The development of Turnout & New Zealand rugs for horses

Turnout rugs are a staple part of any modern horse’s wardrobe, but are a relatively modern invention in the horsey world. The modern turnout rugs for horses are descendents of the ‘New Zealand’ rug traditionally made of canvas. The New Zealand horse rugs were the original turnout rugs produced and available commercially some 30 years ago, but had a reputation of leaking like a sieve in heavy downpours and weighing a ton when heavy! The canvas turnout rugs were also prone to ripping, but this was the only viable material to make an outdoor horse rug from at the time so horse owners put up with it until the more modern materials available today.

The synthetic materials in use today were introduced around 12 years ago, and at first were met with disdain by some in the horse community who couldn’t see how such a light thing could possibly keep their horses warm! At first some of these more modern materials were not without their problems with leaking rugs and horses sweating under their rugs, but within a few years these modern ripstop cordura and nylon based fabrics quickly became established as superior in many ways. A modern turnout rug such as the Weatherbeeta Taka or Masta check tech turnout are very different rugs from the ones available even 10 years ago.

The modern horse turnout rug is fully waterproof and breathable, is lightweight even when wet and has effective filling that means turnout rugs can be less bulky for the horse to wear yet still supply the same tog (warmth) factor. Shoulder gussets have been designed and re-designed to allow freedom of movement, and fastenings are placed in the optimum place to keep the rug from slipping behind the withers and rubbing (a common problem in early horse rugs, which often led to fistulous withers!). Coupled with the more modern linings which tend to be nylon based and thus slide over the coat more effectively, the modern turnout rug really does offer the best protection for your horse in inclement weather.