5 Benefits Of Buying A Horse Rug

A horse rug is a protective covering that a horse wears in various situations. Generally, it protects the horse’s body and is usually secured in place around the underside. Aside from keeping the animal warm during cold weather, horse rugs have various uses—even during hot, summer days.

Horse rugs are available in various forms and colours. Some of these rugs protect their entire body, including the neck, while others just cover their main flank. There are also brightly-coloured or reflective rugs to help owners find or identify their horses, especially during night time. 

Aside from the things mentioned above, there are other benefits of buying a horse rug. This article will discuss five of those below:

• Protects The Horse From Dirt Or Debris 

A horse rug is capable of protecting the horse’s coat and keep it neat as much as possible. These animals love to play and often get into rough fights, leading to dirt or mud exposure. Of course, a lot of dirt would stick to their coat. If you want to avoid that, a horse rug can do the job.   

• Helps Maintain A Short Coat 

Nature has its ways of protecting itself. Horses, for one, grow their coat faster before winter comes. How do they know this? Their coat would grow faster depending on the day’s length. Since days are shorter before winter, the horse grows its coat faster. This way, they can keep their bodies warm when winter comes around.

But if you prefer to maintain a short coat for your horses, a horse rug can help with that. You can utilize a light horse rug so their coat won’t start growing itself for the cool months. Some owners also keep their horses under lights during the evening to trick their biological system to think that the days are longer. This technique delays the coat’s growth even more.    

• Insect Protection 

Flies and Midges pose a challenge during the summer months. The warm weather can bring about these insects, and horses can suffer from inflammation and swelling after getting bitten. Cold or rainy months can also cause skin diseases to your horse. So, to give them protection, a horse rug is a good option. 

As mentioned previously, there are several varieties of horse rugs and if you intend to use them as an insect repellent, it’s best to consider the following types: 

• Cotton Horse Rug – This offers complete protection for your horse because the material is hard for insects to penetrate.
• Mesh Horse Rug – This rug offers better airflow while still providing a sound barrier against pesky insects. In case itchiness is a concern, you might want to get a durable rug that can endure repeated scratching. For most horses, a durable mesh rug is often the best compromise.

If you’re concerned about flexibility, you can find horse rug varieties that are lightweight enough to keep the flies away without hampering the horse’s movement.

• Minimize Feeding 

During cold weather, horses need more feed to produce the body heat that’s necessary for them to stay warm. Putting a warm rug over your horse can help save on feed expenses. Investing in a heavyweight horse rug can provide warmth and help lower the feed costs throughout the cold season.  

• Protection From Harmful Elements  

For basic protection, buying a variety of horse rugs is recommended. You must have a rug for the warm weather, and another for the cold and rainy weather. As mentioned, heavyweight horse rugs are best for the cold season. And if you want to protect your horse from getting wet in the rain, you must look for rugs with waterproof sheets. 

For warmer months, get a summer sheet that comes with UV protection. These rugs are made from breathable cotton which helps keep the horse cool under the sun. At the same time, their coat is protected from harmful UV rays which keeps them from fading. 

Among horses with darker coats, bleaching is likely to occur as the summer season progresses. The unrelenting heat from the sun in enclosures with minimal shade protection is also an issue. In both instances, a light cotton sheet or a lightweight mesh rug is the ideal choice. Both can protect against the sun and helps the horse stay cool. 

Conclusion 

Providing the best protection for your horse is possible with a variety of horse rugs. A reliable solution to ensure that your horse is protected and healthy throughout the year is to get different types of horse rugs that would suit each season and a variety of outdoor conditions. Aside from preparing horse rugs for the winter and summer months, you must also get types that can endure rain and itchy insects.

Suzanne Ashton

Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.