Rugs. How many does a horse REALLY need?

[Enfys]

Following on from the rug threads, how many is the bare MINIMUM you could actually get away with having for your current horse?

I have more horses than rugs, and each horse wears the same MW turnout rug for 5 months, no spares. (All live out, none clipped)

 

[Spudlet]

NZ rug for when it's really cold
Cooler for sweaty betty moments
Stable rug for winter (assuming they don't live out all year round

Fly sheet if necessary - obvs not all horses will need these!

That's it. Simples

 

[rockysmum]

Minimum of three of each weight turnout for each one.

At least one of each weight stable rug

Several fleeces and coolers each

Several travel and show rugs each

An exercise sheet each

2 fly rugs each



Oh god, thats ridiculous isn't it

 

[Spudlet]

lol - not really though...?

May I just say - I LOVE your killer bunnies

 

[JosieSmith]

I have 2 stable rugs, one fleece (planning on getting a second) two lw turnouts and getting 2 hw turnouts and a fleece. Can't afford any of them but that's never stopped me before

 

[nattyhorseluver]

It just depends on the type of horse, my friends cob has a rain sheet for winter, so she can ride him without being covered in mud. As mine are clipped they both have light weight, medium weight, heavy weight and Shelley has a super heavy weight (She came with it (BNWT!) So might as well use it when needed!) And they both have light weight stable rugs with and without necks. I do avoid rugging them as much as poss tho (I just like buying rugs ) xx

EDT: Both also have 2 fly rugs each and several fleeces, coolers, exercise sheets, show and travel rugs (all to match there boots of course

) xx

 

[scotsmare]

Ok, I've just sold my girl but she had:

1 x fleece
1 x lightweight stable
1 x mw stable
1 x lightweight t/out
1 x mw t/out
1 x hw t/out

I suppose that's not really that much compared to some

 

[laura_nash]

Depends a bit what they are doing (retired horse would need less). For mine I 'need':

fly rug
3 turnout rugs (one of each weight)
stable rug
cotton summer sheet (for travelling, shows and keeping the white bits clean!)
exercise sheet (more for me than him)
cooler (which I won in a raffle

)

I have a few more than that though, including a massive great extra-extra-HW turnout that came with him and he's only ever worn for three days during the blizzards last winter.

 

[rockysmum]

[ QUOTE ]
lol - not really though...?

May I just say - I LOVE your killer bunnies

[/ QUOTE ]

Thank you

Yes I'm afraid its true

 

[stacey_lou]

My girlie in the winter has
Stable
1 hood, fleece/quit (if really cold) and 1 stable rug with neck
summer
fleece on chilly nights if not naked
Field -
Autumn - medium weight with nexk
Winter - heavy weight with neck and fleece under if really cold. and turn out hood.
Summer - naked and light weight when chilly
I wouldnt put anything less on her

 

[Kenzo]

How long is a piece of string, really depends on the type of horse or pony, how you mange it/work load and where you live I guess, but as a rule all mine have only had the following if unclipped:-

rain mac (light weight shower/wind proof rug suitable for summer rain storms and autum etc)

medium and a heavy (you can utilise either, by using above or below to bulk up when the other gets wet/damaged) heavy will only go on if its really really cold, I prefer to layer up than just have one rug.

stable rug/fly rug and then a cooler, so how many is that?...around 6 different rugs.

However if you suffer a from a rug fetish and/or have a rug destroyer, then you may need a hell of a lot more! which is why I have a tack room full of rugs!

 

[rockysmum]

[ QUOTE ]
Depends a bit what they are doing (retired horse would need less).

[/ QUOTE ]

My oldie has more than the others, got to keep his old bones warm

 

[Mickey02]

Don't think I'll be able to remember them all...

My horse has
3 Bucas Fleeces
3 HW Fleeces
3 Hi-Viz Exercise Sheets
1 Fleece Exercise Sheet
2 MW Turnout Rugs with Necks
2 LW Turnout Rugs with Necks
1 LW Stable Rug
1 HW Stable Rug
2 Fly Sheets
1 Magnetic Rug
1 Travel Rug
1 Summer Sheet
1 Mesh Cooler
2 Old Fleeces used for after bathing
1 Lycra slinky

This doesn't take into account the 5 or 6 rugs I have that I'm planning on selling

Do you think I have a habit?? The worst thing is I actually use all of these rugs!!!

