Medium and heavyweight turnout rugs are available in a choice of styles, to suit all tastes and requirements. Weather conditions can change quickly in winter, and with them the needs of your horse.
Medium weight turnout rugs or heavier? Choosing the right rug for your horse
As you know from experience, covering your horse is not always easy. While it can get very cold at night, the winter sun can provide a lot of warmth during the day. Additionally, while the basic temperature inside the stable is likely to be pleasant, when your horse is standing in the winter wind in the paddock, things can become uncomfortably chilly.
Here it is important to choose a horse rug made with suitable materials and, above all, the correct lining for your winter rug, to keep your horse from getting too warm or too cold. You should also consider whether your horse should wear its winter rug in the day, both day and night or only in certain circumstances and choose the type of fastening accordingly, as well as additional features such as tail flaps or leg cords.
Turnout rugs come in a variety of weights, which range from 0 to 300 grams or more and provide different levels of warmth depending on the type of filling and the material of the rug itself.
Sizes, colours and features of Horze heavy turnout rugs
The choice of medium weight and heavyweight horse rugs is huge. From pony size up to 165 cm in length, you can cover any horse with us. Pleats, cross straps, double breast closures, tail straps, simple closures - you will find all variations and stylesin our heavyweight turnout rug collection. The materials also vary, with different fabrics offering different warmth ratings. For example, we offer wool turnout rugs for horses. In addition to products from Horze, we also offer rugs from other top brands such as Bucas and Eskadron, so you are sure to find the right winter rug for your horse.
The recommended filling weight for a winter turnout rug depends on various factors. Is your horse clipped? Is it old or sick? Is it stabled in a box or in an open stable? The usual minimum weight is a 200g winter turnout rug. Of course, there are more factors that affect the choice of rug, as different horses have different needs. A 200g winter rug is normally intended for a horse that is not clipped and is kept in a stall. If your horse has developed a very thick winter coat, it would need a thinner winter rug; if the horse is clipped, the filling of the rug needs to be thicker - for example 400g.
It is important that your horse neither sweats nor feels cold under the rug. In addition, the horse's winter turnout rug must fit properly and snugly. A winter rug that is too small will quickly cause chafing. If the rug is too big, there is a risk that it will slip and your horse will get trapped in the rug.
For a clipped horse you usually need more than one turnout rug. As soon as the outside temperature drops below 10°C, you should put a 200g winter rug on your clipped horse. If it gets cold quickly or is often exposed to wind, a 250g filling may be better. If the temperature drops below 5°C, a clipped horse needs a rug with at least 300g of filling.
Winter rugs with these thick fillings are often offered as thermal rugs for horses. When the temperatures rise again in spring, the rug filling should also become lighter again. However, if the outside temperatures climb above 10°C, you should not leave your horse without a rug overnight. An unlined horse rug is a good solution for the transitional period between seasons.
Deciding whether a horse needs a winter blanket is often a question of faith. Clipped, sick and old horses should obviously be covered. Some riders cover their horses relatively early in the year in the hope that they will then develop a lighter winter coat. Others are of the opinion that a healthy horse is sufficiently protected against the cold by its winter coat. This is true for many ponies and robust breeds from northern countries. Other horses are well protected against the cold by their winter coat, butin cold, windy weather, they will quickly become cold. If your horse is kept in an open stable or spends longer periods of time in a winter pasture or paddock , you should get it a medium or heavyweight turnout rug.
