What do you expect from a light weight T/O?

[nuttychestnut]

I've got a 1200D light weight turnout and it has completely leaked in the rain this week. Im a little annoyed as it's only been used a few times. Am I expecting too much from a light weight? I just don't want to complain if I should have put him in a medium weight.
Thanks!

 

[McFluff]

I would expect a 1200D lightweight to be waterproof. Mine coped with most of the horrendous rain we had last week, just a small leak, but it was really bad rain, and been ok in all other weathers.
If I've understood it correctly then the weight is about fill and warmth and the denier is about strength and waterproofing.
Maybe worth contacting the manufacturer?

 

[budley95]

Pretty sure my LW arent that high denier (cheap requisite and best on horse that were supposed to make do but have lasted ages) and they haven't leaked even in all this rain!

 

[wattamus]

mine are 600d amigo rugs. when I first got them they were useless, I washed them with nikwax and they are now 100% waterproof x

 

[nuttychestnut]

I've double checked on the website and it's sold as a 1200D, feels as thick & tough as my medium weight.
Cool, my friends light weight was fine in the same weather but before I spoke to the manufacture I just wanted to make sure I wasn't expecting the world!
Thanks!

 

[JCW]

In my limited experience of lightweight turnouts, I don't think they are very waterproof. I think they are a bit like cagools which just stick to you and the water then just seeps through.
I bought 600d turnout at the end of summer last year and when it rained heavily, poor horse was soaking.

I rewaterproofed it and it worked for a couple of showers and then started to fail again.

Recently bought a 1200d lightweight. I didn't think that was particularly waterproof until I put a 100gram liner in and horse has been dry since and the inner has been dry too. I think they must struggle when the cover lies directly against the skin.

Not sure I have explained myself very well. I think I would have tried to complain about mine but there was quite a gap from purchasing them to actually using them so I didn't feel I could.

 

[EmmaC78]

I would also expect a 1200D lw to be waterproof. There have been a couple of times over the years where in absolutely torrential constant rain they have been wet underneath but otherwise they have always been waterprrof.

 

[Boulty]

I'd expect it to be mostly waterproof at that denier. Maybe some leaking around the chest and tail area depending on how well it fits and how big the tail flap is. (I find MOST rugs leak a bit around the chest in really bad weather as wind tends to blow rain down there or it runs down there off the neck and mane and in bad weather tail flaps can get blown up and rain can blow in that way). My 600d amigo has been doing fine so far, mind you used the 40g the past couple of nights as it's a better denier

 

[Mixedbag]

I assume the rug has no filling, only a lining. It is possible that the damp is condensation that has not wicked away through the outer cover, especially as it has been quite warm during the day. If the rug had a light fill you wouldn't notice the damp accumulated inside the cover but without the fill it soaks into the lining material and it can feel quite soggy but is not necessarily a "leak" as such.

 

[Equi]

I had a lw that leaked and i complained and was sent another one and i got to keep the old one too lol dont settle for less than perfect!

 

[NZJenny]

Does it have a fill?? While a 1200 Dn should be water proof, if there is no fill and they get aboslutley saturated the water starts to osmosiss through.

 

[Geek]

Agree with jcw had some light weights that have seemed useless until they have had something under them.

 

[Stormynight]

My boy's 600D Shires Highlander has stayed 100% waterproof this week... sounds like a fault in the rug?

 

[nuttychestnut]

Forgot to say it did have a 100g liner popped under but that was soaked as well.
Ahhh horses if it's not one thing, it's another!

 

[soulfull]

As others have said a 1200 d should be very waterproof. My amigos are lightweight 1200 and fabulous even in the worst of weather

I also have a gallop 600d for warmer light shower days, this one isn't as waterproof as the amigo and also is more likely to to get the Kagool effect.

 

[L&M]

The best lightweight I have bought recently is a cheap as chips one from Gallop, with integrated neck.

It is 600d and cost around £30 and in the year I have had it has not leaked once, despite a lot of use.

As others have said, I would be sending this one back.....

 

[Tinypony]

I expect them to be waterproof, but they aren't always. I was pretty shocked when I took a 75g rug back to my local tack shop to be told that they wouldn't guarantee any rug they sold as waterproof. Was given some garbage about if a horse lives out 24/7 then expect a rug to leak sooner or later. Won't be buying rugs there again!
However, one of mine is in 50g Amigo at the moment and that's watertight, and another is in a 1200g rainsheet - I think Horseware - and that is watertight as well. I've used Fal Pro in the past and they've always been excellent. I think 1200g is the way to go normally, but there are some waterproof 600g rugs out there.
Moisture inside can be sweating, thing is it might be wet but it's not particularly cold at the moment.
Incidentally I think the rug that leaked was a 75g Shires, definitely Shires. The tackroom refused point blank to give a refund, would only send it back to the manufacturers, so I took it away and use it underneath a waterproof no-fill rug.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I've had various LW rugs over the years of different makes and different deniers, some with no fill and others with a stay dry/fleecy lining or a thin fill. So far all, but one, were properly waterproof even in downpours.

 

[DD265]

I've had one lightweight leak one day out of 2-3 years. Dry it out, lie it on the floor, puddle water on it and if the water is still all there 20-30mins later it's waterproof. Mine was, so I can only assume that either my boy sweated or rain managed to get in through the neck.

One other thing (about all rugs) is that it is virtually impossible to waterproof the seam that attaches the tail flap to the rug. Been told that by several manufacturers. Every other seam ought to be waterproof however.

 

[BentleyBelly]

It is my understanding that if the horse is cold the rug is more likely to leak. Have you ever noticed a soggy horse looking like it has steam coming off it when you bring it in? The warmth of the horse is causing the water to evapourate. This also works with rugs. The water is less likely to penetrate the rug if the horse is warm underneath. I have found that no fill rugs in heavy rain get saturated and do tend to leak as the horse has got chilly and its not such a problem when they have a little filling to keep the horse warm. Hope that made sense! However a rug with that denier should perform better than you have found.