Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about rug weights, sizing, fit, care, delivery and returns. If your question is not answered here, contact us and we will answer it directly — and probably add it to this page.

What rug weight does my horse need?

As a general guide for UK conditions:

• Above 10°C, wet — 0g rainsheet. Waterproof, no fill, no risk of overheating.
• 5°C to 15°C — 50g or 100g lightweight turnout. The 100g is our biggest seller and covers most of the UK year.
• 0°C to 10°C — 200g mediumweight turnout.
• Below 0°C — 300g or 350g heavyweight turnout, often with a neck cover.

Adjust for the horse in front of you. Clipped horses, older horses, thoroughbreds and fine-coated types generally need one step up. Hardy natives, good doers and horses with field shelter generally need one step down. Wind and rain matter more than the air temperature alone.

How do I measure my horse for a rug?

Measure from the centre of the chest, along the side of the body, to the end of the hindquarters. That measurement in feet and inches is your rug size.

Measure with the horse standing square on level ground, and use a soft tape or a piece of string you then measure against a tape. If you fall between two sizes, go up rather than down — a rug that is slightly long is far more comfortable than one that pulls across the shoulder.

What is the difference between a turnout rug and a stable rug?

A turnout rug has a waterproof, breathable outer and is designed for horses living out. A stable rug is quilted and not waterproof, designed for horses kept in a dry stable.

Putting a stable rug on a horse in the field will leave you with a soaked, cold horse. Stable rugs can, however, be layered underneath a turnout rug to add warmth without buying a heavier turnout.

What does 600D or 1200D mean?

Denier (D) measures the strength and abrasion resistance of the outer fabric. It has nothing to do with warmth.

600D is lighter and more flexible, and suits horses that are reasonably kind to their rugs. 1200D and 1680D are tougher and more tear-resistant, worth the extra for horses turned out in groups, playful youngsters, or anything that treats a hedge as a scratching post.

A 600D 300g rug is warmer than a 1200D 100g rug. Denier and fill weight are two separate decisions.

Will a neck cover fit my Turner rug?

Yes, if the rug is 5'0 or larger. All of our turnout rugs are built with integrated D-rings, and our detachable neck covers clip straight onto them.

This is deliberate — it means one rug can be a standard neck rug on a mild day and a combo on a wet, windy one, rather than owning two rugs. Neck covers are available in 0g, 50g, 100g and 200g fill weights, and in the full colour range so you can match or contrast with the rug you already have.

Should I buy a combo rug or a standard rug with a detachable neck?

A combo (integrated neck) rug is simpler and there is no join for rain to find. A standard rug plus a detachable neck cover is more flexible and usually works out cheaper across a season, because you are buying one rug rather than two.

If your horse lives out year-round in an exposed field, a combo is a sound buy. If your weather and your horse's workload change through the week, the detachable system gives you more control.

Are your turnout rugs actually waterproof?

Yes. Every turnout rug in our range is waterproof and breathable — the outer keeps rain out, while the fabric allows moisture from the horse to escape so they do not end up damp underneath from their own sweat.

Waterproofing on any rug degrades with age, UV exposure and washing. Reproofing spray, applied to a clean and dry rug at the start of the season, extends the life considerably.

My horse is clipped. What should I put on?

A clipped horse has lost its natural insulation, so it generally needs one full step up from what an unclipped horse of the same type would wear.

In practice that usually means a 100g rug where you would otherwise use a 0g or 50g, a 200g where you would use a 100g, and a 300g or 350g with a neck cover through deep winter. A trace clip needs less than a full or hunter clip.

Check under the rug regularly. A horse that is warm and dry at the shoulder and behind the wither is rugged correctly; a sweaty one is over-rugged.

Do you make rugs for small ponies and Shetlands?

Yes. Our turnout rugs run from 3'0 through to 7'0, and we keep a dedicated range for anything under 5'0.

These are not scaled-down adult rugs — they are cut and proportioned for a smaller frame, with correctly placed leg straps and a fit that will not slip round. Small ponies are poorly served by most rug ranges, which is why we make them.

Do bear in mind that hardy natives usually need less rug than their size suggests. A 0g rainsheet or a 100g lightweight covers most through a normal winter.

Are your fly rugs suitable for a horse with sweet itch?

Our full neck combo fly rugs use a fine, breathable mesh designed to keep midges, flies and horseflies off the skin, and are commonly used by owners managing sweet itch. The full neck combo gives the most coverage.

Sweet itch is a genuine allergic condition, and a fly rug is one part of managing it alongside stabling at dawn and dusk, midge repellents and veterinary advice. No rug is a cure on its own.

