Neck covers for horse rugs: When to use them

Neck rugs are a fairly recent addition to the modern ranges of horse rugs, and most horses will have neck covers for at least one turnout rug if not more. The better made neck rugs such as those by Weatherbeeta or masta will be cut generously to allow total freedom of movement for your horse, and also have features such as anti rub linings to prevent manes from being damaged and stiffening strips to prevent the neck cover from falling down in use.

Neck covers are suitable for almost every horse to wear and are particularly ideal for horses with fully clipped necks. A large proportion of a horse's heat can be lost through his neck on a cold day, and by having a rug with a neck cover on it such as the Weatherbeeta Tri-Star you will help to avoid a cold horse. Horse that have cold necks also tend to grow the hair back faster on their necks than the rest of their bodies which leads to more frequent clipping. The best neck covers zip onto the rug and are usually supplied with it, for example on the Orican turnout which keeps the warmth in, and the rain out. They feature a gap over the withers to help prevent pressure and are easily removed when not required.

Separate neck covers are available for some turnout rugs and stable rugs and they usually have a fairly universal fixing consisting of 3 points of attachment, one either side and one at the top and so are compatible with most rugs that have 3d shaped rings near the neck of the horse rug. It is always best from a fitting as well as an aesthetic point of view to choose a neck cover made for the rug you are using on your horse, as this will ensure the product will perform to its maximum for years to come.

How to check if a horse rug fits correctly

The fit of your horses stable or turnout rug is very important not only to his comfort, but to the longevity of the horse rug itself. A well fitting rug does not have to endure unnecessary strain on the material or stitching that can lead to leaking or early failure of the seams, and obviously from the horses point of view a badly fitting rug can be uncomfortable or even painful if left to rub for long periods.

Ideally, the rug will be lined with a smooth material such a breathable nylon which glides easily over the horses coat and helps to prevent the rug from being caught over the horses wither and causing strain. Many modern horse rugs from equine rug manufacturers such as Weatherbeeta , Masta and Mark Todd use this type of material in their turnout rugs to improve the perfomance of them which is why it always pays longterm to buy the best rug you can possibly afford, such as the very popular Weatherbeeta Taka , or Masta Check-Teck turnout .

When the rug is put on the horse, it should be placed slightly further forward than necessary and the front done up before being slid backwards into position. The surcingles should then be tightened to allow a hands width between belly and strap. There should easily be a comfortable hands width between the chest of the horse and the front of the rug, and the top of the rug should be sitting well in advance of the withers so there is no chance of it pulling back and behind.

When the horse is in motion or grazing, the rug should finish just at the top of the dock, and the rug should not look as if it is straining on the horse at any point, but moving over the top of his coat. Sometimes even with a correctly fitting rug (especially when in moult) horses can start to get bald patches on their chest or shoulders, and shoulder guards or anti-rub vests are very useful to use under the rug to help alleviate this problem.

How to measure your horse for a rug?

Modern horse rugs tend to be fairly similarly sized between makes, and excepting the very cheap imported rugs (which tend to compound the issue by being badly cut) most horse rugs are fairly easy to measure for.

Rugs are measured along the bottom seam, so to find the ideal size stable rug the easiest way is to use a piece of string or bailing twine to measure from the centre of the horses chest (roughly where you can feel the horse breastbone) horizontally around his shoulder, along his side and just past the last point of his rump. You can then measure this on a tape measure, ideally in inches to give you the size. Horse rugs are measured every 3”, and if your horse is between sizes, for example 6’2” it is usually best to go up to the next size which would be 6’3” in this example. Stable rugs without a neck are best bought at the measured size, as are cooler rugs, sweat rugs and fly rugs without necks.

Most Turnout rugs and any horse rug including stable rugs with integrated neck covers are best bought one size larger to allow greater freedom of movement for your horse. Although sizes tend to run true amongst the different popular makes of turnout and stable rugs, the cut is sometimes slightly different and can suit different shapes and sizes of equines.

Mark Todd turnout and stable rugs have highly adjustable fronts and large shoulder gussets, and are especially deep which makes them generally a good choice of rug for any large chested or hunter type horse. The Weatherbeeta rugs have a good range of fitting, and will fit most middleweight horses as well as finer types such as Arabs and Thoroughbreds. Masta rugs are a very adjustable and deep fitting rug, and fit middleweight to larger horses best, but can adjust down to fit finer horses nicely too if required.

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.

Welcome to The Saddlery Shop’s first official blog!

Most of the blogging will be done myself, Lucy Nicholas - one of the directors of The Saddlery Shop and I hope to be able to cover a wide range of horsey subjects covering everything from booting barefoot horses and bitting to how to choose a winter rug. Look out in the horsey press too, as you can often see my ‘two pence’ worth in the equestrian press such as Horse and Rider or Horse and Hound.

With winter approaching, horse rugs seems to be a good place to start, and many horse owners with be dusting off their rugs and sorting out which turnout rugs are suitable for the inclement weather that no doubt is just around the corner! Horses, like humans, ideally need a wardrobe of horse rugs to cover every eventuality, and having the right rugs will help any horse owner to sleep more peacefully knowing their horse is snug and warm in a good rug. Our horse rug department has an extensive range of rugs from leading manufacturers such as Masta and Weatherbeeta and prices all below RRP. We stock 1000’s of horse rugs so you know you will get the rugs you need when your horse needs them most, as we dispatch them from our warehouse and are not reliant on our wholesalers stock like a lot of companies.

It is possible to cover all eventualities, without having quite as many clothes as the average horsey female (which most horsey partners will be very glad to know!) by using rugs to layer up and do more than one job. To ensure your horse has a rug for all seasons, the following is a suggested list:

• 1 Lightweight turnout (no fill or 100g max)
• 1 Mediumweight turnout (approx 200g-250g)
• 1 Heavyweight turnout with optional neck cover (approx 300g +)
• 1 Mediumweight stable rug
• 1 Heavyweight stable rug (with optional neck cover if draughty)
• 1 Fleece or similar cooler
• 1 Under rug

It is always advisable to have spare rugs in case one gets damaged or soaked through unexpectedly, so it is always wise to look out for a second hand bargain to keep for an emergency too if possible. This combination will allow you to cover all weather and temperatures with the use of layering if necessary, travelling and cooling your horse down and keeping him warm after exercise at any time of year.