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Horse rugs and tog ratings
Rugs keep a clipped or older horse warm and dry; the tog rating and fit decide whether a rug helps the horse or hinders it.
What a tog rating means
A rug's warmth is given as a fill weight in grams and, sometimes, a tog rating. A higher figure means more insulation. A lightweight turnout might carry no fill, a medium around 200 grams and a heavyweight 300 grams or more.
The right weight depends on temperature, whether the horse is clipped, and whether it is stabled or out in wind and rain. Over-rugging is as harmful as under-rugging because a horse cannot easily shed heat.
Fitting a rug
A rug is measured from the centre of the chest to the point of the buttock, usually quoted in feet and inches or centimetres. It should sit forward of the wither, cover to the tail, and fasten snugly without pulling across the shoulders.
A badly fitted rug rubs the shoulders and chest, slips and can be dangerous if a horse gets a leg through a loose strap. Leg and belly straps are adjusted so the rug stays put without hanging low.
Turnout, stable and cooler rugs
Turnout rugs are waterproof and tough for use in the field. Stable rugs are warmer but not waterproof, for use indoors. Coolers wick sweat from a hot horse after work so it dries without a chill.
Matching the rug to the job, and checking daily that it still fits and has not slipped, is part of the same attentive routine as picking out feet and checking hooves.
Size a hoof boot
Open the HoofBootFit sizing toolMatch a fresh-trim length and width to boots that fit.Find horse turnout rug on eBayaffiliateRelated
Sources: British Horse Society ยท The Blue Cross horse advice