Stable Rugs

What is the function of a travel rug for horses?

Almost without exception, draughts occur during the journey, even when the trailer's top cover or blind is closed. The primary function of a travel rug is to shield the horse's back from draughts that can cause illness. If the horse sweats, for example due to nervousness, then a travel rug should remove moisture from the sensitive back area. A travel rug can therefore be particularly useful in cool temperatures and prevent the horse from getting out of the trailer with muscle tension.
A simple wicking and cooling rug can be a good remedy for this. The most commonly used fleece already has a heat-insulating effect due to the air trapped in the fibres and thus protects the back muscles from draughts. If you want to be on the safe side, you can use horse rugs with a smooth surface, as is the case with some stable rugs. These are sometimes even windproof and thus offer the most reliable protection against hypothermia.
In addition to a travel rug, the horse should wear travel boots. If the horse has to balance itself in the trailer, injuries to tendons and joints can occur very quickly. Travel boots reach down to the ground and thus cover the horse's sensitive legs.

Does my horse need a travel rug in summer?

In summer there is a risk that the horse will suffer a heat stroke under a rug. In high temperatures, even the lightest travel rug may be superfluous. However, when deciding whether a horse needs a travel rug in summer, it is not the outside temperature alone that counts, but whether there is a draught during the journey, which can lead to muscle tension even in summer. A draught is an unpleasant, cold air movement that can occur in the horse trailer due to angled windows. If the horse finally starts to sweat, it can cause the horse to catch a cold. In order to avoid putting on a rug in summer and thus the danger of a possible heat stroke, the window position should be tested before transport, which allows good ventilation but does not allow draughts.

At what temperature does my horse need a stable rug?

If you clip your horse in the autumn and winter months, it will need a stable rug all the time. Alternatively, you can use a wicking rug or an turnout rug with fleece lining. Horses that do not need to develop a dense winter coat, but are not clipped, can use a stable rug for the night from temperatures below 10 degrees.
To help you decide at what temperature you should rug your horse, we have compiled an overview. This overview contains guidelines, not standard values, and is intended as a guide. You can take a look at it in our detailed horse rug guide with explanations or download it immediately here.

Which stable rug is suitable for my horse in winter?

Stable rugs are, as the name suggests, only suitable for the stable. They are not water-repellent, which is why they would get soaked in the rain. Their protective function is limited to the stable, where they protect the horse from cold and unpleasant draughts. A stable rug is particularly useful for clipped horses that have to be permanently rugged. Classic cooling rugs are also suitable for use as stable rugs. However, many of them do not have belly straps, which is why the rug could slip when the horse is lying down. In addition, straw and shavings can get caught in the fleece material, which is why some strong>stable rug designs rely on a smooth outer material.
Clipped horses, which have no natural insulation due to the lack of coat, need a thicker stable rug than horses with coat. For this, you can start with a 100g stable rug in autumn. If the temperatures drop during the winter, you should increase the number of grams to approx. 300g.
For an even better warming effect, we have several rug combination systems in our range, with inner rugs with different thicknesses of filling. This allows you to combine thick inner rugs with a heavyweight turnout rug. The inner rugs with a smooth surface can also be worn individually in the stable without a heavyweight turnout rug. This should be decided depending on the individual cold sensitivity and the coat condition of the horse.
For the transitional period, we also have thin stable rugs without filling with fleece lining.