What Happended to New Zealand rugs?

Canvas rugs are still very much used and loved her in Aus! There are plenty of people who will only use natural fibres on their horses, so cotton, wool and canvas. I love the canvas for Autumn/Spring. I have different weights for different weather. They are the best when the sun comes out, as they breath. Synthetics and the Aus sun just don't get along
 
I have to say, having used one recently, that it stayed put, and didn't rub. Pony was happy in it, and had a good level of movement.

It helps that I am an out 24/7 person, so it went on dry, and didn't come off until a nice sunny day.
Not sure I'd want to be changing it twice a day :)
 
The polo ponies here at work that are turned out overnight (i.e not the high goal ones) wear them in preference to any of the eleventy billion more modern rugs we have available. They seem to keep the flies off them really well and don't rub. Not sure I would want to handle them when they were wet & muddy though
 
OMG...they were awful!

They slipped, rubbed, had horrid chrome leather straps. They were heavy, took so long to dry out that they mildewed....and why were they all that pukey arsenic green?
Then Chaskits came out...what a relief!
 
They are still alive and well in their native home.

Many of the racehorse trainers use them. The horses actually live in them 24/7, stabled in them and turned out.

Yes they slipped if the wrong shape for the horse, but they were far nicer for the horse than modern rugs. With a pure wool lining they kept the horse snug and dry. We wintered all our school horses and ponies in one wool lined NZ rug with neck rug. Even with a foot of snow they were cosy and dry.

In late winter, on went the jute rug, this pulled out the winter coat and polished it too.

Different companies here make them in different shapes. Graves in Oamaru make them for TB's with high withers, their rugs don't slip.

True they are heavy when wet, we just hung them up by their back leg strap D's to dry.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top