The mesh also blocks UV, which helps prevent coat bleaching on dark horses through the summer.

What is the difference between a fly rug and your hybrid mesh sheet?

A standard fly rug is mesh throughout — maximum airflow, insect protection, no rain protection.

Our hybrid fly and waterproof mesh sheet combines a breathable mesh lower section with a 600D ripstop waterproof upper. It is designed for the British summer as it actually behaves: flies one hour and a downpour the next. Fitted with cross surcingles, leg straps and a tail flap, in sizes 4'9 to 7'0.

How should I wash and store a turnout rug?

Always follow the care label on your specific rug first. As general practice: brush off dried mud before washing rather than putting a caked rug straight in, wash cool without fabric conditioner (conditioner clogs the breathable membrane), and never tumble dry.

Dry the rug fully before storing it — a damp rug folded away in April will be a mouldy rug in September. Reproof at the start of the season rather than the end, once the rug is clean and dry.

Domestic washing machines struggle with heavier rugs. A specialist rug wash service is usually cheaper than replacing the machine.

What size haynet should I buy?

Our small hole haynets come in two sizes. The 42" large holds roughly 6kg of hay and suits daytime feeding, shorter stable periods and travelling. The 50" extra large holds more and is intended for overnight feeding.

For field feeding, our 4ft heavy duty round bale net fits a standard round bale.

Why use a small hole haynet?

Our slow feed nets use approximately 2" x 2" mesh. Smaller holes slow forage intake, which reduces gorging, cuts hay waste, extends feeding time and encourages more natural trickle feeding.

They are widely used to support weight management in good doers and to keep stabled horses occupied for longer, which helps with boredom-related stable habits.

Ours are built with reinforced rope, metal rings and durable mesh, with a large base ring to make filling quicker. The haynet is the product Turner Equestrian started with, because the ones we were buying kept failing.

How much is delivery and how quickly will my order arrive?

UK delivery is free on orders over £50. Delivery options, costs and estimated timescales for your address — including next-day services where available — are shown at checkout before you pay.

We ship internationally as well as within the UK.

What is your returns policy?

UK customers have the right to cancel within 14 days of receiving goods under the Consumer Contracts Regulations, with a further 14 days to return the items. On top of that, we offer a 30-day goodwill returns window from delivery for unused items. International customers may request a return within 30 days of delivery.

Items must come back unused, unworn, unwashed, clean and dry, in their original packaging with tags attached, together with a completed Returns Form (downloadable from our Contact Us page). Change-of-mind return postage is the customer's responsibility, and we recommend a tracked service.

Refunds are processed within 7 working days of inspection, and no later than 14 days in busy periods, to the original payment method. Nothing in our policy affects your statutory rights.

Can I try a rug on my horse and still return it?

Yes, but carefully. You may inspect an item as you would in a shop, for size and fit only.

Rugs must be tried on over a clean cotton sheet or lightweight under-rug. A rug returned with hair, dirt, stable odour or any sign of use cannot be refunded, because we cannot resell it. Try it on a clean, dry horse, indoors, and keep the packaging.

What if my item arrives faulty or damaged?

Contact us before returning it. Faulty items must be returned clean and dry, and are inspected by our quality control team; in some cases a manufacturer or specialist assessment is needed, which can take up to 28 days.

Where a fault is confirmed we will offer a repair, replacement or refund as appropriate. Damage from wear and tear, poor fit, misuse or force — burst zips, broken straps, rugs torn by rolling or snagging — is not a manufacturing fault.

How do I care for silicone grip riding leggings?

Our riding leggings are 80% polyester, 20% elastane with a micro fleece lining. The fabric will pill if washed too hot, so hand wash where possible, wash inside out to protect the stitching and silicone, wash with similar colours only, and dry naturally. Cool iron only.

Avoid wearing silicone leggings in high temperatures or for very long durations, as silicone can transfer when overheated. The fabric is dyed, so avoid prolonged contact with light-coloured leather and saddlery.

Who are Turner Equestrian?

Turner Equestrian is a UK own-brand manufacturer of horse rugs, yard essentials, saddlery, riding wear and agricultural workwear, trading as Turner Stores Ltd (company number 11546206), based in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire.

The business grew out of more than twenty years of owning and caring for horses, and out of a specific frustration: the ongoing cost of running a yard properly, and haynets that kept failing. We started by building a better haynet, and expanded from there into turnout rugs, stable rugs, fly protection and the rest of the range.

We design and sell our own products rather than reselling other brands, which is what lets us keep the specification up and the price sensible.