Horse turnout rugs are designed especially for the horse or pony that spends time in the fields. The turnout rug will keep your horse not only dry and clean, but depending on the type of turnout rug may also, depending on the materials used, colour, amount of filling used in the turnout rug be used to keep the horse warm during the winter months. The modern turnout rug is fabricated from sturdy materials such as “ripstop” nylon or polyester
The amount of filing in a horse turnout rug will vary. You will generally find three kinds of turnout rug on the market.
A lightweight summer turnout rug will have little or no filling. A lightweight winter turnout rug will by contrast have up to 150 grams of filling with the medium winter turnout rug having up to 300 grams and a heavyweight winter horse turnout rug having over 300 grams.
In order to find just the right amount of protection for your horse you can add extra layers under the turnout rug. A horse blankets placed under lightweight winter or medium weight winter turnout rug may give the equivalent protection of a heavyweight winter rug. This way and for a fraction of the price you may avoid the need to buy a winter heavyweight turnout rug.
As with any horse rug it is important to ensure that you measure your horse correctly and buy the right horse rug. You should ensure that the horse turnout rug is not too tight around the neck and chest area to avoid restricting your horses movement, but too lose and it may causing rubbing on the horses whithers, shoulders and neck. We have also found that lightweight turnout rugs tend to cause less rubbing than the heavier and bulkier New Zealand horse rugs. If a New Zealand rug is your preferred option then do consider purchasing one with a padded fleece area or lining to prevent such rubbing occurring or use a shoulder liner. Another advantage of the modern horse turnout rug is that unlike a more traditional New Zealand rug which is traditionally made from canvas or waxed cotton, it retains its waterproofing without the need for regular treatments to re-waterproof it.
As with any horse rug it is important to ensure that the rug gives your horse the maximum protection. Just like with the fly sheet rug, to ensure the best protection against the elements you should ensure that as much of your horse is covered. Do make sure that none of your horse’s underside is visible and the front of your horse rug should have plenty of overlap.
Again as with the horse fly sheet you will find that some turnout rugs come with the neck cover built into the design. These combo designs are great and save the need to buy a separate neck cover, though some owners may prefer the flexibility of being able to attach or remove the neck cover as and when required.
There are several very reputable manufacturers of turnout rugs including Masta, WeatherBeeta, Mark Todd, Saxon, FAL Pro, Neon, Sirocco, Funnell and Rambo.
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