Please could al you wonderful people spare a moment of time?

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Christmas_Kate

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Especially those with big chested horses, wide horses, (or any odd shaped horse). Or parents whose kids ponies take extra small rugs.

How hard is it to get hold of rugs for your horse?

What type of rugs do you use (ie turnouts, fleeces, etc) and which is the most hard to get a good fit on?

If you could buy, say, a travel set made to measure how much would you be prepared to pay? Would you pay extra for 'your' colours, or personalisation? Would you be interested in half neck fleeces, or rugs made especialy for larger chests or bums?

Do you prefer normal colours or something with a bit of 'wow' factor?

What fastenings do you prefer at the front? velcro? D ring and clip? Buckle?


Are there any faults with rugs on the market that you would like to see changed?


Cheers xx
 
My mare is broad across the chest and I find it difficult to get rugs to sit comfortably - Weatherbeeta are the best. I also find that a lot of rugs are not deep enough - they look a bit like miniskirts. I wish my rugs had belly pieces that would come across with the surcingles. My mare only really gets on with 'shiny' linings - cotton linings make her 'twitch' - I have seen her roll as if she has colic before I realised that it was the rug - again, my Weatherbeeta stable rugs have the shiny lining. My newest stable rug has buckles and clips at the front - I think that although the clips are easy to do up, they don't seem to sit as well as just buckles.

I don't know if that helps at all!
 
My horse is wide-chested, very wide-bellied, and has a non-existent backside. I found most rugs were not deep enough, and quite a few rugs slipped back at the wither and caught behind them making a pressure point (mostly fleeces did this). I LOVE the Rambo 'V' front closure, it suits my horse's very low-set neck. I dislike buckles generally and prefer clips. Velcro is a must (as long as it's strong velcro) as otherwise the two halves part and leave a draughty hole! Although I always found Weatherbeeta turnouts never met at the front. Their stable rugs were fine though and most didn't have velcro, although that wasn't such a 'draughty issue'! I also dislike leg straps and much prefer the Fal-style covered fillet strings.
I found it ok to get hold of rugs (I use Weatherbeeta stable rugs and coolers, Mark Todd and Rambo turnouts) and probably wouldn't want to splash out on a made-to-measure set unless I had a horse who got really badly rubbed or something. I imagine rugs made especially for larger-chested horses would be quite a good opportunity for someone, not only judging from the number of threads asking about rugs for that sort of horse on here, but also from the number of people we get at work (tack shop) who ask for recommendations.
 
Beau is broad and cobby and Weatherbeeta are the only rugs that stay on him properly - they don't slip, and he can walk fine and never gets rubs! I especially love his Taka stable rug and how it comes under his belly, and the way the Orican sits on the shoulder and the tail flap.

From now on all his rugs will be Weatherbeeta - well they all are bar one which I had ot get as an emergency.

I agree about the clips though and how they sit. That is my only dislike.

As for the travel stuff - it would depend on what it was made of, but for a standard set I personally wouldnt pay more than £60, but I am a grip!

Wider - but not longer neck covers would ace, as I have a large neck cover, but it is soo long Beau can get his lugs inside it and it goes too far forward.
 
I have very wide broad horses and FAL are the best fit for them. Most other makes need chest expanders.
I prefer buckles; clips seem to clip on to things you don't want them to, especially spring back type ones.
Velcro ok in addition to buckles but fine it gets very worn after a few years of use.
As my rugs get mended and are used for more then ten years, any colour as long as it is navy is fine, then everything matches
 
My mare is very wide chested, and again I like the fit of the weatherbeeta, but her turnout rug is a (very) old shires stormbreaker, and that fits her well too. Her stable rug is a Shires chillcheeta and that is a good fit, but could perhaps do with a bit more depth, Oh and longer surcingles! Only thing I hate about weatherbeetas is that they are very heavy.
Shires and Weatherbeetas all the way for me!
 
Weathabeeta for me too on my Welshie D who has a wide chest and even bigger backside! They stay put and do not rub and fit really well. I also find they come down well round his belly as some other rugs seem to be a bit short there.
I never have trouble getting rugs as he always has Weathabeeta and I know that they always fit no matter if they are turnout, sweat or stable rugs.
Not bothered about colour or style so long as they fit and do the job. I personally would not be interested in made to measure or special designs but then I have found a brand that works for my horse.
On the front I prefer buckles and prefer two of them.
 
i have a wide irish draught, and weatherbeeta are definately the best for fit. Morris has been wearing his Orican Combo since November pretty much 24/7, and he doesn't have a single rub. i also like Mark Todd's but they aren't deep enough like a lot of rugs i've used which is a pain.
I don't like clips as rug-wrecker Mo has burst the bottom clip on all my rugs! just buckles are better, although not as fast.
Personalisation is always is nice touch for show rugs, or colours for xc or whatever, and i personally would pay extra (i have done before!). Funky colours are always fun, but simple colours are always good too. It's useful to have the option
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Love FalPro rugs - the way they move with the horse. Also as they are breathable I don't buy stable rugs anymore.

