Rugs ??‍♂️

[Coco’s Dad]

Hi all, need a steer in the right direction please, what rugs do I need? I’ve just bought a mesh one to stop the flies but what would you guys recommend for turnout and stable?
how many do I need? What denier etc? I’ve also read that now is a good time to buy winter rugs, but how many and what type? Heads blown ?

 

[Meowy Catkin]

You need to find out -

What make fits your horse
What size they need in that make
If they will be clipped during the winter
Is your daughter happy to leave turnouts on in the stable or if she wants separate stable rugs

Don't forget to buy a hi viz exercise rug for riding. I personally like the V-bandz ones.

 

[Coco’s Dad]

You need to find out -

What make fits your horse
What size they need in that make
If they will be clipped during the winter
Is your daughter happy to leave turnouts on in the stable or if she wants separate stable rugs

Don't forget to buy a hi viz exercise rug for riding. I personally like the V-bandz ones.

5 ft 9” rugs are apparently what he’s in now, I didn’t realise different makes fit different breeds, he’s a TB any recommendations?

 

[Meowy Catkin]

As to denier - the higher the number the tougher it is. However some materials are stronger, so I personally prefer 1000d ballistic Nylon to 1200d polyester.

If your horse fits Horseware rugs you can buy an outer and then different liners to change the warmth of the rug (some other makes do liners too). I have an old Horseware Rambo Duo with an extra liner that is still usable. I bought it when I first bought my mare (2006 IIRC) so although expensive... very expensive... it was a good purchase.

 

[Coco’s Dad]

Ah ok, so 600 denier will be easily ripped, good to know..

 

[Meowy Catkin]

5 ft 9” rugs are apparently what he’s in now, I didn’t realise different makes fit different breeds, he’s a TB any recommendations?

My anglo-arab is half TB and she takes 6ft in Bucas, Shires and Weatherbeeta. However she needs 6ft3 for most Horseware rugs (Amigo 1200d, Rhino and Rambo). Her Duo is 6ft3 but I need to use it with a liner as she really needs an inbetween size for a Rambo no fill. However 6ft3 Amigo 1200d fit her with no fill as they are cut slightly less generously than the Rambo despite being also made by Horseware.

It really helps if you can borrow a few rugs from fellow liveries to try on.

I forgot neck covers v combos v wugs v standard necks.

I usually use standard necks and wugs because I don't like the horses' manes being rubbed out and my horses are prone to mane rubs. You can buy standard neck rugs with detachable neck covers. This can be useful because you can put them on is awful weather but leave them off most of the time to save the mane.

ETA - sorry I forgot to ask what make your 5ft9 rug is?

 

[Coco’s Dad]

Wugs? ??‍

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Wugs? ??‍

Not my horse but I have this rug (or 'wug') and it is fab. They are half necked/high cut neck.

Great for horses with narrow shoulders. Also they don't let the rain in at the neck like standard neck rugs.

 

[Coco’s Dad]

Brill thanks, Coco is narrow so this would be good.
So summer rugs and winter rugs, 2 of each?

 

[muddybay]

You probably need a 100g and a 200g I love to use weather beeta and they fit my thoroughbred really well no rubs! I layer my rugs if it gets really cold! Also, a cooling fleece for the stable is good! I normally use turnouts on in the stable as it allows them to dry off

 

[Meowy Catkin]

If it helps I used to have a TB. She's the one on the right.

The grey arab is in a Rhino wug, the chestnut (my anglo) is an a 1200d Amigo and the TB is in a Rhino Wug. All were unclipped and warm. You can even see icicles on the bottoms of the rugs. It was cold. I think the wugs were mediu weight (200g approx) and the Amigo was around 300g because she doesn't grow a good winter coat. If they had been clipped, all would have needed warmer rugs.

 

[Coco’s Dad]

Coco has a very fine coat, I’m guessing it will grow as he gets older but it’s very short so I’m not sure if he will need clipping (I’m probably way off) so a 1200d 200g should be ok for winter?
My daughter sent the stable rug in the pic, Gallop equestrian Maverick 150, was thinking this one for winter?
Really appreciate your help btw ?

