When your horse is in the field, rugs are necessary to keep him dry and comfortable. They are breathable and let your horse adjust to temperature variations while still repelling water. You must take good care of them to maintain optimum performance and a long lifespan.
Why it’s important to clean your horse rug
Maintaining your stable rugs is crucial for the welfare of the horse and ensuring they last as long as possible. Maintaining the rug keeps your horse healthy and tidy. When possible, such as at the end of the season when it is not in use and before you store it away, you should give the item a thorough wash, either by yourself or a professional.
It’s a good idea to regularly wipe the inside of rugs used daily or continuously using a moist cloth or sponge to avoid grease buildup. Your horse may have skin irritation from the rug’s underside if it gets greasy. The likelihood that their coat, mane, or tail may rub also rises.
How to wash a horse rug
Many horse rugs, particularly winter rugs, could be too big for a standard washing machine in a home. This will prevent the rug from moving around in the drum, which is necessary for thorough cleaning. As a result, it could be better to contact a specialized horse rug cleaning service unless you already own a powerful industrial machine that can manage such jobs.
If you are cleaning a weatherbeeta fly rug yourself, always read the care instructions and use non-biological cleaning agents because biological cleaning products can cause the horse’s skin to itch and harm the proofing.
Irrespective of how muddy your carpets become, avoid brushing them because doing so risks damaging the fabric. This is especially true for turnout rugs because cleaning them could compromise their proofing.
Drying and storing the horse rug
Rugs should always be let to dry naturally in a well-ventilated area. Before you store them, give them a good outside air drying. The best technique to ensure that too much sunlight doesn’t harm them is to dry them in a dark area.Use caution when using a tumble dryer because the high temperatures and spinning action could harm the rug.
Ensure the rug is completely dry before storing it, as doing so could cause mold to form and the fabric or stitching to fall apart. The zipped bag with handles that comes with the rugs Ruggles sells is useful for storing them when they aren’t used. Horse rugs should be stored in a cool, dry location out of the sun to maintain the proofing.
When should you clean the horse rug?
The underside lining of rugs should be regularly cleaned at the end of the season to avoid grease buildup that could irritate your horse’s skin. Rugs and saddle pads should be thoroughly cleaned after the season.
Do this daily, or at the very least, as needed. Be sure to check frequently, as the longer you wait, the more likely it will cause skin irritation and the more difficult it will be to clean. Every day, a horse’s coat naturally produces grease that helps keep it looking healthy and shiny, but too much of it can build up and rub against the horse’s skin when it gets between the rug and the rug.