 

[Honeypots]

Mine all have a turnout rug each and wear them as and when but generally not at all.
Benji has a liner for his for colder weather.
I also have a waffle cooler that gets bunged on whoever may need it...big or small

My sweet itch cob has his fly sheets in summer...all 3 of which have Benji sized bite rips on the butt!

 

[tasteofchristmaschaos]

I have one sweetitch rug, one lighweight turnout and one medium weight turnout.
But as people have said, it does depend on the horse.

 

[ecrozier]

Every time I try to cut down I end up buying more!
To be fair, for the 3 year old this winter he will have a mw stable rug, a stable sheet/fleece, a MW combo turnout and a combo underrug. He can share mare's spare rug (just hope they don't both trash their rugs on same day! And by using the underrug that should cover colder weather as well.

However once he is fully grown he'll prob end up like J and have...ahem...
1 x HW combo turnout
1 x no neck HW turnout
1 x MW turnout
2 x LW turnout

1 x HW stable
1 x MW stable
1 x stable sheet

1 x cooler (thermatex)
1x wool day rug
1 x travel rug

2 x exercise rugs

And thats not counting the fleece, coolex and wicking rugs that are all slightly too big for him and hence being shared by the other two (bit small for either of them tho!)

And I actually thought to myself the other day I could do with another fleece for him!!

Think there is a world of difference between need/want. TBH youngster could probably manage without but he will be ridden at weekends over the winter and we do have them on a very exposed hillside, plus previous owner rugged him last year as a 2 year old!

 

[Damnation]

Ok this is going to look bad but I have
Turnouts:
1 x flysheet with a neck
2 x rainsheets
1 x lightweight
2 x mediumweights, one with a neck
2 x heavyweight with a neck
Stable rugs:
1 x thermatex magnetic exercise sheet
1 x waterproof wrap around exercise sheet
1 x cotton sheet
1 x travel rug
2 x fleeces, one with a neck
1 x half neck lightweight
1 x mediumweight
1 x heavyweight with a neck

For one horse

 

[proudwilliam]

I suffer from the rugaholic syndrome!!! I dare not count how many I have but I know I will buy him one at hoys.
Better than too many handbags and I have enough of them.

 

[JosieSmith]

I'm really glad I'm not going to HOYS. First time I went I totally underestimated the shopping and spent all my savings, didn't even have a horse

. Next time I go will be first time I've been while having a horse so goodness knows how much I could spend!

 

[jesterfaerie]

My boy has
1 x LW TO - optional neck attatchment.
1 x fleece
2 x HW TO - combo
1 x LW stable - no neck
1 x MW stable - combo

If he needs something heavier than his LW TO he is put out with his fleece or stable rug(s) on as well.
I could easily get rid of his LW stable, he only has 2 HW TOs for just incase he wrecks on as he is going to be out 24/7 so one is an emergency rug that I could technically do without.

 

[CBAnglo]

66 each, not including fly rugs, exercise sheets or coolers (they dont count).

 

[Hippona]

Oh God...I dont even know what I've got...I found some in a laundry bag I had put away and forgotten about.

Lets just say...every possible combination of weight/colour/neck...

Last year OH had to come to the yard with his big drill (oo-err missus) cos the top rail in the lfeedroom had been ripped out of the wall from hanging too many rugs over it.....

 

[wench]

assuming horse lives out, not clipped, fairly good do-er:

1 x mw to
1 x no fill to
1 x mw stable (to put under no fill to in case mw is ripped, or under mw to if cold)
1 x cooler.
needless to say mine has more than this!