 

[TGM]

With winter rugs you need to take into account the fill (which is expressed in grams, so no fill, 100g, 200g, 400g etc.) and denier (so 600D, 1200D etc.). The denier will give you an idea of how tough and waterproof the rug is, generally 1200 denier rugs will be far tougher and more waterproof than a 600 denier. The fill will tell you how warm it is. How warm a rug you need depends on how your individual horse deals with cold and also whether he is going to be clipped and what clip he has. Other factors to consider is whereabouts in the UK you are and whether the horse will be stabled at night or whether the field has plenty of shelter. If your TB is not clipped in winter and keeps weight on easily, you may find he only needs anything from a no-fill turnout rug to a 200g mediumweight turnout rug. Colder types or those that are fully clipped might need higher weights such as 400g. To start with I would suggest getting a no-fill or 100g turnout rug that is at least 1200 denier. You can then buy warmer turnout rugs if/when you need them.

With regard to fit, you may find it better to go for rugs that have a range of adjustability in the front fastenings as this gives you plenty of scope to adjust the fit according to whether the horse is narrow or broad. Personally, our horses are in rugs from www.maximaequestrian.co.uk - all their turnouts are 1200 denier and have fully adjustable front fastenings so we find they fit all of ours well. Plus they are very reasonably priced compared to the likes of Premier Equine.

 

[Coco’s Dad]

Amazing thank you, I’ll check out Maxima, the adjustable aspect makes sense as he’s still growing..

 

[Coco’s Dad]

My anglo-arab is half TB and she takes 6ft in Bucas, Shires and Weatherbeeta. However she needs 6ft3 for most Horseware rugs (Amigo 1200d, Rhino and Rambo). Her Duo is 6ft3 but I need to use it with a liner as she really needs an inbetween size for a Rambo no fill. However 6ft3 Amigo 1200d fit her with no fill as they are cut slightly less generously than the Rambo despite being also made by Horseware.

It really helps if you can borrow a few rugs from fellow liveries to try on.

I forgot neck covers v combos v wugs v standard necks.

I usually use standard necks and wugs because I don't like the horses' manes being rubbed out and my horses are prone to mane rubs. You can buy standard neck rugs with detachable neck covers. This can be useful because you can put them on is awful weather but leave them off most of the time to save the mane.

ETA - sorry I forgot to ask what make your 5ft9 rug is?

it’s this one “Hy StormX Original Bee Print Combo Fly Rug”.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I've not had a Gallop or Hy rug before, so sadly I don't know how they compare with the sizes or cuts of other makes. The stable rug looks like a low denier from the pic. while you don't need very high denier like a turnout rug, I personally find that the very low denier stable rugs only last with very well behaved horses because they are easy to rip.

Weatherbeeta is also worth looking at.

I try to buy in sales. I've never mined having last year's colour as they all get covered in mud in the end.

 

[Coco’s Dad]

I've not had a Gallop or Hy rug before, so sadly I don't know how they compare with the sizes or cuts of other makes. The stable rug looks like a low denier from the pic. while you don't need very high denier like a turnout rug, I personally find that the very low denier stable rugs only last with very well behaved horses because they are easy to rip.

Weatherbeeta is also worth looking at.

I try to buy in sales. I've never mined having last year's colour as they all get covered in mud in the end.

I quite agree, last years styles are fine by me lol..
The Hy fly rug had bumble bees on it so that was pretty much the reason we bought it ?

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I use weatherbeeta and shires on my Arabs with liners so you can make them thicker and wash the liners so they have a clean rug on there skin, I only then tend to buy 50g and 100g turnouts and add liners when it's cold and I do buy the detachable necks for some so I have the option to take them off when not needed.

 

[Coco’s Dad]

Ok that makes sense, seems there’s varying options, it’s going to be a case of what works best, reading all the replies about 30 rugs should do it ?

 

[TPO]

Ah rugs, my favourite topic and way to burn money ?

So denier and filling have been covered above.

I've never had horses that have trashed their own rugs but sometimes they have been turned out with other horses who like to rip their rugs. I can get a lot of wear out of 600d rugs because my horse are at my parents place so no random livery horses.

Rugs have different necks:
Standard neck is the normal neck around the withers and shoulders

Wug/half neck/high neck as shown in the pic above

Combo rug is when it's a rug and neck as a one piece

Detachable neck is like it says on the tin where you have the option to remove the neck cover and have a standard neck.

