Deciding which rug to put on your horse can be a challenge, especially with the UK’s changeable weather, so why not use Ponyo Horsewear’s horse rug weather guide as a handy starting point?
Spring and autumn especially can be tricky seasons, and it is important to consider the actual weather and dress your horse appropriately, rather than simply rugging for the season – we’ve all come across frost in April and heatwaves in September.
Air temperature is not the only factor – you’ve probably clocked the “feels like” temperature on your weather apps, and this applies to your horse as well. The “real feel” temperature depends on things like wind and humidity levels, so make sure you take this into account when deciding which rug to pop on.
It’s important to treat your horse as an individual. Just like humans, some horses feel the cold more or less than others, and those that are clipped out, or used to being stabled regularly are more likely to feel chilly as the temperature drops.
As well as thinking about the weather, consider your horse’s breed, age and condition. Breeds such as thoroughbreds or Arabs naturally have a thinner coat than hardier breeds, such as native ponies, while an older horse may find it harder to regulate their body heat, meaning they may need extra rugs. Your horse’s condition is another important factor: rugging less can help with weight management for good-doers, while a poor-doer will need to use more energy to stay warm, and may need extra help in the form of a rug.
It’s always a good idea to have a comprehensive wardrobe for your horse, to give you maximum flexibility and the ability to layer your rugs if necessary; every horse is unique after all, and having plenty of options available will allow you to tailor your rugging to their specific needs. Plus, it gives you a great excuse to get your hands on more snazzy Ponyo patterns to match your horse’s personality.
Horse rug temperature guide: turnout rugs (the below is a guide but please remember that all horses are different)
Temperature: below -5°C
Clipped horses: 400g heavyweight rug with neck cover; consider adding an under-rug
Unclipped horses: 400g heavyweight rug with neck cover
Temperature: -5°C to 0°C
Clipped horses: 400g heavyweight rug with neck cover
Unclipped horses: 250g medium weight rug with neck cover
Temperature: 1°C to 5°C
Clipped horses: 250g medium weight rug; consider a neck cover
Unclipped horses: 250g medium or 100g lightweight rug
Temperature: 6°C to 10°C
Clipped horses: 100g lightweight rug; consider a neck cover
Unclipped horses: 50g or 100g lightweight rug
Temperature: 11°C to 15°C
Clipped horses: 50g lightweight rug
Unclipped horses: no-fill lightweight sheet
Temperature: over 15°C
Clipped horses: no rug required; consider no-fill sheet if wet or windy
Unclipped horses: no rug required
How about the weather conditions?
Generally speaking, if you're experiencing no rain, light rain, to medium rain in short bursts, a 0g no-fill rug will be more than sufficient. If your horse is due to be out in very heavy and prolonged rain or snow, a 50g fill or above rug will be most suitable for keeping your horse both cosy and dry. 50g fills do not add significant warmth to your horse, but the small bit of fill makes all the difference in keeping all moisture away from your horse.
No matter what any rug brands tell you, no turnout rug can be 100% waterproof. Why? Because they also have to be breathable, meaning sweat and condensation can escape though the fabric. The higher the waterproofing level of a material, the lower the breathability (imagine a plastic bag - it's totally waterproof but it's not at all breathable or comfortable to wear, and therefore we cannot wrap our horses in plastic bags out in the field - they'd be a grumpy sweaty mess in minutes!).
So what do we do to ensure maximum levels of both waterproofing and breathability? Our rugs are all 1200D ripstop across the board, and the higher the denier, the more waterproof a fabric will be. 600D rugs are much more likely to have waterproofing issues. Our high quality turnout fabric is also rated at 7000mm/7000g/m2/24hrs for waterproofing and breathability. This is a much higher level than a large proportion of turnout rugs on the market (many are only 3000mm-5000mm).
Further to the above, we also reduce the chances of leaking at every seam. If you think about it, anywhere there is stitching, that's hundreds of tiny holes in the fabric, which will naturally reduce its original waterproofing. We go to the extra measure of taping these seams to bring the waterproofing level back up.
So why do we recommend 50g or more for extreme rain and weather conditions? Despite our high breathability factor, in very heavy rain conditions, the water can block the 'pores' in the fabric, meaning any condensation and sweat that builds up underneath the rug cannot escape effectively, giving the illusion of a leaky rug. Having a very thin layer of fill can allow any condensation or perspiration that forms underneath the rug to escape into the fill, away from the horse's skin, which can then evaporate fully over time.
Horse rug temperature guide: stable rugs (the below is a guide but please remember that all horses are different)
You might assume that stabled horses will stay warmer than those out in the field, but in fact horses in a stable are less able to generate their own heat from movement, so it’s important to keep them warm indoors.
Bear in mind the stable itself, too – if it’s a little draughty, or faces into the prevailing wind, you’ll need to factor this into your rugging decisions.
Temperature: below -5°C
Clipped horses: 300g heavyweight rug with neck cover and under-rug
Unclipped horses: 300g heavyweight rug with neck cover
Temperature: -5°C to 0°C
Clipped horses: 300g heavyweight rug with neck cover; consider adding an under-rug
Unclipped horses: 250g medium weight rug with neck cover
Temperature: 1°C to 5°C
Clipped horses: 300g heavyweight rug
Unclipped horses: 250g medium weight rug
Temperature: 6°C to 10°C
Clipped horses: 250g medium weight rug
Unclipped horses: 100g lightweight rug
Temperature: 11°C to 15°C
Clipped horses: 100g lightweight rug
Unclipped horses: no-fill sheet or fleece cooler
Temperature: over 15°C
Clipped horses: no rug required; consider no-fill lightweight sheet or cooler if windy
Unclipped horses: no rug required