The stable rugs I have are too short and yes, look like mini-skirts. Would be tempted to buy a deep stable rug with waterproof bits on the back bit where they lay down.

Prefer clips or the quick d-rings - my fingers get too stiff for buckles in the cold and wet.

Would not pay for my horse to have a posh travelling set - but would for my teenage daughter as she likes to pose more than me and always looking for extra nice xmas pressie/ birthday gift now she is so fussy.

So would probably pay say £30-£40 for nice travel rug, maybe more if decent thickness and part of matching set, and would go for a strong colour - teens love wow colours.

Would love a shower-proof travel rug for the winter (suppose it would have to be breathable too). Never got a suitable rug for those wet winter days when you are hanging about waiting to jump - waterproof exercise sheets too flimsy, fleecy travel rug too light and get wet. Handy to have surcingles that undo on both sides so you could take them off or replace with single belly strap, otherwise they always get in the way!

Not bought new travel boots for years so not sure what going price is. I prefer the soft thick wrap type with velcro, not the stiff, fitted ones but that might just be me.

Have got a skinny, high-withered pony and would pay more for a rug to fit him as most slip back on him as neck too generous.

Did I miss anything out? You can never have too many rugs, can you?!
 
Murphy is chunky all over, and the majority of rugs don't fit him. Mark Todds fit really nicely, but they are expensive. It would be nice to have a bigger choice of rugs, particularly things like good value fleeces. Cobby chunky horsies often do not require such thick rugs - Murphy doesn't have a heavyweight rug at all, he just doesn't need it, and only wears his stable rug on really cold nights - the rest of the time when stabled he's only in a fleece. Ideally I'd like to be able to buy a fleece to fit his chunkyness, without spending a fortune...and I'd like it to go in the washing machine!

I have a couple of shires and weatherbeeta rugs for Murphy, and they don't quite fit - they have to be done up on the loosest buckle hole, and I wish there was a big flap of material underneath the buckle, with velcro on, that meant if you had it done up on the loosest hole there wasn't a big gap across the chest! Does that make sense?!
 
H is very broad chested he has a mt turnout which fits the best. he normally take 6'6 but due to living out 24 7 will now be getting 7' rugs.

i prefer plain dark colours for practical reasons.

Fleeces i find VeRY hard to find. the surcingle enevr fit round him. would not pay over the odds though, failling that am close to making surcingle extensions !!!
 
The thing i would be most interested in would be a 1200 denier or more rain sheet... my mare destroys rugs and can rip even the toughest. She has had 3 rain sheets this year, all 600 denier and all now in bits - her heavyweight rug is a Derby house 1600 denier and its fab, but not gonna be much use in summer!!! Also med weight and lightweight rugs in a half neck as I dont like traditional rugs as they slide back on my TB's and rub shoulders and withers (and have caused lameness in one horse) am happy with Amigo fit but again only 600 denier so no good.

Need rugs for narrow deep chested but high withered horses - especially fleeces. Only ones that fit my TBs are Rambo/Amigo.

Hope that helps...!
 
one of my loan horses is very broad chested, his stable rug ripped due to this, his fleece rubbed the hair off, and his turnout was far too big over the bum so had to be given away

i told them to get him a weatherbeeta but havent been down since Xmas even so dont know what they got him for xmas.

my riding teacher has a 17.1hh draft breed mix and used to have a 18.3hh shire and both horses had mainly weatherbeeta's which were really good
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How hard is it to get hold of rugs for your horse?

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Not hard at all really.
I have always bought Masta rugs for fatties, and anything else for anything else.
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What type of rugs do you use (ie turnouts, fleeces, etc) and which is the most hard to get a good fit on?

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I use turnout.
I occasionally use stable rugs if it's really cold, or I feel a horse needs a bit extra tlc ie when we first had snowy.

Hardest to get a good fit on, has to be turnout rugs with full neck, as they can rub the withers when the horse is grazing.

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If you could buy, say, a travel set made to measure how much would you be prepared to pay? Would you pay extra for 'your' colours, or personalisation? Would you be interested in half neck fleeces, or rugs made especialy for larger chests or bums?

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Can't answer that as I would not buy special colours or personalised items.
I would consider it if I had girly girls though, but they are too much like me.
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Do you prefer normal colours or something with a bit of 'wow' factor?

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Normal colours - can't stand faddy fussy prints, and they all end up mud coloured anyway.

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What fastenings do you prefer at the front? velcro? D ring and clip? Buckle?

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D ring.

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Are there any faults with rugs on the market that you would like to see changed?

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A stretch design in full neck turnout rugs, and would also like to see some higher tog rugs.

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Cheers xx

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It's a pleasure!
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