If your horse is a cold horse you might find that he prefers a neck rug. However some horses dont like necks and/or it can rub mane out. Keeping the mane and inside of the neck rug really clean can help stop rubbing.

I've had 4 TBs and 3 of them preferred not to wear necks unless it was end of the world weather.

Another thing to consider is how big and sloping your horses shoulder is. This might mean that rugs with shoulder darts/flaps fit better.

Weatherbeeta have been a good fit on all of my TBs. They have ranged from a fine 16hh (6ft in rugs) to a big rangey 16.3hh (6ft9 in rugs).

The last TB had quite a few Shires rugs and they fitted him well. They have three different ranges iirc. Tempest is their most basic range then it's the Highlander range and finally their Stormcheater range I think. The Tempest is 600d and doesnt have shoulder darts. As you go up the range (& price) there are different shoulder darts, higher denier and fastenings.

So yeah, for TBs Weatherbeeta and Shires have been my go to. Although across various horses I've have lot of different brands.

I didn't catch your horse's age but if he is still growing look on ebay and Facebook for secondhand bargains. My two year old kept growing until he was 8.5yrs old; we've been through a lot of rugs! I got quite a few bargain rugs from Derby House (own brand) while he was in his "growing like a weed" phase

As to what rugs you need I'm probably the wrong person to ask because I think that you (I) need them all! ?

I'll list my basic wardrobe and try to explain my reasoning.

Turnout rugs

Rain sheets (no fill/0g) x2
- I use these to keep a horse dry when its mild but wet..I have two so that I have a change while the wet one dries.

50gm turnout rug x 1
- I dont believe that a 0g keeps a horse warm and can flatter the coat so that they can't trap air to keep themselves warm. A 50gm is a very light rug for mildly cold days or when theres wind and rain. An ideal end of spring and start of autumn rug.

100gm turnout rug x 1
- interchangeable with the 50gm or for slightly colder/windier/rainer days

200-250gm Medium Weight turnout rug x 2/3
- my TBs have all been warm horses and not clipped in winter. They tend to live in their MW rugs. I have at least 2 so that there is a change while one dries. I tend to have either one or 2 with a standard neck and at least one detachable neck. I usually have a combo MW too.

300-350gm Heavy Weight rugs x 2
- these tend to be combo rugs for the worst weather. Again my horses have been quite warm so these really were just used when it was Baltic or end of the world weather.

Fly rug x ?
- so I tend to just have one fly sheet at a time and get a new one when the first one has been damaged. However I do usually have some other rugs too. I tend to have a waterproof fly sheet, these have a waterproof panel along the back and the rest is mesh. I've had dark horses who get hot so I also usually have Amigo Aussie All rounder and/or Weatherbeeta cotton sheet as a way to keep them cool.

Stable rugs

Fleece cooler x1
-handy to keep warm on chilly days and when cooling down after exercise

100gm stable rug x 1
- for milder nights

200gm/MW stable rug x1
- I use this weight most of all

300-350gm stable rug x 1
- for when its Baltic

I also have "therapy" rugs like Masta Protechta and Back on Track and cooler rugs that wick sweat away and can be used for travelling.

I have warm exercise rugs to keep hind quarters warm and hiviz for out hacking.

In your shoes I'd be looking for rainsheets and 100gm for now in preparation for autumn while keeping an eye out for warmer winter rugs on sale.

 

[Coco’s Dad]

OMG thank you, I’ve printed this off for reference.. So with everyone’s advice I’m going to get the following.

Required now!
2 x Rain sheets
2 x 100g turnout rug
1 x Fleece cooler
1 x 200g stable rug

To get later!
2 x 250g turnout rug
1 x 200g stable rug
1 x 350g stable rug

Thanks again everyone ?

 

[COldNag]

If it helps, possibly the most useful rug I own (And I have way too many) is a 50g turnout.

Just having that little bit of fill makes it really versatile.

 

[SpeedyPony]

The "which rug" side of things seems to have been pretty well covered, but I will add that if you want more than a couple of years out of them, put off washing as much as you can. IME, even with reproofing they're never as good after one wash and after two, you can bid farewell to any kind of waterproofing! Although most of mine are shires rugs, so low/mid range, the better ones might stand up to more washes (I've never been brave enough to risk buying one!).

