What rugs do you recommend...

Tinsel Trouble

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I have just moved away from home where we had been "organically" collecting rugs and equipment for years and years- so I've never had to start from scratch before!!

Am I better buying a light, a medium and a heavy weight turnout and stable rugs, or getting something like the premier equine system which does everything?

Which rugs would you recommend (with a meagre budget of about £250 allocated for rugs!)

Thanks...
 
Depends on the horse really! With your budget I would go for less, but nice quality rugs.
Unless you have a cold horse that drops weight easily then I wouldn't bother with a heavyweight. Consider a thermatex (or copy for less £! - aerborn/bucas/weatherbeta/swish or similar), rain sheet and medium weight.
The thermatex will do for a sweat sheet, stable and layer under a turnout, the turnout rugs will do well as stable rugs too.
 
With my last horse - who needed new everything - I determined to buy just the one rug - the Duo system with liners.

Innevitably the rugs started piling up though, despite my resolve.

He was a big horse and the Premier Equine rugs fitted really well, becase they were nice and deep.

So as well as the Duo, he also had a HW stable rug (PE), Mark Todd MW Stable rug, Duo - with all the liners (up to 300grms) and a MW PE TO rug. As well as odds and sods.......

Oh, as well as a bloomin LW Premier equine..........
 
Ah, just saw you have a tb - in which case I would add that heavyweight turnout back to the list!
These guys do lovely rugs, and have mega £ off if your size is available. I would add an exercise sheet to the list too.
http://www.swish-equestrian.co.uk/products.php?cat=Rugs

If you can up your budget a bit then you can get the premier equine trio set (http://premierequine.co.uk/acatalog/Turnout_Rugs.html), though would then have to do without an exercise rug and sweat rug. If you could up your budget to £300, then I would go for either a set from Swish, or the PE one with a cheap fleece and exercise sheet (xmas pressies maybe?!).
 
TB ex-racer straight out of Newmarket!

My tb exracer fits horseware (rhino, rambo, amigo's) really well. Tried many different brands and these are definitely the best imo! My tb has a huge selection, as he needs them in varying weights. I'd go for the amigo's, as they're the cheaper of the range and good quality. Although, you could get a rambo duo for about your money, which would cover all of your turnouts, so long as they're not a rug trasher, or share field with one!! I think now actually amigo and rhino do the layer system too, so they're probably cheaper. Not sure if the £250 is for stable rugs also? If so, you can keep in turnout at night stabled, they dry out quicker too!
 
Ebay for rugs, amazing.
I would also just buy good quality turnout rugs and a fleece for now. They can be stabled in turnout rugs no problem.
You can double rug etc in turnouts too. I always have done :)
 
You’ll be able to pick up a new Amigo turnout (medium) and Weatherbeta turnout (heavy) with built in hoods for around £118.00 is give or take.

I rain thin sheet is always handy as it can double up as spare medium/heavy if you layer up underneith, layers are better for warmth too or to use over a stable rug if you want to keep the stable rug a bit cleaner, you can pick up, Gallop do cheaps (which fit nicely and are fully waterproof) for around £28.00you can never have too many rain sheets as there so multi purpose.
So that brings you to £146.00, so you have another £100 lets say to play with.

Shires do a under combo rug at around £29.99, also old duvets can make great insulators for over night in the stable if you are prepaired to a add some fastenings to keep it in place.

Now you have £70.00 ish left, I’d probably get a fleece, which will help for cooling off and will double up with a light weight should you want.

Derby House usually have offers on if you buy so many rugs you get one free etc so worth looking on there, there rugs are good providing you don't mind having to fix the straps fastenings after a years wear, but for the price there ok, they seem to fit well and have always kept them dry.

Sorry got carried anyway there, I was playing with my monopaly money :D
 
Another vote for the Rino/Rambo/Amigo rugs for a TB, my old mare (chestnut in sig) was full TB and they fitted her brilliantly - in fact I still use one of her old Rino rugs today (and i bought that over 10 years ago!!)

I also really rate the Mark Todd rugs, they seem to last and fit well too!
 
Hope valley have this amigo on offer atm, 200g rug with neck and 200g liner for £99 - seems a good deal? Gets your medium and heavy weight turnout (doubles as stable rug) for only £99 - not bad!
 
With your budget, I would go for the Rhino range. The new Rhinos are compatible with the Duo liners. I would search for bargains, but aim to get a LW Rhino, a MW Rhino and a duo liner (probably the 200g one). You can then mix and match this as needed.

Remember that you might need to get a size up with Horseware rugs. :)
 
Swish heavyweights are lovely, longlasting and excellent value for money imo.
Bucas are also brill and I wish I had trusted them more in terms of suitability for a range of temps as I now have a lot of other rugs I dont use.

I always want full necks on my rugs which limit my choice but could you consider;

A rainsheet - shires fit my TBs well.
(and fleece/waffle to put under to make it a l/w)
OR a bucas sun shower which could be used instead of a rainsheet and as a l/w (not sure which of these options would work out cheapest!)

A bucas power or smartex t/o as a m/w - if you look on their website it will tell you what rugs are good for which range of temperatures :) and in my experience if you use them in their "optimum temp range" shown the horses are always just the right temp underneath :)

And a swish h/w.

A cheap version of a thermatex to add if needed underneath - make sure it has buckle/secure clip fronts and x circingles so it stays put! and if possible even leg straps!

If you were considering a flysheet in sales for next spring, in my experience its better to invest in a decent (not hugely expensive tho!) one as the others either never fit properly or hole quickly! I would recommend derby house after trialling many :p they seem the best to me (although Im not sure which of their models I have) - the neck is long enough and the neck straps not to tight, the straps and buckles are hardy and it has a full belly and leg straps and the material has lasted 2 years with no holes so far :) the only thing that could make it more perfect would be if it had an inbuilt flymask to stop the monsters getting them off!

Hope this helps if I could start my horsey t/o wardrobe again this is what I would do :)
 
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