Masta or Horseware?

[Showjumper]

I'm trying to think ahead for ease of budgeting...so please bear with me lol :)

I am planning on buying Dolly 2 lightweight turnouts, one neck cover, and a fleece under-rug for next winter. I'd rather double up than buy a range of weights, especially since she only really feels the cold when it's cold, windy and wet.

So here's the question: which rug do you think is better? Mastas or Horsewares?

[larri]

Well Safi has been very happy in her Masta - the one I bought after oodles of deliberation on here!

Well fitting, she hasn't trashed it yet (previous rug lasted 2 days:eek: ) totally waterproof....but it takes ages to dry. Now I don't know if that's just becaus of the fact it's a heavy weight, but it is a pain in the bum!

[larri]

Oh and the neck cover is fantastic - fits very well, no rubs - which as she has a long mane- I was worried about, and keeps her freer of mud than I thought possible!

[luv2jump2!!!]

I like Mastas but fern has a Loveson Treadstone and it is great, It has high neck cover and it is probs a m/w but coud pass as a heavy weight. Its lasted 2 weeks and fern walks right past(1cm away) from barbed wirey stuff!! its great and its reli her colour!! (burgundy!)

[Yann]

Rio has Mastas because they're not expensive and fit her quite well being a solid girl, but they do get heavy when damp as has been pointed out. Horseware rugs are generally a bit dearer as far as I can remember but dry more quickly and don't get heavy. They aren't cut for the chunky horse though so you'll need to go up at least one size to get the front to close on Dolly I suspect, and you only have the clips there, so no adjustment is possible.

I've actually ended up putting a lightweight Rhino with a chest extender over Rio's Mastas for the last couple of months as it keeps them cleaner and dry, so I'm possibly getting the best of both worlds at the moment:D

[Showjumper]

Thanks guys! Do you think a lightweight Masta would leak then if the heavier ones absorb so much water and get heavy? I'm not too fussed how much I have to pay this year as I'm hoping she won't grow any bigger so the rugs I'll get will hopefully last her a few years (all my rugs from the last 2 winters will be thrown away as soon as the weather becomes nice). I just want really good quality rugs that will fit well and not leak :)

[Gemma16]

I'm not really a massive fan of Masta, I find them heavy and they take ages to dry. Plus they don't really fit Taff very well ( too small in the chest and quite short mini skirt style:D )

I really really like the weatherbeta collection. I have an orcian and its the best rug I have ever bought. Extremerly light, dries quickly fits well and doesn't slip. Plus they are relatively cheap. Similar to Masta prices.

[G.Gracious]

Equinox are pretty good, i don't think you'll find them in many catalogues as they're still starting up. I got mine because i know the lady who designes the rugs. I'm not sure where you'd get them from :confused: They might have a website, if you search Google for 'equinox rugs' you might find something.

[HAYLEY GITTOES]

I have brought lods of Masta rugs for Molly, and they are brilliant, i never had a horsewear rug, so cannot comment, but Mollys next rug, will defintly be Masta.

[artemis]

I use mainly Shires rugs. One is in it's fourth winter.

[Esther.D]

We have Rambo heavyweights and Rhino lightweights and they have been brilliant. Even Rupert the serial rug destroyer is onto his second winter with an undamaged rug. They fit ours very well (ours are not all that broad chested, even Pablo is not as broad as you'd expect) and they have never slipped out of place once in two years. They get very hard wear as they are out on the moors in them 24 hours a day all winter and we have had no rubbing at all, no slipping and no rug destruction;) So horseware every time!

[Miss MoneyPenny]

Masta rugs every time!

Penny has all Masta rugs, two of the 170g and a heavyweight too. They fit perfectly and she has not destroyed them yet!

I have a neck rug too, and it has been brilliant - not damaging her beautiful tradtional mane, and I recently bought a horseware rug as a treat and found that it would not fit correctly, as Penny is a larger girl the sizing was to pot!

I'll never stray away from the Masta rugs, and I can echo what Larri and Yann have said!

[nat17]

Horseware for me everytime! I have had both but Mastas take along time to dry and rarly fry overnight in a big dry barn. I do however like them for the surcingle slots. ;)

[Volvic]

Masta definately. They're about half the price of Horseware rugs & they're brill quality & fit the horses well. Mastas do take a long time to dry if they are taken off the horse. As long as they are dry inside (which they will be unless you've had some shoddy repair work done where they haven't waterproofed it afterwards as we have) then you can leave them on the horse & the horse's body heat dries them out.

