Weight of turnout rugs?

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mandk

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<font color="blue">I am looking to buy a heavy turnout for my TB - he feels the cold more than any horse I've known and is underweight (this could be partly to do with it.)

I have been looking at the following rugs-
Shires Stormcheeta - integrated full neck &amp; 400g
Premier Equine Stormbuster - integrated full neck &amp; 450g

I will not have detach-a-necks as they rub manes out.
I def want warmer than 350g- as he has one of these and it is not warm enough - he really feels the cold (my other TB is cosy in the coldest weather in his 350g Shires Typhoon). I do not want to have to layer rugs as I find this causes rubbing.

The other winter turnout rugs he has are Amigo 200g &amp; Bucas 300g classic cut
.
My questions are:
1. would 450g full neck be too much/hot?
2. with the weight rugs he already has - what would be a wiser addition 400g or 450g?

This will be the only full neck rug he has.

Any opinions/advice welcome - I do not want to throw £100 away on the wrong rug, esp not this close to Christmas!!
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My fully clipped boy is currently out with the 400g shires version and a waffle cooler underneath!

So if hard on the rugs go for shires as 2000D versus PE 1680D

If thin and cold go for PE as 450g versus shires 400g.
 
If you have a 350 already why don't you add layers, like a summer sheet, fleece and maybe an underug.

1. 450g neck should be okay
2. 450g would be wiser

Also there have been some previous posts about the fitting of Premier rugs and I think there may even have been one about waterproofing of them as well?

My horses have the Weatherbeeta Taka Combo heavy rugs, I paid £149 for them from Equestrian Clearance and got a free fleece rug with it, so my horses have these on and these are the detacha neck ones and this is the second winter and they have not rubbed their manes.
 
Hi,
I cannot recommend the Weatherbeeta combo rugs highly enough - they are super. I have a Taka contour combo from last year with an integrated neck and I found it plenty warm enough for a fully clipped horse in the depths of English winter!
If they are too thick for your horse then a fab alternative is the Weatherbeeta Orican combo (currently on sale for £59.99 at Equestrian Clearance Warehouse). I have just bought one for a fully clipped (pregnant) mare who is living out.
I have used other brands before but I find weatherbeeta so superior in fit/durability etc that I wouldn't use anything else for turnout now. Other rugs are sometimes not breathable and I found my horse came in covered in lather even when she hadn't run around.
Hope that helps!
 
I know you say you don't want to layer rugs but this is in my experiance the best way to keep your horse warm and snuggly, as the layers trap air between as an insulator.
 
For a TB that really feels the cold and is dropping weight I do not think one turnout rug is enough, whatever it is. I agree with others who have suggested you layer rugs as this is the best way to achieve maximum effect - this in itself should not cause rubbing unless one of the rugs in particular is the cause, but if you are worried add an anti rub vest (Bossy's bibs are in my experience the most effective). I have also found that it tends to be integrated necks that rub rather than detacheable as its the seam that seems to rub. I would recommend weatherbeeta or Mark todd as competitively priced and better quality rugs than the makes you mention. Hope this helps.
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I have a TB who feels the cold and he is out in a PE Winter Buster with detachable neck and he keeps really toasty. Its 450 g and brilliant. he is also wearing in his stable at night and again keeps him v. warm. He gets cold but overheats if he has too many layers on.

The detachable neck hasn't rubbed his mane at all - I think its just some horses are more prone to it than others. I got a detachable neck so on days like today when its sunny he can get some sun on his neck and still keep his body very toasty.
 
My fully clipped TB is turned out in two heavyweight full neck combo rugs.
There is no way in a million years he would be warm enough in just one in this weather! even unclipped he would have another insulating layer underneath a heavyweight rug.
If you do layer, i try to use rugs which don't stretch like stable/to rugs as they tend not to slip back &amp; rub.
I find coolers and fleeces do jus that &amp; leave my horse uncomfortable.
 
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