Understanding The Purpose Of Horse Rugs

By Katrina Wheeler


Protection from severe weather is extremely important to animal lovers. Horses occasionally need assistance cooling down, warming up, staying dry and staying warm. The purpose of horse rugs is to provide that assistance without restricting the animal's ability to move around.

Placing a blanket on your equestrian friend is much easier than you would think. There are clasps, clips and straps to allow you to keep the blanket in place once it is properly positioned. There are straps that wrap around the belly, straps that go between the back legs and fasten to the sides and straps that wrap around the chest. These strategically placed straps assure you that the animal will not be able to remove the blanket easily. Covers come in a wide variety of colors, weights and styles. Thicker weighted coverlets are for the winter months, while the lighter weighted ones are for the warmer seasons. Some will even provide protection against mosquitoes and flies.

In order to keep your equestrian friend warm on harsh winter days, use a thick and heavy weighted fleece blanket. Many blankets have the added benefit of being water resistant or water proof. If you need even more protection, you may choose to add a neck cover.

Fabric choices will affect the weight of the cover. There are water proof, anti-sweat, cooling, fly and turnout blankets. Each type serves a different purpose and their weights will vary based on that purpose.

Stable cloaks can be provided to keep your equestrian friend warm when he is in his stall. Turnout coverings are best used when your animal is out in the pasture on a sunny winter day. Fly sheets are used to protect your animal from being bothered by flies during the summer months. Cooling rugs can be used to cool your animal's core temperature after a vigorous workout. There are many different types of coverlets to choose from depending on the need of your horse.

It is imperative that your horse be dry before blanketing. Placing a blanket on a damp animal can cause him to become ill. If he is damp, use an anti-sweat sheet to absorb moisture before placing a turnout or stable blanket on him. Make sure you remove the anti-sweat sheet first, otherwise the exterior blanket would hold the cold, damp sheet against him which could cause severe problems.

Blanketing an animal too soon can keep it from growing a winter coat. It is best to allow the winter coat to grow first. Use the blanket only when it is absolutely necessary. If you use a blanket too early in the season, your horse will have to wear it until warm weather returns.

Protecting your horse from problems caused by different seasons has never been easier. Determine his needs. Consider the climate. Each different season will bring different needs. Be attentive. Take your time when deciding what type, weight and size of coverlet your animal will need. Although it serves a physical purpose, horses look adorable when wearing horse rugs.




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