Lightweight Mastas dont leak & they are in a cool blue check pattern! :cool:

Showjumper - the only problem with buying lightweights is that they flatten the horse's coat so it cant regulate its temperature & they dont provide any warmth, so the horse can end up colder with a rug than without. I was going to get a lightweight Masta for Cloudy, but I eventually opted for the medium weight & I dont regret it - she's not clipped it keeps her dry & warm enough.

As the lightweight & mediumweight Mastas are around the same price, it might be a better idea to buy 1 of each + a lightweight neck cover and a fleece. It's only a suggestion though.

[Yann]

I've had no problems with my Mastas leaking at all - they do get heavy when wet but stay bone dry inside. Blue check is so last year though, my latest lightweight is a stylish lilac scribble:D

[Horseyheaven]

I brought a masta XL or XT silver heavyweight rug this winter (last october) and i'm not keen on it at all

for a start it rolls, and usually withen the first 5 minutes of Montana wearing it

I love the belly straps as they have a neat little caurd thingy..so if your lazy you dont have to cross them and get them twisted

but the only good thing really is the colour and the belly straps!!

the neck cover is akward to attach and rubs at the buckle points as well

i'm certainly not a fan i'm afraid

[Showjumper]

She only really needs rugs to keep the cold rain off her back - she was in a lightweight all this winter with no adverse effects :) Thanks everyone for your input! :)

[Bebe]

I hate Masta rugs with a vengeance I'm afraid.!

I spent a whole winter turning out 5 horses, 4 of which had Masta rugs. It was a very wet winter and every day without fail the masta rugs would be wet on the outside, damp on the inside and very heavy when I came to put them on in the morning. This is after they'd had about 14 hours to dry too.

They also seem to rip easily if you put them on a horse that doesn't take very good care of their clothes.

I hated them after about 2 weeks and vowed never to buy one!

I really like Kingshead rugs if you're looking for rugs on a budget. Bebe has 2 and both are 100% waterproof, dry quickly, don't get heavy when they're wet and are cut to fit larger builds of horses. Plus they have shoulder pleats which I like.

Otherwise, I'd go Horseware or Fal rugs every time. My Fal l/w rugs are as waterproof as my m/w and h/w ones. Masta l/w wouldn't cope with the downpours that my l/w Fals have. I do tend to buy them secondhand or in sales though as my budget doesn't quite stretch to brand new, full price ones.

[WhiteIceGem]

Masta every time.
Baby has a medium weight turnoutmasta, spike has a heavyweight turnoutmasta, and they've had them only this winter but they are great as they haven't ripped at all, or rubbed either of them. They keep the horses nice and warm and dry. Ours don't take that long to dry at all, horses are in most of the day, and the rugs are dry by the time they are turned out.
The only complaint i have about them is the neoprene keeper thingy for the cross surcingles, that isn't made very well, and i broke it after 2 weeks. Good idea though, just needs to be made in a different material.
Spike looks v. smart in his black rug, baby stands out a mile in hers, its purple! I'm sure she hates it really, its to girly for her, she's a typical chestnut mare!! :)

:p

[Volvic]

Yann - I didnt realise that they'd brought out a new range of colours - I can just imagine Cloudy strutting her stuff in the field wearing a gorgeous lilac rug! Tee hee hee:D ! Do they do any other colours?

Showjumper - I was in the same situation as you with only needing a lightweight for a pony that doesnt feel the cold easily, but in the end I opted for the m/w masta because I found out that all rugs flatten the horses coat so it cant regulate its own temperature very easily, so if you put a rug on that doesnt provide any warmth (i.e. a lightweight) then the horse can often be colder with a rug on than without.

As there isnt much difference in price between the l/w & the m/w Masta rugs, maybe you could go for 1 of each + a l/w neck cover & a fleece then you'd have the best of both worlds!

Can I just clear something up though. Loads of people have said that the Masta rugs are very heavy when wet & take ages to dry, which is true, if you take them off the horse. If you leave them on the horse, the horses's body heat will dry the rug out so it won't get damp on the inside. Therefore, they are probably better suited to horses who live out 24/7 & those who dont get a rug change when they come in.

[Showjumper]

Just been browsing the net a bit more and came across the Bucas range...does anyone have any experience of them? I have to say the Fals look lovely and warm!

