Rugs

The most fundamental difference is whether a rug is for the stable or for turnout, essentially whether it's waterproof or not. 

Stable rugs are softer and so can't be used in the field. Turnout rugs have a tougher, waterproof outer shell, and although their name says they're for the field many are actually dual-purpose and so can also be used in the stable. 

Next is the cut of the rug:

• Standard - no neck
• Combo - built-in neck 
• Detachable neck
• Half-neck 

Then the denier, eg, 600D. Basically, the higher the number the stronger the fabric. The tougher the fabric the more expensive it's likely to be. 

Then the fill or weight of the rug, eg, 200g. This is how much insulation the rug has, so the higher the gram the warmer the rug. Rugs are often grouped into weight categories based on their fill:

• No fill - 0g 
• Lightweight - 0g to 100g
• Medium weight - 150g to 250g
• Heavyweight - 300g to 450g

There is another measurement, GSM, which stands for Gram per Square Metre. Essentially this is how much a metre of the fabric weighs, but this is somewhat of a red herring as a heavy GSM could actually be a medium weight rug , so don't worry about this and focus on the fill and the denier to get the right rug for your needs. 

The type of rug you'll need will depend on what you're using it for. 

Once you've decided whether you need a rug for turnout (and the stable) or just the stable, the next thing to consider is the temperature. 

Each horse is unique, and the weight of rug they will need will depend on factors such as their breed, age, shelter, clip, forage. So essentially you need to build your horse their very own temperature guide. Here's how to get started:

• Pick a weather site or app to track the temperature. While they can give varying forecasts, the important thing is that you stick to the same one so that you've got a consistent measurement. It's also worth noting some give a temperature, and a feels-like temperature - again pick a measurement and stick to it. And finally, temperatures will vary so consider how long it will sit at the lowest temperature, eg, if it's 5 degrees for the majority of the night and only drops to 1 degree for an hour you need to base your decision on a higher temperature. I also try to avoid putting a fresh, cold rug on when the temperatures are cold, and so will try to keep TJ's rug as consistent as possible overnight and into the next day, sometimes just taking the neck on or off etc. 

• Pick a rug temperature guide to help get you started. There are lots to choose from, such as Equus.  Use this is a rough guide, as you need to adapt this to your horse, eg, a cob is going to need a lot less help staying warm than a thoroughbred. 

• Check your horse's temperature. Feel how warm your horse is at their armpit (behind the top of their front leg), withers and base of their ear, they should be warm to the touch, but not hot. To ensure I get this right I rug, and then check TJ's temperature an hour later to make sure he he's settled into it, and can change it if he was too cold.
  Based on the temperature guide above TJ would be in a heavyweight when it drops under 5 degrees, but despite being a thoroughbred cross he's a pretty warm horse, and so I actually use his 200g turnout with a neck for anything between -1 and 5 degrees.
  It takes a little while to get used to your horse's needs, and until you do the best bet is to err on the side of them being too cold rather than too hot, so that they can increase their temperature by eating forage if they need to. See the British Horse Society for why it's important to get the right weight rug. 

• Once you've got your own rug guide, keep an eye on the variables.  You might need to adapt your plan, eg, if it's a wet and windy forecast you might want to go for a 100g fill rather than a no fill to help them keep dry. Depending on your yard set up, you may also decide to leave a wet turnout on for your horse's body heat to dry (just make sure the rug is dry on the inside though). And don't forget to update your guide as their clip grows out. 

As you'd expect, rugs come in many shapes and sizes. To make sure you've got the best fit, you need to check each brand's size guide, as they can vary quite a lot. For example, TJ's rugs range from 6'6 to 7 foot.

Horse and Hound magazine has a good guide on how to take your horse's measurements. Below are links to some of the rug makers' measurement guides. For those not listed there should be a size guide on the individual page for a rug.

• Buca
• Horseware (including Amigo, Rambo and Rhino)
• Premier Equine
• Shires
• Swish
• Weatherbeeta

We've covered the basics above, but there are lots of rugs for specific uses that you might want in your collection:

• Cooler - to  keep the horse warm while cooling down after exercise
• Exercise sheet - to keep the horse warm while you're riding 
• Fleece - a thin layer to keep a horse warm and clean 
• Fly - breathable rug to help protect from insects
• Liners - designed to clip under an outer rug to make them heavier weights
• Show/Travel - to keep a horse clean and warm when travelling
• Sweet-itch - to help horses who are prone to have allergic reactions to midge bites
• Walker - a cut-out shoulder shape to keep them warm and able to move fully while exercising

Everyone has their own preferences, but below are TJ's most-used rugs:

• Cooler
• Fleece
• No-fill turnout with detachable neck
• 100g turnout with detachable 0g and 100g necks
• 200g turnout with detachable 200g neck
• Exercise sheet
• Fly rug

He has spares: no-fill turnout, 100g turnout, fleece, and 200g combo stable that he arrived with. 

It's almost inevitable your rugs will need a bit of  TLC at some point, as they're put through a lot - whether that be the weather, other ponies or  brambles. 

The cheapest repair is obviously one you do yourself. For turnouts, there are repair kits such as Stormsure, which is available from places such as B&Q and the Range. Some rug brands offer their own repair kits, which include Stormsure glue. 

You can also usually find clips, straps , fasteners, rings and fillet strings etc for pretty low prices on plenty of sites, such as Ebay. A quick tip is to make sure you keep any of these parts from any rugs you're throwing away.

For trickier fixes, you might need a professional repair. Your local saddlery or feed shop will often have a rug wash and repair professional who they work with. Alternatively, many will come recommended on local Facebook horse and pony groups. It's always worth asking for a quote beforehand and being specific on exactly what you want repairing, for example you might want just the outer layer rip repaired. 

Rug manufacturers advise trying to keep rugs clean-as-you-go by wiping them down with a damp sponge, but at some point you might need to give it a more thorough wash. 

It's worth checking what the manufacturer recommends as the best way of doing this.  For example, Premier Equine  says to hand wash rugs at 30 degrees, using a non-bio detergent and let them dry naturally.  They say washing a turnout rug in a domestic machine might damage the waterproof membrane. 

Of course, not everyone has a large tub to wash their own rugs at home or wants to, and so alternatively you might want to find a local rug wash. Again, they'll likely be one linked to your local saddlery or feed shop, or recommended on your local horse and pony Facebook group. 

Usually for a wash it can range from around £7 to £12 and can take a week or two. 

Alongside washing some people also choose to re-proof their turnout rugs to renew their waterproofing. 

As always it's best to follow the manufacturer's instructions, but they don't always give specifics on re-proofing and so here's what  some of them say: 

• Bucas says to use their own rug conditioner to restore water-repellancy
• Horseware says after the waterproof guarantee of your rug has ended, you may want to use a professional service to reproof it. Alternatively, you can use a spray-on waterproof treatment to do it yourself.
• Premier Equine suggests a hand wash or professional wash.
• Weatherbeeta says if the water no longer ‘beads off’ the rug, this may suggest that it needs reproofing. It must be remembered however, that although re-proofing will help keep your rug waterproof, it isn’t a permanent waterproof coating.