Argh! Wet rugs!

[lilwelshyrs]

Morning!
So with all this wet weather it seems impossible to get the boys rugs to dry. This morning we've had to chuck out with waffle rugs on underneath lightweights as the inside of the ruddy rugs are soaked as well as the outside!

Does anyone have any tips we're missing on drying rugs?!

[fatbottomgirl67]

Nightmare isn't it. Sounds like you need to get them re proofed if wet inside too. See if you can find someone local who can do it straight away or buy some spares?? No easy answer really just need spring sunshine to arrive

[lavendersun]

What sort of rugs are they? Are they actually waterproof, as in do they need reproofing? I have mine washed and reproofed in the spring and have never had any leaking issues.

Could you leave them on at night if you need the warmth, maybe with a fleece rug underneath?

I remember having those awful heavy jute rugs with a roller as a child (not for me you understand, my pony), we used to do the straw thing under the rug to help them to dry, poor ponies.

If you are taking a very wet rug off at night and putting it on in the morning it won't dry this time of year, unless, like one of my friends, you have a five rug drier thing !

[lavendersun]

If you get them dried I bet you can paint on some reproofer for now.

[lilwelshyrs]

:( they were reproofed in October!

The boys even had a duvet day yesterday as weather was so grim... But no. Not dry this morning!!

We do keep on overnight some nights but not when they're totally soaked through. I think with this amount of rain, no amount of waterproofing is working...
Hurrumph... Bring on spring!

[Floralnomad]

When we were on DIY ( many years ago) we used to take the rugs home and dry them in front of radiators overnight by putting them over ironing boards , as if the board were the horse . My mum had 3 old ironing boards just for this job . I will say though that this was in the days of green new Zealand's ! Our horses also had clean head collars everyday , matching ones for the girls , I think my mum is a bit barmy .

[lavendersun]

Floral, I could do with your mum to look after me never mind my horses.

[lilwelshyrs]

Floral, that sounds amazing. I think DH would go a bit mad if I did that... Oh and we don't own any ironing boards

[RatherBeRiding]

I think its a rug issue rather than a weather issue. My rugs (Amigos) don't soak through at all and it's been horrendously wet. Once they start leaking, even with re-proofing, it's time to get rid. Are you sure there aren't any little holes or tears?

[Sychnant]

What denier are they? The higher the better! Derby House do some nice ones, 1680 denier, although they are not due new stock until March now.

[lilwelshyrs]

New weatherbeeta bought at Hickstead last summer... Lightweight (welshie!) :-/

[lilwelshyrs]

The others are rhinegolds but recently washed and reproofed. Not sure about little holes, they look intact to me :-/

[lavendersun]

My friend who washes rugs came to see me today OP. She was saying that some rugs just don't 'hold' the waterproofer when they are beyond a certain age/tired. She has had to run some rugs through her machine three times to be happy with the water repellency.

Not sure how old your rugs are.

I only have horse wear, bucas and premier equine rugs and have never had a problem, not even in weather that has flooded 2/3 of my land.

[lilwelshyrs]

Yeh, i was told similar. Also in this kinda rain we've been having, some that have been reproofed wont keep this rain off if the horses are out all day in it.
Sadly doesnt explain my new weatherbeeta :(

[Katnisnevergreen]

I leave mine on overnight to dry on them rather than changing them it's the best I can do at the moment that's better than having to put cold damp rugs on again the morning. I find its where the rain gets in around the neck and tail area that let's in the wet. When I win the lottery I'll be getting electrics at the yard and buying heated rug drying racks!! They look amazing. A girl can dream...

[muddiboots]

I use nice soft ones, like Derby house and leave on overnight to dry, as long as not wet inside, if they are then that's a problem with the rug and I wouldn't be using that one again in those conditions.
They dry really well on the horse, much warmer for them to keep nice warm rug on than cold stable rug and most importantly less work for me !
I really rate Derby house ones, cheap as chips and never had a leaky one

[tootsietoo]

I think the only answer is really good rugs. Like lavendersun I have Premier Equine, and also a heavyweight Dinky Rug for the clipped out shettie (I have heard Bucas are also good for ponies) and none of them get wet underneath. Which means I can leave them on and night and they dry within an hour or two on the horses.

Premier Equine rugs are totally worth it.

[mrslaughan]

I have a bucas for my horses which I totally love, but just bought a premier equine for my son's pony - which is fantastic.....the other thing I love about the premier equine is they are really well thought through design wise (so is Bucus but double the price)- so quick and easy to change....plus my son is dyspraxic and he can put the premier equine on and off by himself....which he can't with the weatherbeeta ones we have (which are good quality but the buckles are fiddly - which makes it slow for me and impossible for him)

[ADishBestEatenCold]

Another vote for Premier Equine ... no leakage problems at all. It is a bit of an investment though!

If you want something a good bit cheaper, I have never had a leaky Derby House (their own ones).

Have never had a Weatherbeeta turnout, so can't comment on those (though I did once have a very cheap Weatherbeeta fly sheet that was great!).

Only had a Rhinegold once (was a present) but not a fan.

I note you're using lightweight. Is that a no-fill at all? If so I do think these things do seem to get sweaty underneath, then almost draw the moisture through in every direction ... bit like a leaky tent! I hate them.
Would much sooner go for a very light fill. I think Mark Todd do one that is just something like 80 or 100 gm fill.

[backinthebox]

Yes - Premier Equine. 3 ponies and a horse kept on a swamp here, and not had a problem with any of them. I have them washed and reproofed each summer and they seem to last years, whereas cheaper rugs have not lasted more than a season. Well worth the extra expense.

[mrslaughan]

Just in case people thought I didn't like my weatherbeeta's. My weatherbeeta haven't leaked - they seem a good fit, and well made....its just when you have 3 horses to get ready to turnout you really do appreciate design features that save you time. The premier equine is fab for this .

the other thing with Premier equine is if you sign up for emails - they have "flash" sales with 20% off, which is how I buy most of mine.

[cherrytree63]

I also leave turnouts on at night.
If you take them off they need to be left "upside down". Modern breathable fabrics are designed for the horse's body heat to push the water through to help with the waterproofing. If you leave it over your rail or hay the right way up the inside will be wet in the morning.
No fill rugs can make horses a bit "clammy". They also flatten the coats without adding any warmth and I think they can actually make a horse feel colder!

[OhShutUpThomas]

Leave them on the horse.

[StillYummy]

www.horserugdriers.co.uk/product/4-bar-eco-dryer/ this or the budget version witch is an oil filled rad plugged in in the garage with the run upside down over a chair net to or over it... Be sensible though, please don't burn the house down :)

[bimandbam]

The problem with lightweight rugs on a native pony is they don't actually keep them warmer, they just stop the coat fluffing up so actually make them colder as there is no fill to act as the insulation the coat would have done.

Unless you need to keep him dry in the spring/summer to ride I would ditch the lightweight and go for at least a medium.

I have.medium on my 2 welshies. One is a derby house I think and 1 possibly a weathebeater and neither have leaked.

I leave wet rugs on too.