10 Essential Facts About Horse Turnout Rugs

Turnout rugs are used to protect your horse and
come in many different colours, weights and
sizes. Here are ten essential facts to help you
get to grips with horse rugs:

1. Turnout rugs are designed to keep your horse
clean, dry and warm when turned out in the
field. Protecting your horse from the elements,
turnout rugs offer many welfare benefits to the
horse.

2. Turnout rugs are measured in feet and inches
in the UK. This measurement is taken from the
centre of the horse's chest in a straight line
along the horse's side to a point level with the
top of the horse's tail.

3. Rug sizes and cuts can vary depending on
which brand you purchase. Often you will find a
brand that suits your horse best, such as
Weatherbeeta horse rugs, Masta horse rugs or
Mark Todd rugs.

4. A rug with an integral attached neck is
called full neck or combo turnout rug. This
means that the rug extends to just behind the
horse's ears. Rugs which do not cover the neck,
instead finishing at the withers, are called
'standard neck' rugs. Most brands offer

5. The insulating filling of the rug is usually
called 'weight' and is measured in grams per
square metre. Turnout rugs are available in
lightweight (no fill to 110g of filling),
mediumweight (120g-250g) and heavyweight (over
250g of filling, sometimes up to over 400g).

6. Turnout rugs ideally need to be breathable as
well as waterproof. Advances in material
technology now allow for rugs which can keep
your horse dry from the outside and yet allow
sweat and moisture to escape from the inside,
ensuring maximum levels of comfort for your
horse.

7. The Denier of the rug refers to the strength
of the outer fabric of the rug; the higher the
Denier, the stronger the rug. Turnout rugs
usually have a Denier of between 600 and 1800.

8. When rugs are described as being ripstop,
this does not mean that they cannot rip! Ripstop
fabric is especially designed to help prevent
small rips from extending into large tears, by
altering the weave of the fabric. However if
placed under enough pressure the rug will rip as
a safety mechanism to protect your horse from
becoming stuck or injured.

9. Turnout rug attachments need to be correctly
adjusted in order to ensure that the rug remains
securely in place. All rugs will feature at least
one, usually two, chest attachments, usually a
strap and buckle or clip. Cross surcingles are
straps that pass under the horse's belly and
fasten on the near (left hand) side of the
horse. Finally rugs will feature either leg
straps and/or a filet string, which passes
underneath the horse's tail, to keep the rear of
the rug in place.

10. It is always best to invest in at least two
turnout rugs to last you through a winter. This
enables you to leave one rug to dry after wet
weather whilst still having another to protect
your horse from the elements.

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A wide range of turnout rugs are available at
great prices from
http://www.equestrianclearance.com/products/horse_wear/rugs/index.html

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