Choosing the best winter rug for your horse
Choosing the best winter rug for your horse:
Choosing a winter rug for your horse can be a bit confusing with so many options / sizes / styles on the market. Let’s break it down for you…
First of all decide what weather conditions you need the rug for:
Gauteng – Mildly cold and dry weather conditions
Cape – Cold and wet weather conditions
Other areas can be extremely cold and dry, or extremely cold and wet
Then decide what stabling conditions your horse falls under:
Are they living out?
Are they stabled in outdoor stables?
Are they stabled in an enclosed barn?
Obviously horses living out will need a warmer rug, outdoor stables a medium warm rug and an eclosed barn can be a lighter rug
Now that we’ve sorted that out let’s get to the rug choosing!
If your horse is exercising early in the morning or late in the afternoons and is sweating we recommend you start with a Sweat sheet.
A sweat sheets allows the sweat to dry off the horse’s body through the ventilated mesh fabric, while still keeping the muscles warm and relaxed.
It is also a good option to take to horse shows where your horse is standing around between classes
One step up from a sweat sheet is a Day sheet.
A day sheet is a light cotton sheet that is good for warmer days and for covering your horse during Horse Sickness periods at night and early mornings before it gets cold.
It is also a good option to take to a show. Cotton is breathable and your horse should not sweat underneath it.
If you are looking for something a bit warmer than a day sheet let’s look at a Polar fleece sheet.
This is used as a light stable / travel / paddock / under rug.
Up another tier on the warmth meter is a Windbreaker rug.
This rug has polar fleece on the inside and a heavy duty weatherproof material on the outside. Keeps the warmth in and the wind and light rain out.
Great for mildly cold weather conditions and light rain and wind
Next let’s look at our Duvet Rug
This is our best seller and most popular rug. It suits most weather and stable conditions
With a 250g inner this rug is warm enough for cold winter nights and days, as long as it isn’t raining.
If you are looking for a waterproof, warmer rug then the Turnout rug is for you.
This rug is 100% waterproof with no centre seam for water to creep through.
It has a 350g inner – so it is perfect for very cold temperatures, and wet weather conditions
All of these options are available in 125cm, 135cm, 145cm and 155cm.
As a general rule of thumb:
14-15 hands = 125cm / Small / Pony
15-16 hands = 135cm / Med / Cob
16-17 hands = 145cm / Large / Horse
17-18 hands = 155cm / XL / Big Horse
You can measure your horse from the start of the wither (where you want your rug to start) to the beginning of the tail (your horse needs to left his tail comfortably). This is the cm measurement referred to above.
If your horse is a mini or still a foal we have 2 options for you:
Foal / mini Rug - This rug has polar fleece on the inside and a heavy duty weatherproof material on the outside. Keeps the warmth in and the wind and light rain out.
Great for mildly cold weather conditions and light rain and wind
Foal / mini Duvet Rug - warm enough for cold winter nights and days, as long as it isn’t raining.
Foal/mini rugs available in 70cm, 80cm, 90cm, 100cm, 110cm
Please keep in mind if your horse is sweating under the rug you need a lighter one or you can choose to blanket them a bit later when the weather is cooler.
You can also use any rug, and cover them with a rain sheet if it starts raining. A rain sheet is very useful to take to shows if the weather looks a bit iffy.
If it's too warm for a turnout rug, and too cold for just a rain sheet then a polar fleece lined rain sheet will be a great option.
