Types of rugs and rugging a horse

Horses will naturally turn their backs on wind and rain to protect themselves in poor weather. If in a group environment, they will also huddle closely to share their warmth. 

Thick hedges and tree lines make great forms of natural shelter from the wind and rain. If there isn’t any natural shelter, it’s important to provide a field shelter as an option for the horse to seek shelter (planning permission can vary between local authorities so check if any regulations are in place).

Horses are more likely to feel the cold through a combination of persistent wind and rain. In these circumstances, having a good source of shelter will provide the most protection and help them stay warm. 

Horses lose very little body heat through the air as their coat hairs stand on end, trapping heat and creating a layer of insulating body heat. You might have noticed horses with unmelted frost or snow on their backs. The reason this doesn’t melt is because the horse’s winter coat works by insulating them and not letting the heat escape. 

Eating forage consistently throughout the day helps to keep the horse warm, acting as an in-built heating system by creating heat as the fibre is broken down in their digestive system. 

Horses will use more energy to keep themselves warm. This is a natural process throughout winter and allows any excess weight gained through the summer months to drop off as nature intended. 

There are many different types of horse rug that each have their own specific uses throughout the year, not just to keep your horse warm during the winter months. Making sure to pick the right type of rug for the circumstances is essential to keeping your horse happy and comfortable.

• Turnout rug — a waterproof rug to be worn when turned out.
• Stable rug —often cotton or fleece sheet to be worn indoors.
• Exercise sheet — a small sheet that can be worn when riding to keep the horse’s hind quarters warm. Be aware that your horse will get hotter with exercise so you may only need an exercise sheet while warming up. Exercise waterproof sheets are also available to help keep your horse dry.
• Cooler rug — a thin sheet to prevent a sweaty horse getting too cold while drying off after intense exercise.
• Travel rug — if your horse is clipped or is sensitive to the cold, they may need a thin sheet when travelling. Be aware that your horse uses energy to balance when travelling so may be warmer than when they’re standing in the stable.
• Fly / sweet itch rug —– during the spring and summer months when the biting insects emerge, your horse may need a fly rug to protect them. If your horse has sweet itch, they may need a specialist rug to protect them further.
• Neck covers — some rugs have a built-in or removable neck to provide the horse with more coverage. Be aware that if your horse has a thick mane, a neck cover may cause overheating or irritation.

Just like a pair of tights, the denier relates to how strong the outer fabric of a rug is. So, the higher the denier, the stronger the material will be. A higher denier rug also provides more water resistance to keep your horse dry in wetter weather.

The fill is used to describe the rug weight and can be categorised as: 

• Light weight: 0g -100g 
• Medium weight: 150g - 250g 
• Heavy weight: 300g plus. 

If an inappropriate rug is used, it can override the horse’s natural process of insulation. As the hair is flattened, it is less efficient at trapping heat to insulate the horse’s body.

Inappropriate rugging prevents sunlight reaching the horse’s skin, limiting the production of vitamin D2. A deficiency can lead to reduced bone strength, however an hour a day exposure without a rug in bright, dry conditions, should be sufficient in minimising this risk². 

If a thick fill rug is used in inappropriate conditions, it will trap a lot of heat, which can radiate back to the horse’s body. As a result, the horse will be continuously trying to cool down which can place a lot of stress on the horse, causing them to sweat and making them uncomfortable. It’s much easier for a horse to warm themselves up than it is to cool themselves down.

Horses naturally lose weight during the winter months, but we can override this process by feeding them too much and over-rugging. This can result in the horse putting on excess weight all year round, which is worrying as weight gain increases the risk of laminitis. Not rugging an overweight horse will help them lose weight naturally. 

Don’t keep an overweight horse unnecessarily rugged through winter as this time of year can be used as an advantage to help the horse lose weight. Instead of unused calories being laid down as excess fat, the horse can use the calories to keep warm. Horses with a bib or trace clip often cope well without having to wear a rug, especially if they’re overweight.

• A 0g rain sheet can be a great choice in light rain, however, be conscious that in very poor weather, the rain is likely to seep through. When this happens, cold air meets heat from the horse’s body forming condensation under the rain sheet. As the lower temperature reaches the horse’s skin, their body temperature can reduce.
• If your horse is very sweaty after exercise, a thin cooler rug made from a wicking material, such as wool or polar fleece, can help your horse dry faster while keeping them warm, to help prevent them getting chilled³. Once the horse is dry, any dried sweat can be brushed off and an appropriate rug put on if required.

1. Mejdell, C.M. et al (2020) Caring for the horse in a cold climate—Reviewing principles for thermoregulation and horse preferences. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. Vol 231.
2. Azarpeykan, S., et al. (2016): "Influence of blanketing and season on vitamin D and parathyroid hormone, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium concentrations in horses in New Zealand." Domestic animal endocrinology 56 75-84.
3. Cooling Your Horse Out on Cold Days – The Horse