Advice Centre

Understanding your Outdoor Rug

After receiving a number of queries regarding the size, make and fitting of rugs, Happy Horses Manager Sandy has devised an QA page answering the most common questions.

How do I ensure my rug will fit?

Fit is all important. Rugs are usually sized in three inch increments. The measurement refers to the distance from the centre of the chest of the horse around the body of the horse to the rear quarters where you expect the rug to finish. As horses of a given size vary so much in girth and berth, it is essential to take these measurements before purchasing your rug.

A rug will not stay in place if it fits badly and could slip or even be stained to breaking point.

Horse come in a variety of shapes and sizes. If a horse is exceptionally broad in the back it may be necessary to buy the next size up in relation to his height.  Alternatively it may be necessary to look at several different makes or styles. When trying the rug on the horses protect it by fitting over a summer sheet or something similar so that you can return it clean and suitable for re-sale.

What type of rug should I buy?

You need to ensure that the rugs is designed to suit your purpose.

There are so many different types of rugs on the market, manufactured to suit a variety of purposes and with a plethora of terms on the labels how can you be sure that you are buying a suitable rug for your purpose?

We have devised a glossary of terms that should give you an indication of what a particular purpose of rug was intended for but if you are ever uncertain ask your sales assistant for help.

New Zealand Rug - New Zealand is an older term usually referring to a canvas rug suitable for horses turned out in the field.

Turnout Rug - a generic term that you can encompass both New Zealand and or Paddock rugs. Check with your retailer if you are unsure.

Rip-stop - refers to the material and describes a way of modifying the wrap and weft of a fabric to enable it to contain rips and tears. Usually a manmade toughened fabric this does not mean that it is impossible to rip. It will not stop barbed wire tears but it should limit the damage it causes.

Waterproof/ Water Resistant - this refers to the outer fabric of the rug which will not allow water to pass from the outside to the horses skin. This will not include seams, fastenings and stitching however so you must be prepared to change a rug that has been subjected to heavy rain for a spare dry one and dry the original off.

Tear-proofing - All rugs should have a breaking point for your horses safety. It would be dangerous to the horse to have a rug so strong that it would not give way when the horse gets caught up or trapped in an obstacle. To protect your horse and its rug you should ensure that it cannot come into contact with barbed wire or sharp projections.

Breathable - this refers to the capability of the rug to allow sweat and moisture to pass from the horses skin to the outside.

Chest or Breast Straps - nearly every rug has either one or two of these fastenings across the chest of the horse.

Cross Surcingles - straps that cross underneath the belly of the horse and physically hold the rug in position. Rugs using this system do not normally need to be so deep.

Leg Straps - straps that are anchored both on the rear edge of the rug on the quarters and the main body of the rug sits just beyond the stifle. They also help keep the rug in position.

Taped Seams - this refers to a taping method used to cover the seams on the inside of the rug to provide a barrier to prevent water leaking through. Some modern rugs are seamless which reduces further the risk of leaks.

Polyfil - Measured in grammes - the higher the grammes the more fill there is per square meter and the warmer your horse will be.

Denier - Denier is the weight of the yarn in a given area of fabric. The higher the denier the tougher the fabric.