Rug Confusion

[littlen]

Its that time of year again where I am on the hunt for rugs. This year however is a little different as I have a limited budget, and also that my horse is coming in at night for the first winter...and this opens up a million new questions!

I already have the following
One Lightweight
One MW (needs replacing but will keep as a spare)
One Heavyweight.

Now I have been looking at stable rugs and am confused, do I need a LW,MW and HW stable rug?! If so this will cost a fortune.

Ive heard of people wearing turnouts for stabling, how practical is this.
How do the rugs dry out?
How many of you do this, how do you find it?
Are stable rugs really necessary, they just look comfier than turnouts am I just being soft?

I was thinking of buying one stable rug and using this during the milder weather, then leaving his heavy weight or middle weight on in the worst of the weather. How would this work, and also what weight of stable rug would get the most wear, for example is a 300g going to be too warm for most of the winter use, and will a 150g be useless after September

Could i use a fleece as a LW stable rug on chilly nights

As you can see im very muddled up

Oh yeah and he is a thin skinned very shivery arab

 

[Divasmum]

You could just layer the rugs as it gets colder. I have used a fleece overnight but it got ripped,

 

[ester]

I have a welshie - full clipped and an anglo - neck and belly clipped

both have 300grm amigos. (classed as their heavy weight but not really) I picked up some 150 amigos at £17 each last winter and added those underneath if cold and they are great if it is inbetweeny weather. Also better than a fleece for the anglo who just gets fleeces filthy.

This gives you options for not much money they can wear either or both and the amigos are light so the layering isn't too heavy. They have also had the 150grms under their turnouts in the snow as they only have middle weight turnouts.

 

[Gooby]

I have a MW, LW and fleece. This then gives me several options:
-fleece or LW
-fleece + LW
-MW
-fleece + MW
-LW +MW

Try looking on equestrian clearance in the clearance section, I got a saxon fleece and LW for less than £30 a few months back! The fleece I have is very warm and would say it keeps my lad just as warm as his LW.

My friends mare usually has a LW and MW on in the depths of winter which keeps her warm enough for a wimpish welshie!

Oh the other thing I heard was making your own under rugs from old duvets! I think it tells you how to do it in SY.

 

[bushbaby28]

leave in turnout, new designs mean they are much more breathable than they used to be and they don't soak up poo and wee like stable rugs do.

also if rug gets wet, if you leave it on horse it'll dry out as horses body heat much more efficient at getting rugs dry than hanging it over a hay bale, meaning you usually only need one of each weight like you have

i layer up in winter as got a clipped cob and a tb. will usually have a heavy weight and a fleece and very very occasionally an underug under their heavy weight in depths of winter.

i'd invest in an underug just so that if your HW gets wet and won't dry out you can put MW + underug/stable rug.

hope that helps xx

 

[beutifulwobble]

ebay my dear or look out for clearence sections in saddlers. i have added a rug each year i have had my ned so now i have enough. i would get a mw stable rug and some form of fleece that way you can layer for cooler weather and just have 1 for other times. it may be frowned on now but when i was at uni etc i bought a cheap duvet and used that when i couldnt afford another rug. as long as its surcingled in you should be fine.

good luck xx

 

[eggs]

All our horses stay in their turnouts as they are breathable. Saves loads of time and also, as already said, they dry out really well when left on the horse. Also, didn't really seem like a good idea to take a warm rug off the horse to put a cold rug on. Only thing to bear in mind is that if your horse isn't being ridden much you will have to take the rug off regularly to check that he isn't losing weight or getting rubs.

Check the base of the ears to make sure he is warm enough - just putting your hand under the rug onto his coat doesn't really give you a true picture of how warm/cold he is.