Make Your Own Horse Rug

by Dessie Campbell
(USA)

Making your own cheap horse rugs is a great way to protect your horse year round without spending too much money.

Just because a horse is considered an outdoor animal it doesn't necessarily mean that he or she can handle the climate in which you live in. Blankets and rugs are effective in keeping a horse warm during the cold season and during the warm season a light blanket is a great way to protect your horse from the hot sun and all those pesky bugs. Athletic horses need a rug or blanket to warm up before a race and cool down after a race.

There are many types and styles of rugs available on the market but getting the perfect fit can sometimes be difficult or expensive if you must have the blankets and rugs custom make for your specific animal.

A homemade horse rug is the best way to ensure that your animal has a good fitting cover and you can also style the cover with colors or patterns of your choice.

Finding the fabric is the easiest step in making your own rugs for your horses.

The sewing may not be that easy but you can always find someone to help out. Begin by measuring the horse for length. Start at the point behind the neck where you want the horse rug to begin and go all the way down the animals back to where you want it to stop.

Next measure the width from one side of the animal to the other. The width will highly depend on how far down the animal's side you wish the blanket to go. Winter horse blankets should definitely be longer than summer blankets.

The materials you choose should be similar to materials used in the making of all outdoor rugs. Popular outdoor rug materials include wool, synthetic materials, or a combination of both. Stuffing can be used to add even more warmth for the winter months.

Purchasing supplies to make your own cheap horse rugs is fairly simple and inexpensive.

You can find fabrics at a fabric or craft store and if you don't own a sewing machine, borrowing a machine would be ideal but if that is not possible, try to get someone to help you out because the sewing part doesn't take very long at all.

Measuring your horse and the cutting the fabric to the right length and width will take the most of your time on this project. You can also take the materials to a seamstress or tailor to have them do the sewing part.

It should not cost very much to do since you will already have the cut and be ready to sew.

Comments for
Make Your Own Horse Rug

Average Rating

Click here to add your own comments

Nov 05, 2009
Rating

Great Resource
by: Anonymous

I have been looking around trying to find advice on how to go about making a stable blanket. This is by far the simplest and most informative article I've read so far.

Making a stable blanket, and even a good quality rug, is far more inexpensive and less time consuming than one would think. Once you have the materials and pattern, it should take one only a couple of nights to make it. I don't have a lot of time on my hands either as I work full-time with kids and am away from home most weekends, but I still found time to do it and it was less expensive than buying a good quality, undamaged blanket.

Thanks for writing this!

Oct 22, 2009
Rating

RUG AND TACK SALE
by: C H R

RUG AND TACK SALE 7TH AND 8TH NOVEMBER 2009
at canterbury horse rescue web site
www.canterburyhorserescue.org

Oct 22, 2009
Rating

Nice idea
by: Julie M

Sounds like a nice idea but a lot of work. May be best for people that have plenty of time on their hands. With four horses I'm far to busy mucking out and pooh picking to spend days sewing.

Oct 27, 2009
Rating

Doubt it's cost effective
by: Kelly

May have been a good idea years ago but I doubt you could buy the materials today for less than what a ready made tug would cost.

Never mind the length of time it would take you to sew and have you seen what it costs to have a skirt altered. Imagine what a seamstress would charge to sew up a whole rug.