Starting my rug collection

Lkins

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Apr 18, 2017
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Hi Everyone,

I'm a relatively new horse owner (had my mare a little less than two months) and am looking for a bit of advice about starting my rug collection for the Autumn/Winter time. My mare is an ISH and is 16.1 in height and is quite a light build. My main question is how many different types of rugs do I need? She is at the moment fully clipped and will be in the winter time. Do I need a lightweight, medium and heavy turnout rug?

During the winter she will be turned out during the day and stabled at night so do I also need a stable rug? Also should I have a cooler as well?

Also would anyone have any idea on what her size might be? I've been told 6ft3 but she is quite a small build so I'm afraid this might be a bit too big!

Sorry for all the questions..I didn't realise rugs were such a vast topic!
 
Hello:D
It depends where you are and your weather. I used to need thicker rugs but since moving until around Dec / Jan only need a rain sheet or very lightweight turnout.
I have lots of stable rugs but never seem to use them! They are useful though if one of them is under the weather or we do get minus temps. I do like them to have a fleece too. As for sizes, I am not sure because different brands can vary (sorry, not very helpful lol)
I think it's good to have two turnout rugs for wetter months, as they can take an age to dry. Do you have access to a rug rack? I found at the back end of last winter mine were taking forever to dry so I'm geting a third lightweight for Zi (he's quite a softie and likes to be dry!)
 
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To measure rugs go from the center of the chest around to where the rug would end at the back, that's your size :)

It does depend on where you live and what facilities you have and also how much of a hot bod your girl is? for example if you live in a drier part of the UK and have a rug drying rack/room at your yard then having a stable rug to put them into is nice, and they can have a dry rug on in the morning, if you don't have that you can leave the wet rug on the horse overnight to dry so no need for a stable rug, or you might want to have a 2nd turnout in the same weight so you can change it out when it's been raining for 5 days straight ;)

I personally have my girl out 24/7, I have 2x 0g and I have 1x 100g and 1x 200g, she hardly wore the 200g on last winter in -15c and she is a fine skinned type, but she's a hot bod. I do also keep a stable rug for emergencies, it can be layered under a turnout if I need it and was nicer to send with her when she had to go in hospital. I do also have a couple of fleeces and fly rugs. My 2 mini's have rugs but rarely ever wear them, they are floofy enough :p
 
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Thanks for the replies! I'm in Ireland! It would get down to single digits in the day time during the winter and jan/feb time would be quite frosty/icy usually! There is a place at the livery to hang up rugs..although I'm not sure how much room there is for each person.

I think two medium turnouts and a stable rug to start off with then? If there is a freak day where it's bitter cold then I can just layer the stable rug under the turnout. If I find I'm doing this a lot I will get a heavy turnout as well.

I take it a fleeces would be an alternative to stable rugs?

Thanks for the tip about measuring her Jessey..I will try to measure her tonight and see if I want to risk ordering online!
 
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I bought Harvey a stable rug, but then found 2 things - he lies down in his stable so the rug the soaks up the wee and is always wet, and his outdoor rugs when wet on the outside when taken off are wet on the inside by the morning (the way the wicking fabrics work I think. So now he has his turnout rug on indoors and outdoors which I think is better for him as he stays dry (he still gets his rug taken off for a check) - it just gets put straight back on)
 
The old how many rug la do I need question lol

Logic will tell you one thing but the sales rack and new pretty designs will have you buying more than you need.

I don’t have a rug room and tbh wouldn’t use it if I did. My two come in at night in the winter if they are wet they keep that rug on overnight. In the morning the are dry and warm.

I x rain sheet
1 x 100g
1 x 200g
1 x heavy

All of mine have a neck. I use to buy one with one without and then realised that if the weather was bad enough to put a rug on it might as well have a neck on.

I do layer if needed with a stable rug.

It can take a bit if testing to work out if your horse is hot or cold. I like mine boys just warm as I want to encourage movement around the field a hot horse will not move.
 
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I have a 14.1hh and 14'3 and there in 6ft rugs. So I think you'll need bigger than 6'3 personally.

Is there anyone at the yard who has a horse of similar size or a rug that you could try on to help you gauge size.
When I first had my horse he came with 2 medium weight rugs. To be honest he got too hot, so I quickly bought a no fill rainsheet. You also have to decide if you buy a complete rug or ones with detachable neck pieces.
You are better to have a rug selection so that you can change the rug weight
rather than layering up. Sometimes the layers move underneath and slide back.
 
