Horse Rug Q&A
Q & A
This is your opportunity to share your knowledge and experiences.
Ask or answer a question, or simply let us know what type of horse rugs you use. Have you found a particular horse rug works better than another? Have you had trouble or been impressed with a particular horse rug or horse blanket retailer or brand?
Whatever you have to say, on equine rugs or horse blankets or anything else horse related we want to hear from you:
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey, great site…!
Anyone know (apart from price) what the difference is between Weatherbeeta Orican freestyle and original???!
Thx
CP
freestyle weaterbeeta has wrap around tail flap – much better than the standard tail flap, this grt if ur horse has pulled tail.
also shaped shoulder which means freestyle fits better, hlps stop rubbing and better movement – also there wither pad to stop to much pressure on ur horses wither. My horse def more comfortable and happier in freestyle – worth payin extra bit of money!
Hope this useful
Ax
I took my TB’s blanket off today and noticed she’s starting to lose a lot of hair around her shoulders; there’s already a small bald patch and the skin seems really sore. What’s happened? Can anyone help?
Kind Regards
Marc
Marc – thanks for your question. The most likely cause of this baldness and soreness is that the horse rug you have isn’t fitted properly. We’ll be telling you soon how to measure your horse properly so that you can get the right size horse rug. Get too small a horse rug and it will be too tight and restrict movement. Too large a horse rug and it will rub. Can I suggest that unless you really need to keep it on (e.g. there is a greater evil from horse flies) that you remove the horse rug until you have a suitable well fitted one.
As well as horses my other great love is cricket – though this Ashes are testing my relationship with the great game!
It occurs to me that if cricketer’s whites keep them cool, then surely a white horse rug can keep my horse cool on a hot day!?
Do you know if anyone has done any research on this! Or am I just a genius!!
Freddie!
Freddie a very good question and you’re as much a genius as you are modest!
This is something that Horse & Hound looked at earlier this year. They contacted leading horse rug manufacturers such as Premier Equine, Mark Todd rugs and WeatherBeeta and the general consensus seemed to be that although materials and design were very much at the forefront of horse rug design, the colour of horse rugs, though relevant, seemed to be more driven by customer demand.
I suspect you, like Pete Andre, may not have visited Katie Price Equestrian recently, but as you may expect all her horse rugs come like the Model-T Ford in one colour only – Pink!
Clearly Katie Price Equestrian chose the colour of their horse rugs to fit in with their brand image, however Premier Equine have a slightly more scientific approach. Just as white keeps cricketer’s cool, dark coloured horse rugs such as black and navy blue are perfect for absorbing heat; exactly what is needed in a winter turnout rug! WeatherBeeta take a similar approach with the design of their horse rugs. They tend to avoid dark colours for the spring and summer turnout horse rugs.
By contrast Mark Todd’s summer turnout horse rugs or fly sheets tend to come in light coloured mesh which can deflect harmful UV rays and heat.
Other manufacturers such as Masta and Bucas who produce the Power Turn Out horse rug have tried experimenting with metallic materials in the lining of the horse rug. Both Masta and Bucas suggest that the metallic threads in the lining of the horse rugs not only improve blood circulation but can also help regulate your horses body temperature by reflecting or retaining heat to provide the perfect temperature for your horse whatever the weather!