Horse Rugs - Which Horse Rug for your Conditions?

Wet weather or cool nights? To rug or not to rug? This guide will help you make those decisions to insure your horses comfort and good health. A guide to horse rugs and common terminology.

When To Rug?

When in doubt, you're usually better going lighter than heavier, because overheating tends to be the greater danger for horses. You can do this quick check:

• Your horse is probably too cold if he's shivering, seems unusually tense or stiff, has cold ears, or has hairs standing on end. They will huddle together in groups with other horses or turning their hindquarters into the prevailing wind.
• Your horse is probably too warm in his rug if he's sweating (check the rib cage, not just the shoulder) or seems unusually restless
  

When & Why should I rug my horse?
The answer to this question will be different for each horse. Consider the factors below when assessing your horses needs.

Your Horses Coat - Horses have an excellent built-in insulator - a thick winter hair coat. Most horses will grow a thick winter coat if left unrugged.

During cold weather, the horse's hair stands on end, which creates an airspace around the horse where it can trap heat, enabling it to stay warm. This insulation will fail when its wet or windy - the rain causing the hair to lie flat and the wind blowing away the warm air trapped in the upstanding hair.

Putting a rug on a hairy horse can reduce that insulating power by flattening the hairs. (And actually make him colder!) In other words, when a blanket with inadequate insulation is put on a horse during milder weather, it forces the hairs to lie flat, taking away the horse's natural insulation.

If your horse's winter coat is thin or if you want a short coat for showing, then a rug is necessary to make up for what's missing and prevent a thick coat from growing (for showing).

Weather - Horses with full winter coats can stay warm, without rugs, in temperatures well below zero. However it is important to consider other weather factors, such as humidity, wind chill, and rain.

When soaked, even a thick winter coat can lose its warming power, leaving your horse chilled to the skin. Similarly, stiff winds can lift the hair coat, allowing icy blasts to penetrate straight to the horse's skin. So, a horse that might be comfortable naked on a dry 20-degree day might appreciate a lightweight, waterproof cover if it's windy or wet, even at a more moderate temperature.

Remember that the notions of "warm" and "cool" are relative. A SE Qld horse accustomed to winter day temperatures around 19c to 21c will likely find 13c degrees chilly if he's suddenly relocated to a southern state. That horse might need a rug even when his stable mates, accustomed to the local weather, might not. Horses require between 10 and 21 days to acclimatize to colder temperatures. As an example, on the first day of 13c weather, the horse might feel cold, but over 10-21 days of similar weather, he will become aclimitised

Age and health- Foals and older horses have a harder time keeping themselves warm than an animal in his prime, so a rug might boost their comfort levels and help them stay healthy. Likewise, an ill horse will benefit from an extra coat while his immune defenses are low.

What type of rug should I use to keep my horse Warm or Cool ?

This really depends on the season. With such variations from season to season, and even day to night time temperatures in Australia, you will need to have a variety of rugs to insure your horse is comfortable.

Warmer Weather:

In the summer months, in the hotter states, many people opt for a cool fly mesh rug. Made from fine, yet strong, mesh it helps to keep annoying fly’s off you horse and allows the breeze to pass thru the rug. They should have a UV rating to lessen the harsh Australian sun. They are durable and versatile and are an ideal solution in Summer. They also don't absorb water - so dry quickly after rain.

Also very popular are the cotton/polyester Ripstop rugs. These are light weight and cool, they keep the sun off your horse – and will prevent your horse's coat from fading, and assist to keep it clean, which is important for showing. They are also light weight and will give your horse some insulation in the cool nights and insect protection. They are not waterproof , but dry out quickly.

Flag rugs are a very lightweight cotton and also very popular in the heat - they do have a downside - they are not strong and easily destroyed on the wrong horse.

For cold or wet weather a turnout rug is most appropriate. Generally the synthetic rugs are most suitable as they are light, 100% waterproof, and dry out easily. The downside is they do need to be removed when the weather clears in the warmer months as your horse can over heat in them once the sun comes out and humidity goes up. Unfortunately they are yet to invent a waterproof & cool rug! Kind of like trying to find a cool raincoat or Drizabone.

