Your favourite rugs

[Keira 8888]

Hi guys,

hope you are all well!

just wanted to get some thoughts on your most useful “wouldn’t be without” rugs.

I only have a fly rug for Prince at the moment but with Autumn and rain approaching I think I need to go shopping!

He is a 16 yr old ISH.

What do you guys think are the “essential” rugs that I should buy?
Thank you!

keira x

 

[emilylou]

Hands down countrywides own brand heavyweight winter rugs. Massive tail flap, shoulder flares, elasticated neck. Never rubs.
Luckily I got several before they went bust and stopped making them.
In two winters they've never soaked through

 

[MuddyMonster]

It will depend on whether he's clipped etc as well as if he's a hotter horse or one that feels the cold and being prone to dropping weight.

I own a native and I've got by for years with a light cooler, a Thermatex and a lightweight no fill turn out rug.

As he's now living out I've just pushed the boat out to a 50g turn out with detachable neck.

I think if I was starting out with nothing I'd probably start with a cooler and a T/O rug with liner system as you can increase the weight of the liner if need be.

I generally like Weatherbeeta and Shires but have just bought a Swish rug, but too soon to tell what it's like!

 

[Spotherisk]

I like Shires. I had them years ago and have recently bought again, they seem to fit my horse well, but he would be a completely different type to yours.

 

[Chippers1]

Another vote for Shires, fit both of my ponies really well. Plus they do cute patterns ?

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

Another vote for Shires they fit H (Welsh D) nicely I tend to go for the ones that have that triangle of looser material on the shoulder (think its called a gusset) as it makes them feel a little bit freer and a bit more flexibility in fit

If i had unlimited money he would have to be purchased one of those animal print ones that change each year with the animal they use.

Also check what he's like around his head, H is terrified of neck covers due to the velcro/ being up round his ears. I had a super cosy all in one stable rug with neck but had to sell it as it scared him ? when hes out in the day looking pathetic with a wet neck i do pity him but then remember he did have neck covers just being hysterical he won't wear them!

You can never have too many rugs in my opinion OH is appalled how many I have and I'm frequently asked if he actually needs them all! Especially as I washed them in our new washing machine this year ?

 

[Red-1]

I am happy to buy cheap stable rugs, but pay extra for the turnout ones so they are waterproof.

I love the Rhino ones, with detachable necks and you can buy a lightweight and add liners.

 

[Summit]

Whites don’t fit my narrow tb unfortunately. I like anything by Horsewear, especially now you can add liners

 

[Spotherisk]

I’m a sucker for a good secondhand rug and last year bought a Chaskit tornout complete with spider and a huge neck cover which literally goes from loins to ears to knees! It was £20 I think, still had the cleaned and reproofed labels on it.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

I like Shires, but I'm a diehard Rambo fan. Especially with their liner system. You can buy a 0g turnout sheet and use liners as needed. So you don't need to buy a bunch of rugs...but I still do anyway because I have a rug collecting habit ?

 

[doodle]

Robin has a mixture. He has a 450grm premier equine which I love. People complain they are heavy and I agree they are but it does such a good job of keeping him cosy while clipped out. He has everything in between (he has 8 other different thickness with/without hood turnouts ?) that are mainly shires and amigo. I bought him a super cosy masta stable rug but it really didn’t fit him round the shoulders which is a shame as it is a lovely rug.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Axioms. I’m sad they no longer make them. They fit the big shouldered cob a treat and don’t look like a miniskirt.

 

[rabatsa]

I have rhino wugs for all of mine.

 

[Winters100]

I would say don't buy too many until you see what you really need. Also it is good to see how he, and more importantly his field companions, behave. My gelding does not get any decent rugs now as patching them is a weekly event.

From what I see most charts which show what rug weight for what temperature are not very accurate. I live in Poland, and according to these charts should have them in 400 to 500g for most of the winter. Last winter I used no more than 200g, and mine are not tough natives. I monitored their comfort using an Orscana and they definitely did not need heavier rugs.

I would suggest buying a lightweight stable rug and a lightweight turnout with detachable neck to start. I believe he is in the box at night, and in case it is very cold he can always wear the turnout on top of the stable rug. Horses react very differently to rugs, mine are always wearing different weights as my gelding does not feel the cold, while my mare does. As he is older he may fall into the latter category.

I always find a good lightweight rain sheet useful as well, and again this can always be added on top of something.

I would recommend not to go down the route that I did of buying rugs in every weight only to have a storage problem and many seldom used rugs.

 

[Jeni the dragon]

I love Rambo rugs. Pretty much all of my rugs are. The duo are so useful.

