The
range of rugs available can be daunting to a new horse owner; if you
still feel unsure about your purchase after reading the following guide
please e-mail us for advice
Having a variety of rugs in different weights will allow for variations
in climate; it is as distressing for a horse to sweat under a thick
rug as it is for a horse to have too little protection from the cold.
• Heavyweight Turnout Rugs are
designed for use in winter, particularly on finer Horses or those that
have been clipped. Many turnout rugs are now made of breathable material.
• Lightweight Rugs offer
adequate protection in autumn or spring when the weather is variable
and not too extreme and can also provide a solution to rugging more
hardy, or hairy types through the winter; some have a fleece lining
for extra warmth.
• Stable Rugs come
in different weights & are available from lightweight Fleeces to
12 Tog Duvets; even if your stable is sheltered you will probably need
a stable rug as a stabled horse is quite often colder than one that
is turned out! Just think how you feel on a cold day if you are sat
around at home, probably colder than if you were out for a walk.
• Summer Sheets, unless otherwise stated, are not Waterproof;
they are designed basically to keep your Horse clean!
• New Zealand rugs,
once the only Turnout rug available, are made from a
thick canvas material that is waxed to provide some shower proofing;
they can be re-waxed. They are practically indestructible as they are
so strong and many owners swear by them for all-year-round use.
• Coolers are
used after your horse has exercised and will ‘wick’ moisture
away from his skin – similar to rapping yourself in a towel after
a bath! They can be put under a turnout rug or stable rug on cold days.
• Fleeces are
incredibly versatile and come in gorgeous colours and designs. Used
as a substitute to a Cooler they can also be worn as light stable rugs
or for travel and can be put under a Turnout rug or Stable rug for added
warmth; no Horse should be without one!
Some Horses / Ponies have extremely light shoulders which results in
some rugs slipping back across their backs. If you experience this problem
we suggest you either select a rug with a smaller neck or one with a
‘built in’ or ‘grown on’ high neck or raised
neckline for a better fit.
Performance
For safety reasons, rugs are not designed
to withstand extreme pressure. Hence, fabric will rip on sharp protrusions
and tear when trodden on, or if legs become entangled in straps, remember
if a rug gets caught on anything, be it a fence or on the horses own
legs, if the rug doesn’t give something else will.
Many people have complained that a rug should
be tougher, which would you prefer a ripped rug or maybe a horse with
a broken leg?
