Being a horse owner is no child’s play. Horses are a handful and one would need to spend a ton of time, energy and resources to keep them healthy!
Apart from ensuring that the stable of your horse is weather-proof and is equipped with the necessary temperature-control equipment, you would also need to invest in stable rugs. Why!? Well, your horses are comfortable when they are inside the stable, what about when they are out in the pasture, grazing during the winter!?
A stable rug would ensure that your four-legged bundles of joy are warm, even in snow-filled pastures, during the winter.
Okay, what about storing these expensive rugs!? Does one need to abide by some storing tips to ensure these expensive rugs don’t get spoilt prematurely?
You bet! Here are some of them –
- You should check the stitches and linings of all the horse blankets before storing them away for the summer. A horse rug can get damaged by a horse unknowingly while it is grazing, or having a playful time with other horses. A thorough inspection is advised to keep a rug from sustaining further damage and you buying replacement rugs prematurely!
- In case a rug has sustained damage like a small tear, damaged nylon lining or a damaged adjustment buckle in one of the leg straps, you would need to ensure that this is repaired at the nick of time! You can always seek assistance from a horse rug repair service provider, for the best results, before you pack and store the rugs for the summer!
- Be sure to clean the rugs thoroughly before storing them. You can either do that in a washer, at the Laundromat or seek assistance from companies that offer horse blanket cleaning and repair services. After the rugs are cleaned, be sure to brush them before packing them inside a vacuum-sealed bag.
- Most horse rugs are waterproof but in case the rugs are a bit worn out or do not come with the waterproof feature; you can always spray waterproofing material on the rug, before storing the same!
- In case the leg straps on the rugs are stretched out, you would need to cut out a particular section of a stretched out strap and sew it together. Else, you can also purchase replacement straps. If the straps come with adjustment buckles, you can also adjust the stretched out straps as per the requirement of your horse.
Storing horse rugs should not be a big deal if you follow the tips mentioned above. Furthermore, be sure that the rugs are bone dry before you store them away for the next winter. This is the only way you can keep the blankets free from fungus and mould. For added protection, it is strongly advised that you pack the blankets in vacuum-sealed bags.