem with having them reproofed before, and I have tried Nikwax on my own jackets and seems to work well. I think I may have a word with the rug cleaning place as wonder if it missed out on being reproofed for some reason and was just washed?
 
I have found that polyester rugs will always leak after they have been washed, but I've never had a problem with ballistic nylon rugs (Rambo, PE). I washed my Rambo many times and it never leaked. You have to be careful how you wash them though, has to be a cold wash with mild soap, never normal washing powder.
 
Its definitely worth checking. I was holding my breath last night as I did a ladys rugs at my yard and one of them is a non-branded turnout which I am usually a bit wary of whether the re-proofing will have worked. The horse was bone dry this a.m. and we had LOADS of heavy rain. Phew!! I havent done that many Premier Equine rugs in the past, however the mare I look after has the Trio one and thats washed and re-proofed and been fine. She had that one on last night too. The rug wash company need to make sure that all the wash stuff they use is completely out of the rug before re-proofer is washed through it to be sure of it working. If they use non-horsey wash products then that will damage the rugs and strip them of the original waterproofing. Im sure they would like to know if what they are doing isnt working as bad news always travels quicker than good unfortunately.

Hope the above helps you.!x
 
Had to have my Weatherbeeta lightweight turn out cleaned as mender insisted and yes you have guessed it leaked when i used it the other day. Have dried it and sprayed it with Nikwax (TWICE) so hoping i get a better result next time i use it - if not it's going in the bin............
 
We use Fabosil (SP?) and buy a big can from the outdoor shop, which we paint on the seals and stitching, its never let us down. Our very old pony can't have a tailguard as it stops her from being able to get up so we use one of the old canvas rugs with her and paint all of it every year after washing - cheaper than the wax stuff, she's always cosy and dry.
 
Top