Cooler or Wet Weather:

Turnout rugs come in both lined and unlined versions. In both Canvas and Synthetics. Synthetics are very popular and many opt for an unlined turnout combo and then layer stable/cotton ripstop rugs underneath in the cooler weather to get the desired warmth.

Synthetic Turnout rugs typically come in three weights :

• Light (No fill) often called an Unlined Rain sheet - Important to select a rain sheet that has a can-can mesh lining - this stops the Outer Denier from sitting directly on the horses coat. This insures the rug can 'breath' better. These are very versatile and you can layer additional rugs underneath to get the desired warmth in the cooler months. They are always best used over a light cotton rug to help prevent condensation from horses body heat.
  
  
• Medium to Heavy (300grams of Poly Fill), ideal for Australian Winters in both the Northern & Southern states. You will see some manufactures make them a 200gram version. This is more for marketing than actual benefit. The rug generates its warmth by capturing the air pockets in the poly fill lining. 200grams of Poly fill has very little insulation effect and its not until you get to 250grams+ that you get enough body in the poly fill to make a difference. The other downside with a 200gr rug - is that the poly fill does flatten down - and after a few months you will be holding your rug in your hands and be contemplating buying another one. A 300gram rug should last you many seasons.
  
  
• Extra heavy (Over 300grams). Extreme Cold
  
  Canvas Rugs are also an option. They are very strong - but also very heavy - especially when wet. They are ideal in dryer climates, while Canvas is rain resistant, they will start to absorb water after a few hours of heavy rain and not suited to high rainfall areas. See more detailed information on Canvas rugs below.
  

What materials should I look for in a good winter rug, for both the outer shell and fill/lining?

Most turnout rugs have an outer shell of nylon, polyester, or polypropylene. Stable rugs are often made of cotton, cotton blends, or polar fleece.

With Waterproof Deniers, the strength (and thus durability) of a rug's outer layer is expressed in terms of its denier (a unit of measurement for the thickness of the thread/fabric used); the higher the denier number, the stronger the material. When comparing a 600Dnier and a 1200 denier rug - both will provide similar warmth/insulation - however the 1200 Denier will be stronger and more durable. For a horse that is out in the paddock, we recommend nothing less than 1200 denier for turnouts.

You'll also see a selection of linings; polycotton, nylon, and fleece-like wicking material are the most common. In our opinion a breathable Nylon is best - it wont hold perspiration or absorb moisture - and ultimately wont rot when stored away in the summer months

When selecting a rug, also consider whether it's waterproof (a must for turnout in wet weather) and breathable. (Please refer to our other guides for more detailed information on these ratings) Breathable rugs allow moisture near the horse's skin to pass through to the surface. Even on a cold day your horse will still perspire and you will get moisture under the rug -a breathable rug will help him stay at a comfortable temperature -and prevent chills- by allowing the sweat to escape into the air.

Common Rug Terminology:

Rip stop
Rip stop is a way of modifying the wrap & weft of a fabric to enable it to contain rips & tears. The design insures that a rip or tear will be contained to a smaller area than would otherwise be expected. It will not stop barbed wire tears, but will assist to contain them. You should look for a ripstop thread in all your horse rugs.

Rug Filling and Material
Rugs are available in different 'weights'. This refers to the amount of poly filling the rug has to provide insulation. 300gr is standard. See comment above regarding using lower weights of Poly fill.

Denier
Denier is a measure of the linear density, or weight per unit length, of a yarn-- essentially the higher the denier number the stronger the material commonly in 300D, 600D, 900D and 1200D the higher the number the stronger the material & more intended for outdoor usage. Denier is usually used when describing waterproof rugs. We recommend 1200Deniers. A 1200 denier rug will cost you around 15% more than a 600Denier - but you will get twice the life from it..

GSM - GSM refers to the weight of the fabric (Grams per square meter) 250 to 280GSM is standard for a polycotton rug. The higher the GSM the heavier/stronger the fabric is.


Rug Types

Combo Rug
Combo Rugs refer to rugs that combine both a neck rug and body rug. The neck rug is permanently attached.

Turnout or Synthetic Rugs – for where protection from the elements is required. This type of rug should always be clearly marked as being waterproof. Most rugs of this style are made from Nylon or Polyester. Modern coatings & treatments often allow this type of rug to be breathable as well as providing weather protection. This helps to keep your horse comfortable in changing conditions.

