November has come and for many parts in the world this means the temperatures are dropping. If you live in such a place, now is the time to put the winter rug back on your horse. Are you going to buy a new rug this winter? When buying a new turnout rug, it is important that you buy one that suits your horse well. Therefore, we have put together some tips for you to keep in mind when buying a turnout rug.
Before buying a blanket, it’s important to know what size your horse or pony needs. If the blanket is too big or too small in size, it will have many adverse consequences. By putting on a rug that’s too large, it might slide and pull, whereas a rug that’s too small might chafe and fail to cover all areas. When in doubt about the size of the blanket your horse needs, you can always measure your horse or use our
rug fitting guide. Please keep in mind that the horse blankets in Epplejeck’s product range are indicated in bottom sizes, measured from the centre of the chest to tail.
What should I keep in mind when buying a new rug?
There are many different kinds of winter blankets, so it is important to find out which blanket suits your horse best. Factors you need to take into account are: does your horse have a thick winter coat, does it have narrow or wide shoulders and neck, does it demolish blankets or not and do you want an additional neck piece with the blanket or not? One thing you should always consider when buying a blanket for the winter is that it should be made from waterproof and breathable material.
When your horse has a thick winter coat, it often needs a less warm blanket than when it has been clipped. The thickness of the filling is indicated in grams; a 200 grams blanket is less filled and also less warm than a 300 grams one. If you do not want to change rugs all the time, it’s best to choose a rug with a liner system. With blankets that have a liner system, you can easily attach a stable blanket or underblanket if they also have a liner system. With the liner system there are attachment points on the blankets so you can securely attach blankets to each other. When you put two separate blankets on your horse, it often shifts around. Thanks to the liner system, the blankets form one whole and therefore will not slide.
Buying a suitable rug for a horse with big shoulders and neck can be a challenge. Often, the 'normal' blankets will be too tight due to the broad build. There are blankets in an XL or Big Neck variant. These rugs are especially made for those type of horses. You can find the full collection in the
wide horses theme shop.
The thickness of the fabric for the outside of the blanket is indicated in D or denier. This indicates how thick and strong the fabric is. The higher the denier, the stronger the fabric. It starts at 420 denier and goes up to 1680 denier. Does your horse often demolish its rugs or does it play a lot with its companions? Then it’s advisable to buy a blanket with a higher denier, as these are usually more solid.
As if there's not enough choice between rugs yet, there are blankets available with a fixed neck piece, ones where the neck piece can be attached separately and rugs without one at all. A neck piece is especially useful for rainy days, as it prevents the rain from entering the blanket. This way, your horse's coat will stay dry. A neck piece does not provide extra warmth, although it’s recommended to use a 300 grams neck piece when your horse has a 300 grams rug on, for example.
Which rug suits my horse best?
To make the choice for the perfect winter rug a little easier for you, we have selected the ten best winter blankets. For this selection we have looked at the filling, if it's easily demolishable or not, if a neck piece can be attached and, of course, the price. We have divided the selection in rugs up to €160 and rugs up to €325.
Rugs up to €160
Rug Epplejeck Junior
This rug is made especially for the smaller ponies and available in size 95-145. With the
0,
200 and
300 grams filling, the blanket is suitable for both a clipped and unclipped pony. The outer fabric is 600 denier. The rug has no liner system, that means it isn’t possible to attach a neck piece. But there is a
full neck version of this rug in 0 and
300 grams filling. As the name suggests, this blanket has a fixed neck piece. The Epplejeck Junior rug costs between €54.95 and €69.95.
Rug QHP Turnout
Because of the different variations of this turnout blanket from QHP, there is a suitable blanket for every horse from this brand. The QHP Turnout rugs are available in size 90 for small ponies up to size 215 for wide horses. The regular QHP Turnout rug is available in 0 and 150 grams filling. In addition, there is a high neck variant available in size 185-215 with a 150 grams filling. There is less chance of rain entering the blanket with the high neck blanket. All variants of this blanket are made of 600 denier outer fabric. The blanket costs between €74.95 and €124.95, depending on the version.
