Since when did New Zealand Rugs become ......

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Penniless

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"Outdoor Rugs". For years they have always been New Zealands whatever the make, brand, type etc, but nowadays why are they just referred to as Outdoor Rugs? Maybe this should be in the Soapbox section as it really winds me up but why when I'm talking to anyone under the age of 18 and refer to a New Zealand, they look at me with a blank face and haven't got a clue what one of those are.

What other tack items etc, have you found has changed its name over the years?
 
The New Zealand Rug is designed to keep the horse warm and dry when out in the field during winter. It is a traditional waterproof Turnout Rug made from canvas or waxed cotton and often green in colour.

However, unlike modern Turnout Rugs the New Zealand Rug is heavy and bulky and so can result in rub marks, or even sores, on the chest, shoulders and withers of the horse. Some New Zealand Rugs lined or padded fleece areas designed to prevent sores occurring on pressure points or alternatively a Shoulder Liner can be worn underneath the New Zealand Rug to prevent rubbing occurring. In any case the New Zealand Rug should not be too tight round the neck and chest area.

To ensure that the New Zealand Rug gives adequate protection against the weather the rug should be sufficiently long that none of the horse's belly is visible. Some New Zealand Rugs have pleats in the shoulders which allow for more freedom of movement and some also have optional attachments such as neck covers to give extra protection from the winter elements.

New Zealand Rugs normally have a good overlap at the front with front fastening straps providing maximum protection against the elements for the horse.

The rug is held in place by a surcingle and/or hind leg straps. Hind leg straps help to keep the rug from slipping to one side after the horse has rolled and should be fastened by passing one strap between the hind legs and fastening it to the back onto the same side to which it is attached to the rug. The second strap is then passed between the legs, through the first strap, and fastened to the same side to which it is attached. This way the leg straps are linked between the hind legs. The leg straps should be adjusted to allow a hand's width to be placed comfortably between the back of the horse's leg and the strap. If the leg straps are too tight they can cause rubbing, and if too loose the horse may get its hooves caught in the straps when lying down.

New Zealand rugs need to be re-proofed once or twice each winter to ensure they remain waterproof and it is best to have two rugs so that they can be used alternately when one is drying or being reproofed.
 
New Zealand rugs are still called that aren't they? It's just noone uses them anymore I think? NZ rugs are the canvas turnouts you used to get - the rugs made with modern materials are 'outdoor' rugs
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Noone knows what a Jute rug is anymore either
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or how to put a blanket on under a rug with a surcingle
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Outdoor Rugs????

Turn-outs, surely???

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We've just groaned!!!

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Noone knows what a Jute rug is anymore either
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or how to put a blanket on under a rug with a surcingle
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Oh those were the days!
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Used to, and still do, love winter with horses
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That's because you don't need blankets when you have a rainsheet, a 40g, a 70g, a 100g, a 200g, a 350g and a 450g, all with detachable hoods!!!

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remember when all horses had one winter rug. If they were very privileged had an old tatty spare, otherwise they spent the second half of the winter with their rug held together with baler tie.
 
New Zealand - green canvas that you took off in the evening - weighed as much as you when wet - you then replaced with a jute wool rug (brown sacking with a wool linin) that always stank of wee and layered the rug with blankets and tucked in under your cirsingle.

Next morning the New Zealand still weighed a ton as still soaking and was normally slimy with mud.

You young ones don't know how lucky you are
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Noone knows what a Jute rug is anymore either or how to put a blanket on under a rug with a surcingle


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I know how to put them on, but have yet to find anyone who can put them on and they stay on all night!
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(hanging round the hores neck does not count!)
 
I've only ever called New Zeland Rugs New Zeland Rugs (if you get that
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) if its not a New Zeland rug, I call it a turn out rug..light/medium/heavy and the make...gosh do they still put horses in them, I can remember rugging up our ponies in them (many years ago) they were a sod to dry out!
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Next morning the New Zealand still weighed a ton as still soaking and was normally slimy with mud.

You young ones don't know how lucky you are


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How true
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I am of the era when ponies had no rugs, the arab had a jute, and if really cold an old wool blanket that had got a bit too manky to go on the bed. She also had the good old green NZ with the grey wool blanket lining. I can remember painting it with stuff you put on bricks to water proof them.

I still can put on blankets with a folded neck back and secured but don't do it any more as I have four stable rugs ranging from fleece to HW and a no fill and MW t/o rug so normally on only have one or occasionally two on. Rugs are relatively cheap if you shop round and far easier to chuck on rather than using layers of blankets and bindings.

I still refer to turn out rugs as new zealands - force of habit.
 
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