Should your horse wear a horse show rug all year round in the UK?

Whether you’ve got a horse for competition or for pleasure, having a wide selection of well-fitted horse show rugs can ensure that your horse remains dry, clean, comfortable and healthy in all weathers and seasons whether they’re on stage, turned out, travelling or at a horse show.

Does my horse need a horse show rug?

Below we list the possible reasons why your horse may need a show rug…

Protection from damaging elements

For basic protection, buying horse show rugs for sale in the UK is highly recommended. You should invest in a horse travel rug as well as separate ones for the summer and winter. A heavyweight horse rug is great for the colder season. It usually comes with waterproof sheets if you’re looking to protect your horse from getting wet. For the summer months, a horse rug with UV protection is the best way to go. They’re often made from cotton, which can help keep your horse nice and cool even under the sun while also protecting them from damaging UV rays.

Maintain a short coat

Horses in the UK tend to grow their coat faster during the winter. This is because their coats grow faster depending on the length of the day. Since days are much shorter during winter, the horse grows its coat faster so that their bodies are kept warm. A good quality horse show rug can help you look after a short coat for your horse so that it doesn’t grow. So, buy horse show rugs for sale in the UK today.

Insect protection

Midges and flies are a major problem during the summer as the sunny climate can bring about insects that can bite your horse. As a result, your horse may suffer from swelling, inflammation or skin disease which a fly rug can help with. So, to offer them protection, a horse show rug for sale in the UK is a great option.

Dirt and debris protection

A horse rug can protect your horse’s coat and keep it tidy and clean for as long as possible. Since horses love to get into rough fights and play with each other during a horse show, they’re often exposed to dirt or mud. Instead of the dirt and debris sticking to the coat, a horse show rug can become a suitable barrier. A turnout rug may be a suitable solution, however specific show rugs can offer an all-rounded option.

Different types of horse show rugs UK

Fly

This type of horse show rug is made from a lightweight mesh material, which is often used during the summer to offer the horse protection from insect bites.

Not only does a fly rug offer protection from flies, but it also helps regulate your horse’s body temperature by providing sun protection. It’s often designed with a light-coloured reflective material to keep the body and neck cool by reflecting the heat of the sun away from the horse while also letting air pass through to remain breathable. While they’re made to be lightweight, they’re incredibly durable and don’t restrict your horse’s movement at all.

Cooler

As the name indicates, this type of horse show rug helps cool your horse down by allowing the moisture to evaporate. It’s also great to use after you’ve washed and cleaned your horse.

This horse show rug works by wicking away the moisture from your horse following exercise or a bath. Consequently, it prevents your horse from becoming cold. Since the cooler rug is made from a breathable material, your horse will dry naturally and its muscles will cool down too.

Fleece

This makes for a great horse travel rug as it is incredibly lightweight. Despite the connotations of warmth surrounding ‘fleece’, it can make for a great option for a cooler rug. For this reason, it’s often known as a combo rug. It can also be used pre-exercise and post-exercise to keep your horse’s muscles warm and to prevent them from cooling down too quickly.

Horse show rug maintenance and storage

Horse show rug maintenance

It goes without saying, if you take good care of your horse show rug, it’ll last for countless years. One way, of course, that you can look after it is by washing it. However, this isn’t the only way. We recommend that you look after it in-between washes too by frequently checking for signs of wear, damage, tears and holes. If you do notice a small tear, we suggest you either sew it yourself or use horse rug glue to patch it. If you use a repair patch, we recommend that you always use around double as much material as the size of the hole. For example, if the tear is 2 inches big, you should use a 4-inch piece of material. The reason? This will allow the patch to stick better, offer protection and prevent the hole from fraying.

Horse show rug storage

While there’s no right or wrong way to store a horse rug, we strongly suggest that you dry it first if you’ve bought a horse show rug for sale in the UK. Here are some options to store your horse show rug:

• • Use a rug rack: This can be wall-hanging or free-standing to store several rugs out of the way.
  • Storage box or bag: A storage box or bag is almost the same thing except for the bag having a softer exterior than a box. A box has a harder exterior. However, they’re both often designed to store numerous horse rugs.
  • Vacuum bag: You can use a vacuum rug to store your horse show rug when you’re not using it in the winter or in the summer. All you need to do is place the horse show rug in a bag and use the vacuum to suck out all the air. Not only will this protect your horse rugs from moths when it’s not being used, but will also ensure that it’s easy to store.

Personalised show rugs for horses

To ensure that your horse stands out among its competitors, why not personalise the horse show rug with your horse’s initials or name. Not only does it make for an incredible gift, but it also ensures that you’ve got a unique and bespoke horse show rug for your horse or pony.