I think your idea of 2 medium weights and a stable rug is good, although if anything I would have it the other way round because stable rugs tend to need cleaning more than turnout rugs, which IMO are never the same after they've been cleaned, even if they're re-waterproofed. I have lots of rugs but I've only ever use the light weight and medium weight, except for during the winters of 2009/10 when it was really cold and snowy and the heavy weight came out. The light weight is for cooler and/or rainy autumn days, because my horse (an Arab with Cushings) is a bit of a wuss, plus he doesn't hold any extra weight.

Even stable rugs are a nightmare to pick, because you can get anything from very light weight to extremely heavy weight with/without neck etc. I'd recommend you look for a breathable one. I've got a couple made out of that shiny material with quilting - quite lightweight, but they made Raf sweat and I think it was just because it wasn't breathable material. I'd never put a fleece neck on him again either, because I found the fleece sticks to his mane hair and pulls it out - I was absolutely gutted when I took that particular rug off!

A cooler would be a good idea if you're planning on doing any work that makes your horse sweaty in winter, just to pop on until your horse is dry again. I find the waffle coolers as good as anything else for drying a sweaty horse, especially in a stable. If you're hunting and will need to dry a really tired and sweaty horse outside in freezing temperatures then a thicker cooler might be in order.

Fleeces are a godsend for me - they're cheap and can be layered under other rugs to add warmth, plus they can be washed and dried easily (I put mine in our normal washing machine, although it really isn't a good idea in case the hairs block the filter!)

I'm willing to bet you'll end up collecting more rugs than you ever intended!
 
My girl is 15.1 but long backed and wide through her chest and hips so is normally a 6'6", though 6'3" in some brands as they sit differently. My 15.1 Arab wore 5'9" or 6', so borrowing one to try is a good idea.

My most used rug is a no fill, it's all she needs apart from the coldest months when it's just above freezing in the day then I go to the 100g, 200g when it's not above freezing. I'm another who just likes them to be warm, not toasty when I feel under the rug.

I use a fleece as a cooler, they work as well as anything I've tried.
 
Thanks for the responses everyone! It is a bit of a minefield! I measured her tonight and got about about 6ft1 so I think she's either 6ft or 6ft3. I think I will buy my first rug in a tack shop here so I can exchange easily and then look into ordering online.

I'm thinking now I will get her a cooler, medium turnout and a light turnout to start as well as a stable rug. If I feel a second of any is necessary I will get it. I think I will leave getting her a heavy rug for the time being as it doesn't get really cold until Jan/Feb so I will just play it by ear and buy if necessary. I think I will also look for turnouts with neck pieces. I haven't had her for a winter yet so I've no idea if she's prone to losing weight or not. I'd prefer to be prepared going in anyway!

Any recommendations for good quality rugs that don't cost the earth appreciated! :)
 
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I would be thinking 6'3 /6'6 but all rugs come up different.
I used to find the weatherbeta fitted my tb well. I don't like fixed necks, that's personal choice though.

Mine was in at night and out during the day. I initially put on the light for day and medium for night. Both turnouts. By light it was 100g back then. She had just those two.
We initially had a summer sheet, god knows why! I think I just the liked the idea of using it! We didn't show so it wasn't as if she needed to stay clean.

However- fast forward I now have one that doesn't wear rugs, but I appear to have five just in cases.
The wicking cooler gets used more winter to dry off.
 
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I take it a fleeces would be an alternative to stable rugs?
No. Not unless you want to spend hours picking the bedding off the fleece. Everything sticks to it.
Some only do up at the front.

A fleece tends to be more for traveling, keeping the horse clean before shows etc.

The only difference Imo between a stable rug and a turnout, is one is waterproof and one isn't. So I never bought one.
 
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I've used fleeces as light stable rugs, yes everything sticks but I guess it depends how much that bothers you :p

I prefer rugs with necks generally, mostly because they do less damage to my girls mane, but her main rain sheet is a standard neck as its rarely cold enough to warrant a full neck when I'm using that (I do have one with a neck too but use it less)
 
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Best rug I've had so far is a Robinsons Requsite brand one. Storm has had it for years and it's in super condition still. Zi came with Horseware ones which look pretty good and he really got loads of use from them last winter. I have my eye on some Shires Highlanders for all three of them this winter - never had that brand of rug yet, but we shall see. They will all match of course:D
 
I forgot to add, I like weatherbeeta and amigo for Jess, the shape suits her, she can do requisite or masta at a push. Bo used to be best in shires or masta, the WB or Amigo would have drowned his scrawny front end. Its a bit of a trial and error game really.
 
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