On this basis, for really cold weather, many people like to keep an under rug in reserve in the tack room. This would normally be made from a comfortable warm soft material which will help your horse maintain his body temperature. Turnouts are also available with linings for added warmth.

Polar Fleece Day and Cooler Rugs - Multi purpose
This style of rug covers a variety of uses such as traveling to shows and events or for drying off after exercise or being washed. Some people have separate rugs for each use. Travel rugs can be made from a fleece style fabrics. Cooler rugs are often made of a box weave material with holes which help your horse to dry out whilst still keeping warm.

Fly Sheet/Fly Rug
A Fly Sheet or Fly Rug is a lightweight fine mesh rug which offers protection from the harsh sun, allows the breeze to pass thru and keeps flies and insects away from your horse during the summer. We recommend purchasing a separate fly mask/veil for complete fly protection. Not all mesh is created equally. At Caribu we use a extra strong measure to stand up to the strains of itchy horses.

Summer Sheet or Ripstop Paddock Rugs
A summer sheet is generally a cotton or polyester blend rug that often incorporates ripstop. It’s a general all purpose rug that keeps the sun off your horses coat, prevents the coat from fading while helping to keep your horses coat clean and short. Often used year round an as under rugs in Winter.

Attached Hood Combos
A attached Hood combo usually refers to a one piece horse combo. It incorporates a standard horse rug with a full hood attached directly to the rug. This is often safer than using separate rugs and attaching separate hoods.

Flag Rugs
A very lightweight cotton rug - very cool, ideal in very hot climates - best used in stables or yards as the rugs are not strong.

Under Rugs
Under Rugs and Liners are often cotton or fleece rugs, and are used under a Turnout rug to provide extra warmth and protection from friction rubbing from the rug.

Rug Liners
Anti-Rub Liners, Shoulder Liners or Anti-Rub Vests are designed to worn underneath a rug to provide protection from friction rubbing. These are made from thin, stretch material and cover the chest, shoulder and withers which are areas prone to friction sores from rug wear.

Canvas Rugs:
Synthetic rugs have seen the demise of the canvas rug in recent years. Canvas is a stronger alternative but does have its short fallings in extra weight and poorer waterproofing compared to a synthetic.

Not all canvas is created equally and just because a rug is canvas - don't expect it to be waterproofed. The fabric construction and waterproofing process can vary greatly.

Canvas can range from a 100% cotton blend, which is cool and breathable, but not high in strength, to 100% Polyester which is very strong but also can be hot. A good balance is a 50/50 blend. You will see a huge range of Canvas rugs that fall between the two extremes and their performance will vary significantly. The type of weave and machine the fabric is manufactured on also plays a huge part in the success of the rugs ability to perform well in the waterproofing arena.

With Canvas, its important to understand how canvas has been waterproofed. Their are two different processes used to waterproof canvas. The good old fashioned Canvas that some of us remember from days of old is treated via an emersion process. In simple terms, the fabric is submerged in a waterproofing agent and the agent is forced deep into the fabric. This is the best process for treating canvas, as if the canvas is scraped or torn, water wont wick through the fabric. Canvas rugs treated this way can last for many seasons before needing to be reproofed. Unfortunately their are very few manufactures left in Australia that produce this high quality canvas and its not unusual to expect to pay well over $200 for a locally made rug in this material.

The alternative waterproofing process is where the fabric is simply sprayed with a wax coating. These rugs are at best only shower proof, and it's how the flood of cheap canvas rugs from overseas have been treated. We see many marketing them as 100% waterproof - you will be disappointed. The wax coating wont tolerate more than a heavy shower and the wax coating begins degrading extremely quickly when exposed to the elements.
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With exposure to heavy or prolonged periods of rain - you will need to remove canvas regularly and allow to dry out completely as it will absorb moisture over prolonged exposure to rain as well as condensation that will also form under the rugs over time. You can expect to get a little water thru the stitching in a canvas rug - especially the first time its exposed to rain - as the baric and stitching will need to swell to fill the needle holes.

We suggest for best performance that you apply a waterproofing treatment to your rug after the first 12mths to increase its life.