[Rosanna]

Horseware are definitely better. masta don't do high-neck rugs and they rubbed ernie's withers and shoulders really badly. ernie's rambo has been brilliant, it even cleans his coat!

[Nookster]

Love Masta rugs :D

[Zingy]

Bucas are brilliant! They're really lightweight, really waterproof (though I've yet to test the lightweight one, the heavyweight was great in the worst weather over winter and it seems to be made of the same stuff). Can put them on a soggy horse cos they've got fleece lining, and if you go for the aluminium lined ones they reckon the lightweight one can be used in temps down to freezing (and I was talking about a clipped tbx). Very versatile and I don't buy Yog anything else now!

They're way better (in my opinion) than Masta or Horseware. My Masta leaks like a sieve so can only be used in the dry. Rambos are good (but overpriced I think), but as for Rhinos, I'd never touch another one with a bargepole. Fantastic at being weatherproof but they're not hawthorn hedge and barbed wire proof. Never seen a rug rip so easily.

Only downside I've found with the Bucas is the neck cover I've got isnt very good. It doesn't attach to the rug (comes with its own surcingle) and it fell off the first time I put it on. Think it was more an adjustment problem than anything else - I'd left it quite long and I think he stood on it and pulled it over his head :o Think the design has changed now though as that rug is a couple of years old.

[liz--y]

depends on youe horse,

my arab x has a horseware rugs as these fit her best around the chest because she is narrow. would be a waste of money of my TBXID he has a taka combo which he has wintered out in and it is brillant. i havent had to put his spare rug on once. this rug have been used two winters as i brought it second hand.
i have also found fal rugs really good.

not a fan with masta rugs, have had problems with them being waterproof.

[Chip]

I have to say Masta every time too. Have always used them. They never leak, fit well and stay in place. And of course they are a decent price. I do have one gripe though. The drip strip, the band across them near the bottom, they always seem to give out.
I have used the summer tournout masta all winter and have had no leakage problems and they are always worn 24/7 from October to April.

Besides,Horseware, Rambo etc always get stolen down here:mad:

[HairyCob]

Not a fan of Masta- rubbed HC raw within days, very heavy when wet, and gets damp on the inside!

Rhino much better, no rubs, totally waterproof and is still going strong despite two winters in a barbed wire fenced field with hawthorn 'shelter'!

I fully expect the Rhino to still be going strong in another two years- especially as the new yard has post and rail and no hawthorn!!!:D

[makebelieve]

I voted other...

I am a huge fan of WeatherBeetas. I think they look gorgeous and last a long time. All the ones at our barn (Schooling Horse Rugs...) are Shedrow/Tuffy (www.greenhawk.com makes them). Which aren't bad, but I find that they rip easily if the horse is a blanket-chewer.

Personally, I do not like the Masta rugs. I love the Horsewear, Rambo and Rhino rugs. If only they sold them here.

[nat17]

masta don't do high-neck rugs

They do, its called a flexi - neck, and you can get attachables to.

Masta
Turnoutmasta with Flexi-Neck

Fitted with an integral Flexi-Neck cover with a waterproof stretch insert for ease of movement. Double ripstop, waterproof and breathable 600 denier polyester fabric. Shoulder action gussets, rear darts, self-righting pattern with no back seam. Filled with 6oz/ 170g thermal insulating filling and lined with a natural cotton. Twin fully adjustable front buckles with velcro fastening strip. Rear leg straps, tail flap, drip strip and surcingle slots. Including new deeper neck design for freer movement. (Search Keywords: 'rugs, masta')

[diplomaticandtactful]

Horseware do not tend to fit cobs - too narrow.

I have two cobs in Masta. One has a lightweight turnout and neck cover, and two of the medium weight turnout with neckcover.

The other has the lightweight with neck cover and two of the flexi necks - though I prefer the medium wieght with separate neck cover.

This has got them through the winter fine. they can take a while to dry overnight which is why I have a spare, so they have one on and the other dries, etc.

With the shoulder pleat they are quite comfy.

The best rug I have ever had is the Tredstep high neck (no longer made) which is a wonderful rug - but too warm for the cobs unless clipped out. But I am hanging onto it as we are moving north.

I also have a Masta Regal high neck which i got for a TB and it is a lovely night rug but again too warm for the cobs.

I also have the Masta Fly rugs with neck covers for them.

I have tried Fal - don't fit them at all well, and find that Masta is quite generous on the front so they don't pull.

