How to choose a horse rug

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Why Buy a Rug

  • Horses need a rug to keep warm in winter.
  • Horses need a rug to keep dry in wet weather and mud.
  • Horses need rugs to protect them from the sun’s harmful rays, especially those with light-colored coats or skin (such as palominos, perlinos or buckskins).
  • Horses can be bitten by bugs such as horseflies and mosquitoes, which can cause skin irritation and bites that become infected if not cleaned properly. A good horse rug will protect against this.
  • An ideal shelter will also provide shade for your horse on hot days — especially important for animals living in hotter climates where there is less cloud cover during summer months!

Different Types of Rugs

  • Turnout Rugs: These are the type of horse rugs you see in fairgrounds and at competitions. They’re designed to keep your horse warm and dry while they’re out in the elements. They can have holes for the legs, or be full body.
  • Stable Rugs: These are made to keep your horse clean, comfortable and warm when they’re shut up in a stable or shelter over night or during the day. They usually do not come with holes for their feet, but some may come with waterproofing on their bellies to protect against wet floors if you don’t have an arena floor available.
  • Cooler Rugs: Made specifically for hot weather conditions (ie summer), these are thinner than turnout rugs in order to provide more airflow between skin and fabric so that your pet doesn’t get too hot under them! These should only be used as an alternative when temperatures exceed 25 degrees Celsius – anything above that may result in heat stress so please use caution when considering this option!
  • Fly & Insect Proof Rugs: The main purpose of fly proof blankets is obviously just that – keeping those pesky insects away from our beloved pets during warmer seasons where flies tend to swarm around looking for blood meals!! However there are also other types such as “Insect Shield” which repel mosquitoes by emitting vapour into the air which acts as a natural repellent against mosquitoes;

These work pretty well if installed correctly onto horses’ backs but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend these as replacements because they won’t provide any warmth whatsoever which could lead into problems later down

Factors to Consider

There are a few factors to consider when buying a horse rug:

  • How often will you be using the rug? If you’re only going to use it for one or two shows per year, then a $100+ saddle blanket might not be worth it. But if you want to use your horse rug as an everyday blanket and don’t mind spending more money, then go for it!
  • What is the weather like where you live? If your area sees extreme temperatures from winter through summer, look for something warm enough to last through all four seasons—even if that means buying multiple blankets. On the other hand, if your climate is mild most of the time but gets cold during winter months (like where I live), choose something with good insulation so that it can keep out drafts and keep in heat when necessary. You can also get breathable materials specifically designed with this kind of weather in mind!

Takeaway

Horses are susceptible to the weather and need a horse rug to help them stay dry and warm. It’s important to find the right horse rug for you and your horse, but there are a few things to keep in mind during your search.

Try not to get caught up in “keeping up with the Joneses” or getting a rug just because everyone else has one. The best way I have found is trying different brands until you find one that fits your needs and budget.

If you have any questions about selecting rugs for your horses, feel free to message me on Facebook or Instagram!

There are many types of rugs and it is important to consider factors like temperature, fit and weather before you choose.

There are many types of horse rugs available and every horse is different, so it is important to consider factors such as temperature, fit and weather before choosing a rug.

You should always choose a rug that fits your horse well. A too-small sized rug can cause rubbing on the withers or shoulders while a too-large sized rug will likely be loose fitting and allow heat loss through the flanks.

A good quality waterproof fabric such as wool or cotton would be ideal for keeping your horse dry in wet conditions but cool in hot ones.

If you live somewhere hot like Australia I would recommend buying yourself some breathable mesh fly sheets for your horses when they’re out grazing during the day time so they don’t overheat during those summer months!

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