Horse Rugs
Horse rugs are by far the best way to keep your horse warm and protected from wind and other outdoor elements. Rugs are tailored to fit a horse’s body from chest to rump, with straps crossing underneath to secure the rug in place while allowing the horse to move around freely. Most horse rugs have one or two straps that buckle in front, but some rugs are designed to be sliped over a horses head, some are designed with straps that lightly loop around a horses hind legs to prevent the rug from slipping sideways.
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Horse Rugs Provide Protection
Standard horse rugs are commonly kept on the horses body while it is loose in it stall or pasture as well as when travelling. Different weights are manufactured for different weather conditions and some are water resistant or even water proof. Modern materials similar to those used in human outdoors wear are commonly used in horse rug manufacture.
Horse rugs are sometimes used to keep the horses hair short. As if horses are rugged at beginning of autumn and kept in lighted area for 16 hours a day, they do not grow a winter coat. Horse rugs also protect horses who are kept with a short, clipped hair coat for show purposes. When a horse is given a full body clip or even partial trace clip, it needs to be covered with a horse rug if the weather is cool because the horse no longer has its natural insulation of a linger hair coat. If the rug is put on a horse at beginning of the winter in order to suppress growth of a winter coat or if the horse is kept clipped in cold weather, the rug cannot be taken off until warmer weather arrives, as the horse could become vulnerable to sickness such as influenza.
Although heavy horse rugs for warmth make up the bulk of the horse rug market, lightweight rug may be used in the summer to help the animal ward off flies and to prevent the hair coat from bleaching out. Such rugs are usually called a "sheet" or a "fly sheet." They are usually made of some type of nylon or strong synthetic fiber, but with the capacity to "breathe" so that the animal remains cool. Most have a smooth nylon lining in front to prevent hair from wearing off on the shoulders. They are becoming increasingly popular.
Any rug may be supplemented with a neck cover or a full hood. Neck covers are often attached directly to the rug. Hoods are a separate piece of horse "clothing," which cover the neck and come down the head to just above the muzzle of the horse, with holes cut for the eyes and ears. Summer weight hoods and neck covers help keep away insects and are also frequently used to keep a horse clean prior to a horse show. Winter weight hoods are used for warmth.
June Horse Rug Of The Month
Amigo Turnout 600d Lite Horse Rug
Amigo Turnout 600d Lite is a super quality light weight turnout rug great fo all year use. The Amigo summer turnout rug is waterproof and breathable, has 600 Denier polyester outer, is polyester lined with a patented Front Leg Arch. 600 Denier Polyester Outer, Waterproof and Breathable, Nylon Lined, No Fill, Front Leg Arch, Classic Original Cut.
From the 1st June only £44.95, was £49.95. SAVE £5.
Buy Amigo Turnout 600d Lite Horse Rug
Popular Horse Rugs
Masta Zing Turnout Rug
Superb value 600 denier polyester checked fabric, waterproof and breathable turnout rug. Shoulder gussets, rear darts, self-righting pattern with no back seam. Lined with soft polyester fabric and no filling. Ideal for warmer weather. Twin fully adjustable front buckles with hook & loop fastening strip, rear leg straps and tail flap.
Buy Masta Zing Turnout Rug
Zing Lightweight Fixed Neck Horse Rug
The Zing lightwieght full neck rug is an ideal rug for spring/summer/autumn as it has no insulating filling. The outer of this Masta zing turnout rug is made from 600 denier waterproof/breathable ripstop polyester, and features rear leg straps, shoulder gussets, twin front adjustable buckles and tail flap.
The Zing lightweight full neck turnout rug features.
Buy Zing Lightweight Fixed Neck Horse Rug
Rhino Wug Turnout Medium Weight
This new variation of the Rhino Wug Medium brings more color to an old favorite. Horseware's new Rhino turnouts are based on their innovative, 3 core technology - comfort on the inside with a thermal and absorbant layer - technology in the middle with Horseware's unique Barrier Technology making it waterproof and breathable - and toughness on the outside, featuring a 1000 denier polypropylene outer shell. The new and improved Rhino Wug has patented leg Arches™ and Horseware's award-winning high cut neck design with their patented ‘V’ front closure system.
Buy Rhino Wug Turnout Medium Weight
Saddle rugs
A horse rug or pad used under a saddle when a horse is being ridden is called by many names, including a saddle rug, saddle cloth, numnah, and saddle pad. They usually do not cover the horse's entire body, though a hybrid design that is a cross between a saddle rug and a horse rug, called a quarter sheet, is a rug placed under the saddle but which covers the horse from shoulder to hip while riding. Quarter sheets are sometimes used in cold weather to keep a horse's muscles loosened up when warming up for competition, or on horses that may have to stand around when under saddle and run the risk of stiffening up if their muscles get chilled.
Other designs
A cooler or a mantle, is a large, nearly square rug with ties that is draped over a horse that is hot and sweaty from an intense workout, or one that has just been bathed and is wet all over. It is commonly made of wool or synthetic fleece, though a few designs are made of woven cotton. It is worn as the horse is being walked to cool down and allows enough air circulation for the horse to dry, but slows the rate of drying to prevent the horse from becoming hypothermic. It is designed so it can be tied shut in front, most designs have a small browband which can be used to keep it positioned well up on the neck, and it may have a loose cord that goes beneath the tail to prevent the wind from blowing it off from the rear, but usually it has no other straps or attachments. It is intended to be used on a horse while the animal is being led or held by a person and not left on an unattended horse. In windy weather, a loose surcingle may be added to prevent the cooler from blowing completely off.
A traditionally-shaped horse rug of loosely crocheted cotton, called an anti-sweat sheet, is used to absorb moisture. Often used alone to wick moisture from the surface of the horse, if placed under a cooler, it is removed when it becomes wet.
A barrier rug is sometimes used in Australian Thoroughbred racing. This rug weighs about 40 kilograms and is placed over the horse prior to entering the starting stalls. It is then tied to the back of the stalls after the horse has been loaded and remains in the barrier as the horse jumps. Quite a few horses respond positively to it and are more easily loaded and are calmer in the stalls.
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