[RachelEvent]

I absolutely detest the masta lightweight turnout - haivng bought one because it looked nice, I soon found it was actually a bit ineffective....

1) The shoulder gussets don't really do anything useful, except alter the cut around the next so that any rain drips in the front and he has a very wet chest.

2) It's not because the rug is too big, as it is about an inch too short at the back.

3) It is very heavy - the masta lightweight turnout is the same weight as my horseware full neck turnout!

4) The rain leaks into the rug somehow and the whole of the inner lining becomes quite wet in a rainstorm - it then takes days to dry off.

5) The cross surcingles seem to come undone easily, there are lots of straps to do up (horsewares only three easy clips.. masta has 6 inc. buckles and slots to put the surcingles through, and leg straps which can rub.

EDIT: Also.. the masta rubs the big cob at our yard across the shoulders, and ferdie bites me when I put it on. I sound like a right moaner!! I also rather like the weather beeta ones!

I would personally go for a lightweight Rino - they look great, they work brilliantly, never leak, they are really lightweight, I totally beleive they are worth paying the extra for. As a horse I would much prefer to be wearing a light rug than a thin rug that is heavy and strapped all over the place. I have also seen Amigo rugs - it's like a cheaper division of horseware, they came in nice colours, and I had a look at one at badminton.. it was really nice.. only £42.99 as well I've attatched a picture, and www.rideaway.co.uk sell it :)

Rachel xx

[nat17]

Horseware do not tend to fit cobs - too narrow.


I totally disagree, I have a dales and a shire x cob that are both big and the Rambos and Rhinos are the best fitting rugs I have found for them. The Mastas fit Min (the dales) but is so heavy when wet and takes that long to dry they are the 'second' medium weights normally. Podge does not do mastas, not for the fuller figure he finds!! But his rhino and new rambo are spot on ;)

[Lenvale]

Message deleted

[aliw]

Definately Rhino!

[nat17]

Just to say that Masta have designed a new High neck turnout which is a copy of the Rambo Wug!! I dont normally buy Masta, normally a Horseware Fan but Minnie needs a new Spare so I have ordered it for her today.

I did buy the Horseware Amigos last winter but they have not lasted! The outer is not strong enough, they both ripped several times, and thats bad as Minnie has never ripped a rug in 3 years!!

[Coloured Horses]

Horse wear every time i think are made of better materials and are better shaped mastas always slip back and are too tight round the chest for mine they are made in nice colours bit its the fit and use i get out of a rug that bothers me who needs a baby blue rug anyway it only gets filthy and looks horrible

http://www.colouredhorsesuk.com

[No_Angel]

I find shires rugs the best. Masta turnouts rip too easily.
Both my horses that are with us have shires, my cob kills his rugs so his has my tbs hand-me-downs, still in good condition with rips down the front.

My section A who also kills her rugs, but shes worse than my cob has a saxon turnout, its cheap, and hers have rips all down the side of her body.

[Stella2]

Out of the two, I'd go with Horseware. I have only had one Masta, but I was very disapointed with the quality - it let water in and ripped far too easily! So I wouldn't have another.

I love Bucas and Fal and my mare's new wardrobe right down to the exercise sheet is entirely from their ranges. They are expensive, but the quality is so go that I think they would last longer than other makes, so in the end they won't cost more. I've just had to sell a full wardrobe from their ranges that has gone through a season - a couple of them went through two, and they literally came up from the wash in perfect condition, not a stain or a stitch required. The only reason they have been replaced is because they don't fit my new mare.

(Nat - I think Patsy's stick is faulty, everyone agrees that she is at least 17hh! I'm going to measure her, I'll let you know).

[Moomin]

Have you seen the Horseware Amigos? They're cheaper than the Mastas (rideaway!) and much much better. I have had three Mastas which were not at all waterproof in the past. They also take ages to dry - the record being a whole week after it rained for just 3 hours!!!! The Amigos dry in a couple of hours and are very durable. Moo has had Mastas - three last year and none of them are fit for another season as she has trashed them. The Amigo has stood up to all her terribleness all through a very wet summer!! Her Amigo is easily as good as her Rambo lightweight (which has that three strap business one of which she promptly removed!!!) just as breathable etc. I've just bought a RiffRaff rug from my local tack shop and that's brillian - really well designed and brillian price (£60 for med/heavy weight). Mark Todd rugs are another favourite of mine - really good for chunky monkeys. :D