Rug Epplejeck Tolga
With a wide choice in size, the Epplejeck Tolga rug is suitable for both ponies and horses. The rug is available in size 135-215. The filling is available in 0, 100, 200 and 370 grams. To prevent chafing, the inner lining is made of smooth nylon fabric. The outer fabric is made of 600 denier. The rug has no liner system. With all variants of this blanket, it’s possible to attach the Epplejeck Tolga neck piece, which costs €34.95. The rug costs between €75.95 and €84.95.
Rug Horseware Amigo Hero
The Horseware Amigo Hero rug is available in three variants. The 'normal' blanket is available in sizes 122-213 and has a 0, 50 and 200 grams filling. The outer fabric is made of durable 900 denier polyester. All versions have a nylon inner lining to prevent chafing. It’s not possible to attach neck pieces and it doesn’t have a liner system. The Horseware Amigo Hero rug costs between €69.95 and €157.95.
Bucas Freedom Turnout
The Bucas Freedom Turnout blanket also comes in three different versions. The 'normal' variant is available with a 0, 150 and 300 grams lining. It’s not possible to attach a neck to this rug and it doesn’t have a liner system. There is a high neck variant available, which has a 0 and 300 grams filling. Because this blanket has a higher neck, it’s not possible to attach a separate neck piece or a liner system. The high neck helps to keep your horse’s coat dry, because rain can’t enter the blanket so easily.
With the full neck version, there is a fixed neck on the blanket. This blanket has a
0,
150 and
300 grams filling. Because of the fixed neck, a liner system is not possible. All variations are available in size 110-215 and are made of 600 denier fabric. The Bucas Freedom Turnout rug costs between €94.95 and €129.95.
Rugs up to €325
Rug WeatherBeeta ComFiTec Plus Dynamic
This WeatherBeeta ComFiTec Plus Dynamic rug is suitable for both horse and ponies. The blanket is available in size 120-225 and has a
0,
100 and
220 grams lining. The outer fabric is very strong, as it’s made from 1200 denier ripstop fabric. There is a separate
neck piece in 0 and
100 grams available for this rug, which costs €79.95. The blanket costs between €144.95 and €184.95.
Bucas Smartex Turnout
The Bucas Smartex Turnout rug comes in three variants. Then there is the 'regular' blanket in size 155-220 with
0,
150 and
300 grams. For heavy breeds, the Big Neck rugs come in size 165-215 and have a
0 and
300 grams filling. Next to that, there is a
0 grams blanket in sizes 110-160 especially made for the smaller ponies.
The rugs are made of ballistic nylon and have a stay-dry inner lining made from fleece. This lining works like a cooler, so you have no hassle with changing rugs. You can get an additional
Bucas neck piece with a 0 and
300 grams filling, which costs between €98.95 and €114.95. In addition, all versions of this rug have a liner system. The blanket costs between €184.95 and €278.95.
Rug Eskadron Omega
The
Eskadron Omega is a comfortable and robust turnout rug that has a 250 grams filling. It has a neoprene insert at the manes for protection from rubbing and a removable neck piece with soft lining at the mane. As this blanket comes with an extending piece, it is also suitable for heavy breeds, because you can adjust the rug to fit those horses. The blanket is available in sizes 175-125 and is made of 1680 denier fabric. It has no liner system. The blanket costs €204.95.
Rug WeatherBeeta Green-Tec
The WeatherBeeta Green-Tec rug is very special, because more than 340 recycled bottles have been used to make it. The blanket is available in size 120-225 and is available with a
0,
220 and
360 grams filling. The fabric is made of waterproof and breathable material and has a thickness of 900 denier. There is a separate neck piece available but the blanket does not have a liner system. The rug costs between €179.95 and €249.95.
Bucas Power Turnout
The Bucas Power Turnout is a multifunctional blanket, available with
0 and
300 grams filling. The heat-reflective aluminium coating on the outside retains the heat while reflecting sunlight. It’s available in sizes 155-220, is made of ballistic nylon and has a liner system. The stay-dry and anti-bacterial lining allows the blanket to be put on a wet horse.
There is a detachable
neck piece available with a 0 and
300 grams filling. The price for this neck piece is between €98.95 and €114.95. In addition, there is a
High Neck variant with 0 grams and
300 grams filling. The blanket costs between €254.95 and €324.95.
Thanks to one of the blankets listed above or many of the other rugs from Epplejeck’s products range, your horse will stay warm this winter! Curious about the other blankets? View the entire collection
here!