Blog · cold · Equestrian · Heavyweight · Horse · Horse Health · Lightweight · Mediumweight · Millbry Hill · Millbry Hill the Country Store · Riding · Rugs · snow · Stable · tack room · Turnout · weather · winter ·Jan 21, 2022

Unsure on what rug your horse needs this winter? We have it covered!

This time of year is always confusing for us equestrians...what rug to put on the horse today?! Constantly checking the weather forecast to see if it's going to be mild or absolutely baltic, feeling your horse under the rug to see if they are too hot...the struggle is real.

We thought it would be handy to list some of our key tips and information on everything rugging from turnout to stable to try and eliminate some of the stress for you and keep it as simple as possible. Let's get started!

The first things to consider when choosing which rug is best are;

Does your horse have access to forage? Remember, eating is heating!
Feeding schedule - how often do you feed your horse throughout the colder months?
Horse's body condition (fat score)/weight - chunky horses will need a lighter rug and thinner horses will need and warmer rug
Is your horse clipped? Clipping horses prevents them from regulating their body temperature as well after you have removed their coat
Age - older horses will feel the cold more
Weather - is it just cold or wet and windy too? The wind chill factor can really make a difference!
Access to a shelter or a stable - they will be able to hide from the elements and stay dry and warmer from the cold
Level of work - fitter horses will feel the cold more as they have less body fat

The next step is to look at the weights of the rugs available. Rugs always tend to fall into three categories - lightweight, mediumweight and heavyweight. Here is a breakdown of what the 'fill' is classed as;

Lightweight - 0g, 50g and 100g
Mediumweight - 150g, 200g and 250g
Heavyweight - 300g and upwards

We've found a table that's an excellent reference to work off. You could even print it off and pop it in your tack room as a guide, its been created by BETA (British Equestrian Trade Association).

Temperature	Stabled/ Clipped	Stabled/Unclipped	Turned out/ Unclipped	Turned out/ Clipped
15 degrees +	Zero fill	Nothing	Nothing	Nothing
10 to 15 degrees	Light weight (100g) or zero fill	Nothing or zero fill	Nothing	Nothing or light weight (100g) or zero fill if wet & windy
5 to 10 degrees	Medium weight (250g)	Light weight (150g)	Nothing or light weight (100g)	Light weight (150g) plus neck cover
Zero to 4 degrees	Heavy weight (300g)	Medium weight (200g)	Nothing or light/ medium weight (150-250g)	Medium weight (200g) with neck cover degrees
-10 to zero	Heavy weight (300-400g) with neck cover	Medium weight (200-300g) with liner	Light or medium weight (150- 300g) with neck cover	Heavy weight (300-400g) with neck cover plus liner
-10 degrees or less	Heavyweight (300-500g) with neck cover plus liner	Medium or heavy weight (300-400g) with neck cover	Heavy weight (300-500g) with neck cover	Heavy weight (300-500g) plus liner and/or under blanket and hood

Let's take a look at some of our favourite turnout and stable rugs from our extensive collection.

First up is the Lightweight Turnout and Stable Rugs.

A staple piece in every horse's wardrobe has to be a good quality lightweight turnout rug. For this, we look to Weatherbeeta for their ever-popular Weatherbeeta ComFiTec Classic 0g Lite Turnout rug. Made from a strong 600 denier fabric that is both waterproof and breathable, it's perfect for fending off spring and autumn showers. It has all of the features that a good rug should have and it even comes with a 3 year Weatherbeeta manufacturer's warranty. This rug will stand the test of time.

For our top lightweight stable rug, we've chosen another Weatherbeeta rug. It's the Weatherbeeta ComFiTec 210D Channel Quilt 110g Lite Standard Stable Rug.It's a great value, simple rug that offers excellent warmth
and comfort. It's made from a robust 210 denier material and has all of the traditional fixtures and fittings you would expect on a Weatherbeeta rug.

Next up are the Mediumweight Turnout and Stable Rugs

The Weatherbeeta ComFiTec Essential Combo Neck Medium turnout rug is our top pick for a mediumweight. Crafted from a super tough 1200 denier material, it's perfect for those horses that can be a bit destructive. Available in different colours each year, It also has 220 grams of warm polyfill, taped seams, shoulder gussets and a fixed neck. Providing exceptional warmth and performance for a great price!

The LeMieux Arika Stable-Tek 200g Stable Rug is our choice of stable rug for the colder months. It's a great addition to the LeMieux collection and honestly, the quality and design of this rug live up to the brand's exceptional quality....it's fantastic! It oozes style, quality, warmth and comfort. The price is amazing too for a top-notch mediumweight stable rug!

Last but not least is the Heavyweight Turnout and Stable Rugs

The Shires Tempest Original 300g Combo Turnout Rug is made with a tough 600 denier ripstop fabric and has a fixed neck. The rug is complete with all of the usual Shires features and technologies that make their rugs so good. The one thing we love about this rug is that it is WarmaRug compatible, meaning you can add additional liners to increase the warmth of the rug if you wish. Ideal if you need a heavier rug for your horse during certain times of the year...an excellent feature!

The Weatherbeeta ComFiTec 210D Channel Quilt Combo Neck Heavy 400g Stable Rug is our favourite pick for a stable rug. It boasts a super-toasty 400 gram fill and a fixed neck. It's made with a durable 210 denier outer with a channel quilted finish to help keep the polyfill in place and provide better coverage and warmth. Ideal for fully clipped horses in cold temperatures.

We hope that this has helped relieve any worries or doubts you may have over which rug to use and when. Browse our wide collection of turnouts and stable rugs from leading brands to find the one that's right for your horse.