In the last few days the temperatures have dramatically dropped with even a sleet shower in Galway City today! That means one thing....time for heavy weight outdoor rugs for our blessed steeds. At Highgrange Stable we are firm believers of our horses & ponies living out as much as possible. We are lucky enough to have enough land and shelter to do so. Even in the height of rain and snow we have been in a position to keep them out, big animals in a small space just aint healthy!
In order to leave them out we have a vast amount of rugs suited to each and every one of the horses. For example, Coco needs a rug made of steel as she loves to shred it to pieces and needs weight as she is clipped during the winter, Flirtini needs the warmest rug possible as she likes to feel sorry for herself even though she is a connie with a big coat and then we have Rosie who is constantly trying to pull a "Houdini" and strip off. With all that said it is fair to say we have tried and tested our fair share of rugs and here are my favourites....
Horseware Rhino Original Turnout - Rosie has this rug for the past 6 - 5 winters and it is like new. I can't praise this rug enough. Mary bought a batch together and they are still as good as new. We never "dry clean" our rugs as we think they loose their proofness and warmth and I think that is why these has lasted so long. If they are dirty a bit of elbow grease and a power hose works perfectly and saves money too. Rosie is a "bucker" with a rug on so she has really tested this rug. A few little alterations have been from her gig acting in the field but the weight and waterproof of the rug is still perfect. The main selling point on this rug is the tail guard which stops the rug from travelling up the horses hind during high winds. These rugs are the upper end of the price scale but reasonably priced in terms of Horseware's price ranges. These rugs are true to size so it is easy to select the right size. Definitely a good buy at €124.95 from thetackroom.ie
Premier Equine Winter Buster - Coco is sporting this rug at the moment. She is the greatest divil for ruining her rugs. She has succeeded to shred numerous Horseware rugs which is an achievement (she has more rugs bought than I have coats for myself). When Sandra and I were at the Olympia last Xmas I came across these rugs and took note knowing I will possibly need to recloth Coco shortly after she has her way with her current rug. So when I returned home I ordered the Winter Buster for her. When I am shopping for a rug the first thing I look at is the rip stop denier of the rug. This illustrates how strong the material is, this rug won me over with a brilliant weight of 1680 denier. It is really heavy with a 450g filling and a detachable hood. Coco is 15.1hh so I ordered the 6ft 3 rug, when it arrived it was HUGE...Jameson (17hh RID) ended up claiming that rug so I reordered a 5ft 9 and it was perfect so bear in mind these are very big fitting. Cinnamon (15.2hh RID) ordered the 6ft and it is swimming on her too. Coco is heading into her 2nd winter with this rug so fingers crossed it survives!! I added to hood on last weekend with the bad rain as she is freshly clipped (I am imagining heading to the field to see a hood on and no rug) These rugs are a little more expensive at £164.99 but keep an eye on their site for 20% off deals (every 2 - 3 weeks).
So there are my favorite picks for nice warm good quality rugs as we head into the coldest part of the year. So each time the wind and rain starts lashing down on top of the warm cosy office I don't feel so bad for the horses when I know they have one of the above rugs on. (We usually end up double rugging ours as Christmas draws closer....they are spoilt rotten). There is a whole argument on whether horses should live in or out but our horses love being out. When they come in for a feed/clip/riding and you rug them up to get ready to head out they are pushing down the doors so they must be happy to be out with all their buddies in the fresh air! Who likes being on their own in a room at home so why would the horse want to be in a stable all winter on their own? :)
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