 

[competitiondiva]

lol, mmmmm well from memory I have:
2 lightweight turnouts (in my defense one ripped and repaired several times so serves as a spare)
2 heavyweight turnouts. one classic neck one combo
1 medium weight turnout.
2 medium weight stable rugs
3 heavyweight stabe rugs!! (two classic necks one combo)
1 whitney blanket
2 coolers
2 fly sheets
2 show rugs
1 fleece

All for one horse! gods that is bad!! But in my defense I bought such good rugs 16 years ago that they are still in use today, but syles have changed such as the combos!!

They'll come in handy soon though as I've now also got 2 foals!! They're bound to fit them at some stage!!

 

[Ginny24]

Ginny has:
1 x l/w
1 x 100g lite
2 x m/w (because one was on sale)
100g stable rug she never uses (also on sale, hehe)

Vision just needs a l/w, m/w and h/w and the Shetlands have NOTHING.

I am quite astounding at how many people need

 

[Tormenta]

Big girls have LW,MW,HW. Boy has LW,MW. Veteran pony has LW,MW and fatso has got a lightweight but never wears it, all mine live out and I just rug to suit each one and the weather.

 

[charlyan]

I have one tbx and another arriving this weekend

who is a similar size and build so hopefully they'll be able to share the vast collection we have accumulated over the past 3 years:

TURNOUTS:
1 x Rambo Duo (+ asstd liners)
1 x Shires HW (400g but no neck- pretty much redundant)
1 x PE HW (450g)
1 x PE m-HW (300g- pretty much most he's needed thru winter unless really horrid)
1 x PE MW (200g)
1 x Rhino Plus MW (200g)
1 x WBeeta MW (220g- high neck and not used as rubs mane)
1 x PE LW (70g)
1 x Amigo LW (no fill)
1 x Shires LW (no fill)

STABLE:
1 x Fal HW (350g)
1 x Horseware insulator HW (300g)
1 x Requisite HW (300g- for sale as too big)
1 x Kingshead MW (200g)
1 x Masta Regal MW (170g)
1 x Amigo stable LW (150g)

plus several assorted coolers, exercise sheets and fleeces. And yes, all have a purpose and yes, I am fully in control of my rug addiction

ETA: oh, and a fly sheet c/w waterproof liner

To be fair, we do live in a remote area and rugs are not available locally and can take a week or so to arrive when ordered online so he does need spares. He lives out mostly.

 

[Alibear]

Mac now lives out so has 2 lw turn outs and 2 heavy weight turn outs
If he were stabled then he had 3 stable rugs as well, 1 mw, 1 hw and 1 cooler.
So thats 7 but I know you can get away with a lot less. Just I have a nightmare getting replacement rugs so like to have good fitting spares.
SPent fortunes over the years on emergency replacement rugs that never work out and always need replacing for long term use.

 

[blackcob]

When my horse was unclipped and lived out, she had two rugs - a waterproof sheet with no fill so she would be dry and reasonably clean when I went to ride her, and a fleece cooler to dry her off after riding in the winter.

Now she's clipped and in work over the winter, over five years I've accumulated 13 rugs, all of which get used.

 

[MrsMozart]

contrary to stated, i have no idea how many they have each

two of our neds have grown in the time we've had them, so have bought new ones and smallest pony now has lots. also been given rugs and gave all of Tiggy's rugs away bar two.

on the whole, each ned definately has:

fleece
cooler
l/w t/o with neck
h/w t/o with neck
Dizz has a m/w t/o with neck as she not get cold eaily and i odn't know yet if she will be clipped.
fly sheet
l/w stable
h/w stable

two of the neds are clipped, one year round. one of those is a wimp and shivers at the mere mention of winter even if stood in sweltering sun.

all t/o have necks as the only have rugs on when piddling it down/clipped/manes pulled, so necks need covering.

have excessive rugs due to finding that certain makes don't really fit particular neds; travel rugs; spares of the others as have had the 'rug soaking wet when it's needed' scenario.

Dizzy has two fleeces 'cos a couldn't resist a pink fleece going cheap at a show

i think all our rugs were in sales. i think i've only once bought a rug full price in a proper shop. that was for Tiggy and she looked brill in it, but it was too warm for her (another hot horse!) so she only wore it once or twice

forgot to say, they all live out as much as possible