 

[Winters100]

Oh no. This thread has reminded me that the time is coming of having rugs drying in the boiler room and hearing the yells of "what are those stinking things doing in the house AGAIN!!!!"

 

[Squeak]

Would agree that if I was starting again I'd go for a liner system. They're a godsend and means that you can swap a wet turnout for a clean stable without the horse freezing every time or just whip the liner out from underneath in the morning if it's not needed. The liners also can be washed as needed and being nylon don't pull back or rub.

The premier Equine necks have been a godsend for my mud wallower and saves me hours of scrubbing. They fit on to other brands of rugs (such as Rhino...) and can usually be bought fairly cheaply from PE.

 

[ihatework]

Outdoor rugs, Rambo no contest
I also love the amigo Aussie

Indoors my first choice would be Lansdown

I find the back on track mesh rug very useful and also either a thermatex or the Lansdown equivalent

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

Mine doesn't need rugs but I have a couple. I have a Ruggles waffle rug which is great at drying him if he needed a shower on a cold day and I need to dry him quickly.

I have a Ruggles 100g stable rug for those occasional nights he's in and its below -5. (Just one or two nights a year)

 

[TPO]

I like Shires too, I only started using them when my boy was 2 and growing fast because they were so well priced. I've stuck with them as the rugs have all fitted well and been hard wearing. I'm also easily amused by all the patterns that they do! Pretty sad now that he's stopped growing I don't have an excuse to buy the latest version every season and they are too hard wearing to justify replacing them just because ha ha

I've been a weatherbeeta fan for years and loved them for all of my various TBs. I stopped buying them for a few years because their prices were ridiculous IMO. I bought their fleeces and sheets but not everyday turnouts for a long time. I found a tackshop bargain for one of the newer style wrap around cosy comfitec turnout rugs and I love it, it's almost too good and the weather hasn't been bad enough to use it even although it's only a medium weight.

I used to have Rambo and FAL rugs "back in the day" but the quality has really diminished with the Rambo as the prices have increased. I hadn't tried any of the new FAL rugs but I believe they are no more too?

Masta is a brand that I avoided for years after a bad experience with a couple of rugs until I joined the Harry Hall One Club and saw the discounts. I bought a mediumweight Fieldmasta (with the dome neck to save manes) and I love it, it's practically lived in during the winter (approx. 9mths of the year in Scotland! ha ha)

One brand I would avoid at all costs is Premier Equine; badly made, heavy when wet (& when dry!), take forever to dry and awful/non-existent customer service.

My list of "essential" rugs is quite long.... My horse only gets a small clip and is generally a warm horse but we often have horrible, miserable weather with rain and wind. This is what I have and the brands for my QH:

2 x LW turnout rugs (so there's always a dry one) ~Shires
50gm lightweight turnout rug ~Amigo
100gm light/medium turnout rug ~Shires
3 x 200gm mediumweight turnout rugs ~ fieldmasta (Masta), Saxon (made by Weatherbeeta I believe), weatherbeeta
300gm heavyweight turnout rug (never used) ~ fieldmasta (Masta)

Fly sheet ~weatherbeeta
Aussie All Rounder fly/summer sheet ~Amigo
Cotton summer sheet ~Weatherbeeta

Fleece rug ~ Weatherbeeta
Travel/stable sheet ~Masta (protechamasta)
100gm stable rug ~Masta

Fat Cob only has a Derby House lightweight rug for when it really is end of the world rain and a fleece to help him dry if he's been soaked through.

Neurotic TB has a couple of Bridleway lightweights and they've been good value, the rest of his are mainly Shires and he has 50gm-450gm rugs although very rarely needs heavyweight rugs as the horses are stuffed full of hay when turned out in winter.

 

[Winters100]

Thinking about this maybe it is a good idea to buy a couple of cheap rugs until you see what weight you will really use. They can always later be used as spares for when the others are drying.

I bought a 200g from decathalon for this purpose, and only because it was immediately available and would 'do' until I could order others. He pretty much lived in it last winter as for some reason it was the only one which fitted him so well and always he was dry under it. Cost peanuts but it is a real favourite. https://www.decathlon.co.uk/allweather-200-600d-black-id_8366323.html

 

[TPO]

Thinking about this maybe it is a good idea to buy a couple of cheap rugs until you see what weight you will really use. They can always later be used as spares for when the others are drying.

I bought a 200g from decathalon for this purpose, and only because it was immediately available and would 'do' until I could order others. He pretty much lived in it last winter as for some reason it was the only one which fitted him so well and always he was dry under it. Cost peanuts but it is a real favourite. https://www.decathlon.co.uk/allweather-200-600d-black-id_8366323.html

Not quite the same but while I was still on livery my rugs were getting damaged all the time by other horses. I bought a saxon rug, when he was two sizes smaller, because it was cheap but it was really decent. He was 5ft3 when he arrived and is now 6ft6 so we've been through a few brands as he's grown. I still buy him Saxons and their MW turnout fits both him, a quarter horse, and Neurotic TB really well and have been really hard wearing.

