Questions
What are the types of horse rugs?
Horse rugs fall into a few main types — turnout, stable, cooler, and fly — each suited to a different job.
A turnout rug is worn outside in the field, waterproof and built to handle weather; a stable rug is the indoor equivalent, providing warmth without the waterproofing a turnout needs. A cooler goes on after exercise or a wash, wicking away moisture so a horse doesn't chill while drying off, and a fly rug is a lightweight mesh layer that keeps insects off in summer.
Most owners keep a small wardrobe of rugs and change them as the weather and season shift — a lighter turnout for autumn, a heavier one with more fill for deep winter. Getting the right rug on at the right time is as much a part of ownership as any other daily task. For the person who manages that wardrobe, see our gifts for horse owners, and for the daily jobs alongside it, read how to pick out a hoof.
Written by Craig Fearn, Stable & Hoof.
From the journal