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Horse Turnout Rugs, or Horse Blankets as they’re often called, are an essential piece of equine turnout gear. It’s not enough for your horse to be dry when turned out; it is equally necessary for them to be warm and comfortable to maintain a healthy coat and hoof condition.
There are a variety of Horse Yarn Rugs available, from smaller lightweight cotton Turnout Rug Sale that can be easily carried by hand or placed on the ground to heavyweight polyester rugs with thick fleece lining and full coverage neck protection.
Horse Turnout Rugs: How To Choose The Right One For Your Horse?
Horse Turnout Rugs must be sized and fitted correctly to allow the horse to move freely without the Rug riding up, yet be snug enough to stay in place during regular activity. This can be one of the most challenging parts of ensuring that your horse is wearing a suitable Horse Blanket. Many horses will have different requirements based on the weather conditions and time of year.
A Horse Blanket that is too small or too short will restrict movement, while a Horse Rug that is too large will often ride up and expose your horse’s back, which leaves them vulnerable to chilling in cooler weather.
Necessary type of Horse Turnout Rugs
1. Indoor Use: Stable Rugs
These are generally made of a lighter material and are designed to be used only in the stable. The material is often cotton, the weight ranges typically from 300gm to 400gm, and they range in length from approximately 60cm to 90cm. They are ideal for use under fly rugs. However, they can use either over or under-turnout blankets if you want a snug fit on a giant horse.
2. Turnout Rugs
Turnout rugs, also known as horse blankets, fulfil the specific purpose of keeping horses at home or out in yards during cold weather. These heavier rugs will generally have more coverage to keep your horse warm and dry during cold spells.
3. Protective Turnout Rugs
These are designed to protect from the cold and wind during winter. They offer great warmth and can keep your horse warm during those cold winter nights when there isn’t enough natural heat from the sun or your stable block to provide adequate protection. They are made of thicker, heavy-duty wool such as Bionic Wool insulation with a waterproof outer covering.
4. Pest Control: Fly Sheets
These are designed to protect your horse from the cold and from biting insects such as bees, moths, and flies. Fly sheets are usually made of mesh and are designed to be worn around the horse’s front, back, or front legs to prevent biting insects from getting their claws into the horse.
How To Maintain and Clean Horse Turnout Rugs?
Once you have a suitable Lightweight Turnout Rug on your horse, you’ll want to regularly clean your Horse Blanket to remove dirt and oils that build up over time. Horse Blankets are usually machine washable as they can be laundered at home. Use regular detergent and machine, or spot clean if necessary without stretching the wool.
Hang the horse blanket out of direct sunlight, and use a press and iron to remove creases. At the same time, it is still damp and lays flat to dry, avoiding WARM ironing temperatures, which will cause the melting of any waterproof material. For daily use, place in a warm, dry area or on a drying rack in the sun, also worn damp.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, Horse Turnout Rugs are essential pieces of equine turnout gear. It’s not enough for your horse to be dry when turned out; it is equally necessary for them to be warm and comfortable to maintain a healthy coat and hoof condition. Therefore, besides the wide variety of Horse Yarn Rugs available, you should choose a suitable Horse Blanket based on what you need.