 

[Griffin]

I wish that I had splashed out on one of the liner systems when I got my mare but she is bit of a destroyer, so probably best that I didn't.

I tend to go for fairly cheap rugs e.g. Shires, Ruggles and Maxima but I have no complaints about them at all. They have all gone through several washes (and reproofings if they're turnouts) and still look good.

My mare runs quite hot, so even when clipped, she tends to stay in a 100g combo unless the temperature drops below freezing. Ruggles rugs with detachable necks are really good but I do like a Shires combo when she is clipped. In the stable, I have lots of cheap fleeces and a 100g combo for colder weather.

My top tip is to buy an exercise sheet if you fully clip. You can pick up cheap fleece ones from Kramer or a waterproof one from Shire and they are so useful when it's chilly. If you get one that does up in front of the saddle, you can remove it easily if they get too warm (if you have a good horse, I have a very good one for things like that).

 

[PSD]

I love all rugs. Lightweight, mw, hw, combos, standard necks, fleeces, ones with detachable necks, waffle coolers.....

Especially ones with funky patterns....you only need to walk into my tackroom to see I have a very unhealthy obsession with the things....

 

[poiuytrewq]

Thi

I like Shires, but I'm a diehard Rambo fan. Especially with their liner system. You can buy a 0g turnout sheet and use liners as needed. So you don't need to buy a bunch of rugs...but I still do anyway because I have a rug collecting habit ?

This, a decent light Rambo will last forever, never leak and you can bulk it up with liners or cheapo stable rugs underneath as required

 

[jnb]

I do like Shiresd for a good well fitting budget brand, but buy the Highlander ones with the shoulder gussets if your horse has a decent shoulder.

My cob only fits Shires (a size up), PE or Weatherbeeta Comfitec Plus, with the Weatherbeeta I have found the Essentials/cheaper ones are only 600 Denier and are somehow smaller in the front, the Comfitec Plus are all 1200D or above.
I use - Weatherbeeta Comfitec Plus Lite (one with neck, one no neck 1200D with the big tail flap)
PE Buster Lite with detachable neck
PE Titan 1680D 40g with detachable neck
PE Titan 1680D 70g with detachable neck
Weathebeeta Med/Lite Comfitec Plus with neck - he's in this most of the winter after hunter clipping around Oct/Nov - March
Weathebeeta Med Comfitec Plus with neck - for frosty/snowy/very wet & windy days after clipping

Naked from April or so to end of September/Oct when weather turns
Out 24/7

For bathing ^ travelling I have a super lovely Thermatex which I am previous about and it's only worn in the lorry or after bathing, no leaving on if there's a possibility of it getting bedding on it! Also a Weatherbeeta Thermo-cell (sadly discontinued) and numerous Weatherbeeta fleece combos for after baths.

 

[Keira 8888]

Wow thank you SO much guys! This info is SO useful!!!!!!!! I can tell I have some exciting shopping ahead of me. I will start slow as advised and build up depending on Princes needs and individual warmth levels ?
I REALLY like the look of the Rambo duo based on your advice to go for versatility with liners. That makes a lot of sense. As ever, thanks so much for taking the time to reply - this forum has been invaluable to me.

Keira xx

 

[doodle]

The only thing I worry about with having a duo etc is you only have one outer. If it is trashed or soaked through or anything you are stuck. So best to have a (cheep) spare outer.

 

[mini_b]

All depends on clip really but essential for us personally is a 0g or 50g sheet.
again I would buy the Rambo liner systems if I was starting again.
I’ve got a heavyweight turnout which I used once last year...

Most used last winter was 50g and 200g Weatherbeeta comfitec.

the combo rugs seem to rub their manes out, even with a snuggy hood (get one of these, saves time on picking the mud off their faces, also rubs a bit of mane out unfortunately...)
never used to have necks on rugs. they start growing a slightly hairier neck so you’ve got more work keeping them evenly clipped.

I don’t buy expensive stable rugs. Maxima equestrian is very reasonable.
get a thinner one and a medium weight and you can layer if really really chilly which it very rarely is here now.

if prince isn’t going to back in any work this winter, don’t clip him and get a rain sheet if he doesn’t have access to a field shelter. Save yourself a fortune on rugs! You’ll see if he starts feeling the cold

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

Rex had a Gallop rug over winter and it was brilliant. This year I just desperately want one with Llamas on ????