 

[Coco’s Dad]

Thank you, that’s good advance ?

 

[Widgeon]

OMG thank you, I’ve printed this off for reference.. So with everyone’s advice I’m going to get the following.............Thanks again everyone ?

It may not be relevant as my horse tends to the chubby (ha, understatement) and yours looks like the type that will need keeping warm - but I layer up rugs rather than using big heavy winter ones. I do have a heavy winter rug but even in the worst weather last winter I never used it; instead I had a Gallop no-fill (aka "rainsheet") turnout with a neck, then when the weather got worse I put a Shires 50g turnout over the top of it. Those are both low or mid range brands. The heavy ones (IMO) get very wet and mucky and hard to lug around, whereas if you layer then you can get away with fewer rugs and it's easier to adjust what they're wearing based on the weather. (Although obviously it's probably not advisable to put a rug on top of an already soaking wet rug). You can also buy rugs that come with liners, so you just change the liner depending on how cold your horse is.

I think what I'm trying to say is, don't feel you need to go out and buy a shed-load of rugs immediately - you'll work out what works for you. If you start with cheaper brands and second hand rugs then you can gradually replace the ones you use a lot with better quality versions. New rugs cost a lot of money and I'm a bit worried you'll have a heart attack in the tack shop if you buy ten rugs at once....

 

[Muddy unicorn]

Resist the temptation to get rugs with cute prints on them - all rugs end up mud-coloured in the blink of an eye …

 

[Coco’s Dad]

It may not be relevant as my horse tends to the chubby (ha, understatement) and yours looks like the type that will need keeping warm - but I layer up rugs rather than using big heavy winter ones. I do have a heavy winter rug but even in the worst weather last winter I never used it; instead I had a Gallop no-fill (aka "rainsheet") turnout with a neck, then when the weather got worse I put a Shires 50g turnout over the top of it. Those are both low or mid range brands. The heavy ones (IMO) get very wet and mucky and hard to lug around, whereas if you layer then you can get away with fewer rugs and it's easier to adjust what they're wearing based on the weather. (Although obviously it's probably not advisable to put a rug on top of an already soaking wet rug). You can also buy rugs that come with liners, so you just change the liner depending on how cold your horse is.

I think what I'm trying to say is, don't feel you need to go out and buy a shed-load of rugs immediately - you'll work out what works for you. If you start with cheaper brands and second hand rugs then you can gradually replace the ones you use a lot with better quality versions. New rugs cost a lot of money and I'm a bit worried you'll have a heart attack in the tack shop if you buy ten rugs at once....

Thanks for you reply, so we have our fly rug, a fly face mask and a fly ear thingy.
We are going to get a rain sheet and a 100g turnout rug to start.
I will also get the fleece cooler and possibly a 200g stable rug next pay day ??‍ ?

 

[Coco’s Dad]

Resist the temptation to get rugs with cute prints on them - all rugs end up mud-coloured in the blink of an eye …

Bees ? on a fly rug tho ?

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

When it comes to rugging, don't assume that because you need a coat on, your horse needs a rug. If you're not sure which rug to put on, go for the lighter one (except, as other have said, a no fill rug will flatten the coat and prevent it being able to keep the horse warm naturally).

Horses are waterproof, and (despite my endless hoping) they don't seem to shrink in the rain either. So they can go out rugless in wet weather.

Mine rarely gets to wear a rug. He owns a 200g turnout which he wore for the first time this spring, after owning it for 2 years (he had a mild skin infection so I didn't want him getting completely soaked through helping it to spread)

He also has a waffle rug to help him dry off if I have left him out in the rain and want him to be drier before I leave him for the night. He also wears this when travelling if I expect him to sweat up.

He has a 100g stable rug in case the temperature drops below minus 6 or minus 7. Any warmer than this and he'll be sweating in the morning.

His new paddock has a lovely constant breeze across it so his fly rug hasn't been out of its bag in over a year.

In summary, I have 4 rugs in total (for my big, slightly overweight, looks after himself native) and I can count on two hands the number of times he'll wear any rug in a year.

ETA if your horse is grey, cover it head to foot in as many rugs as you can or but shares in fairy liquid, whichever is cheapest.

 

[Coco’s Dad]

Luckily he’s a dark bay ?
What’s a waffle rug?