Turnout Rugs

[Rachel C.]

Hi!

As some of you may have heard, I'm hopefully getting a horse, arriving on monday. I've started to look at turnout and stable rugs, and I was wondering what people reccomend. Because he is a grey I was wondering about a full-neck rug to keep him cleaner? What are people's faveourite turnouts, and what are your views on full necj rugs, do they ever annoy the horses?

Thanks,

Rachel

[HAYLEY GITTOES]

I recommend the Weatherbeater rugs, as all the ones i've had have always been waterproof, and i've had one for 4 years and i've never had to re-water poof it, it also fits my horse really well.

Last January i got a Typhoon, and that is rubbish it is not waterproof and it dosn't fit the horse very well either.

For a stable rug i would rccomend the Thermtax rugs as i wouldn't live with out mine, as you can use them in the summer for sweat rugs, travelling rugs and a stable rug.

Good luck

Hayley

Emial me at:

Hayley@gittoes1985.fsnet.co.uk



:)

[K&K]

my horse has a waterproof winter blanket for, obviously, the winter months, a rainsheet for those classic 'wet' coast of canada spring days, and a turnout sheet for after i give her a bath, so she won't manure stain her beautiful white bits! she's a black & white pinto.

[sweetbriar]

I have a little grey pony who loves dirt!

I have 2 Weatherbeeta Outlander rugs, a summer & winter version, and they are brilliant. I would highly recommend them.

I'm not sure about neck covers on rugs. In all honesty I'm not very keen on them.

Hayley G - I agree about the Shires rugs. One of the ponies on the yard has had two now. Every year they end up in shreds. I have had to rescue her twice now as the rug ripped at the back and the leg attachments were dropping around her ankles. They are not very good at all.

[Alison+Rio]

I have loads of different makes.
1*Wug Plus - Heavy weight
1*Kingshead Hi-Fit - Heavy weight
1*Masta - Medium weight
1*Fal Bulldog - lightweight
1*Weatherbeeta - lightweight

I love the hig neck rugs. I have a Dutch Warmblood who is the biggest wimp ever known! The rugs keep the wet muck and rain off him so he stays lovely and warm! I like the wug plus and it has lasted well. I must admit i love the kingshead but he hasnt worn it yet so i dont know how well it will stand up to turnout use! The masta is fab! i will be buying him another masta soon! they are tuff and look good!

stable rugs
1*Shires stormbreaker - Heavy weight
1*masta basic - Medium weight
1*07000 equestrian rug - Light weight

The shires is good and very warm but last winter he managed to rip the hind quarters quite badly. I love any masta rug and so as usual i am happy with the rug! the lightweight 07000 rug was cheap and is only used in spring/autumn! its nice and has kept in good condition!

Other rugs
1*Fleece cooler
1*Nag Rags travel
1*Mesh Anti-Sweat

My horse would never be without a fullneck in winter! they are warm and keep him clean! the wug plus neck piece has no linning and so doesnt keep him very warm. the kingshead however is fully padded! It never annoys my horse and is easy to fasten! good luck with your decision! He never ever gets rubbed by the neck extensions either. He has a lovely mane.

If you look on the internet then you can find good quality rugs at cheaper prices than shops! especially if you look in the clearance sections! my fave site is www.equestrianclearance.co.uk

[CarolineR]

Summer Rugs - although only used in Spring & Autumn - no rugs used in the summer at all, too hot for our boys.

Masta Summer TurnOut for both
Weatherbeeta Stable Rugs
Weatherbeeta Fleece coolers used to dry off after bath time and sharp rain showers

Fly Sheet for the TB only - Mark Todd. I know of a grey that was plagued badly by flies but do not know if this is typical for greys. The Cob doesn't need one as he's too thick skinned.

Winter Rugs
Weatherbeeta Rocky Mountain High for both
Rhino Stable for the TB to keep him extra warm
Weatherbeeta Stable for the cob

Another aspect to take into account is the build of your horse, as some are better than other. For example Fal rugs are very good for deep shoulder and necked horses, whilst a Rhino rug will not fit my cob well at all, but is perfect for the TB.

Also will the horse be clipped over winter will determine what level of warmth your horse will need, as an over hot horse is worse than a slightly cool horse.

Its a good time to buy Winter Rugs now as there are some good bargins around at the moment as the season has ended and a lot of stock is at sale prices.

You will probably not need any summer rug now for a while as the weather is much warmer now, so you may wish to consider getting a good fly sheet and a cooler only for now and see how you go. Also it may be worth waiting as you need to get used to the shape of the horse and therefore the best rugs, so don't buy anything until you get him.

[Bebe]

I'm not keen on neck covers or rugs with them built in, mainly because every horse I've known that wears one has had their mane rubbed to some degree. I imagine they're useful on clipped horses that feel the cold though.

My mare is a wide but not heavy build, 15.3hh. She has:

Winter
Rhinegold Konig mediumweight. Haven't used this yet but have been told it's very warm and waterproof.
Rhino turnout mediumweight. Absolutely love this rug, stays waterproof through anything, keeps her warm without being too hot and never slips.
Rhino lite. She's wearing this at nights at the moment and during the day if we get a lot of rain. Absolutely love this one too.

Summer
Kingshead Protecta. This is a new addition (actually hasn't arrived yet) and is only because flies plague her to death. I used the lower model Kingshead last year and liked it but could only get it in a 6'3" and really needed a size up.

Have an Aerborn anti-fly rug but the neck cover annoys her so it's up for sale. Also used a Rambo Flybuster last year and we both hated it.

I don't have any summer sheets, can't see the point for my horse.

I do have 3 coolers, one nagrags which is good for when she's only slightly sweaty. Also have the Shires multi-purpose polar fleece which is fantastic, can't fault it and a Rhinegold box weave cooler. I use both as sweat sheets and also as night-rugs (my horse wasn't clipped last winter so didn't need a stable rug as such).

Amanda

[Lucy J]

I like nylon lined rugs and I go between weatherbeeta and Fal, Fal is my favourite but I can't afford all the ones I want!