Keeping Warm: Your Horse Rug Guide

Unless you’re a snowman we wouldn’t recommend leaving your house without a coat come December, your horse is no different.

When temperatures drop to between 10-15 degrees a light-weight stable rug is sufficient in keeping your horse warm, but, as the temperature drops increase to medium-weight and once it’s 0-4 degrees your horse should be in a heavy-weight stable rug, below 0 we recommend a heavyweight stable rug with a neck cover to help protect against ice or snow and cold air. 

Whilst you may see wild horses without rugs in cold temperatures and bad weather conditions, bear in mind they tend to move around more than domesticated horses and they often have a shorter lifespan. Using a high-quality rug that fits your horse well will help keep them in a healthy condition; as a cold and wet horse will burn a lot of energy trying to keep warm. 

If you have a young and healthy horse who is in a stable during the cooler months and you notice they’re gaining weight, you may want to consider lowering the weight of their rug as the rug will help them to conserve energy, meaning they’re burning their food off a lot slower. 

Don’t feel your horse's ears, face, or legs to indicate how warm they are, instead put your hand under their rug behind their withers, this will give you a much better idea of your horse's true temperature. If your horse feels cold they may need an extra or thicker rug, if they’re damp they may be too warm.

At Farm & Country, we recommend considering your horses living conditions and grazing habits, along with how they’re clipped, their weight, age, and exercise level when you’re purchasing a rug to ensure you get the one that’s right for your horse. 

Have a look below at our range of horse rugs - 

Whitaker Fleece Rug 

This rug is perfect for cold weather and is available in sizes 4’9” to 7’ 0”, an attractive rug with reflective binding and red piping. The unlined fleece makes the rug moisture-wicking. It offers two chest fastenings for extra security. At £34.99 this rug is an affordable option to keep your horse warm and dry in the colder months. 

Whitaker Rastrick Turnout Rug 200Gm

This rug is ideal for extreme cold, with 200Gm filling and 600d upper it’s made with a durable outer to withstand the wear and tear of being in the field. The reflective thread in the binding makes it easy for you to spot your horse on foggy days. Protect your horse from harsh weather and keep them warm and dry with this rug. The secure cross-belly surcingles help provide a snug fit to guard against the elements and reduce the risk of your horse being too cold.

Whitaker Stable Rug

This rug has been designed with style in mind, with red/navy binding and reflective ribbon woven through. The rug has 200gm filling and 420 denier upper, corded filet string and fleece wither pad. Along with two buckle chest fastening and two cross belly surcingles. This rug is £40 and is the perfect addition to your horse's stable wardrobe. 

Whitaker Ladybird Fly Rug

Fly rugs are important to protect against biting flies and other irritating insects. Why not bring some fun to your fly rug collection? At Farm & Country, we offer a range of fly rugs in fun designs such as Ladybird, Unicorn, Bee, and Zebra print, ranging from £49.99 - £54.99.

These rugs are made of mesh so don’t offer much warmth but are great for those preparing for the spring and can make a fun gift for horse owners in your life. They feature crossed belly surcingles, two buckle chest fastenings, and three velcro straps on the removable neck as well as a filet string. 

Hy Protect Full Neck Fly Rug

If you’re not a lover of fancy prints and are wanting a more neutral fly rug this is the one for you. This rug that is intended for use in the Spring and Summer is made from micro mesh offering UV protection and SPF 50+. The large shoulder gussets enable a full range of movement for your horse and the reinforced straps make it extra durable.

The generous tail flap offers extra protection and the neck cover can be secured to a field-safe head collar. This rug is machine washable making it a yard must-have and at only £54.97.

At Farm & Country, our goal is to provide our customers with affordable quality products with friendly and reliable service. As farmers, we live by farming values and continuously want to improve by listening to our customers, so if you buy one of our exceptional horse rugs then we would be grateful if you could leave us a review.

You can also take a look at our range of equine products here, we have everything from horse care items to nutrition and supplements and stable and yard equipment.

See our full range of premium winter equine rugs

Why not check out our other equine blogs for more fantastic tips & advice