How to stop rug rubs
Today we are going to be talking rug rubs!
Why rug rubs happen, how to treat rug rubs and, most importantly, how to avoid rug rubs!
WHY RUG RUBS HAPPEN?
You may be surprised to hear that the main culprit of “Rug Rubs” isn’t actually the rug!
Think about it, our horse’s can comfortably wear rugs throughout spring and autumn but in winter and summer (fly rugs), rug rubs come at us in full force and we have patchy looking horses! And it’s not even the cosmetic appearance that’s the worst for me, its that my horses' rug rubs could get that severe that they’d bleed and scab over. All I can think is how uncomfortable they’re for my horses!
Anyway, if they can wear rugs throughout some seasons and not others, what could be the actual cause? …. You’ve got it, the weather!
When the weather becomes overly cold or overly hot, it dries out the horses' skin and coat. Think about your own hair and skin in this weather. Our hair goes dry and our skin does too, resulting in itchy dry patches on us. Usually, as humans, we combat this with skin moisturisers and extra hair masks!
But for horses, we cover them in rugs which inevitably cause unavoidable friction. When the coat and skin is healthy, it can cope with this friction, when it’s dry & irritated, it can’t! And that’s when you get a rug rub!
HOW TO AVOID RUG RUBS?
From everything we just spoke about, we know we need to keep our horses skin and coat hydrated and healthy. Sounds easier said that done, right? It’s not like we can use a moisturising cream over our entire horse daily!
No…but this is where STAY PERFECT comes in.
This has a whole host of skin and coat benefits but today, we’ll talk about those to do with rugs.
First; it’s anti-bacterial! We all know how stinky horses can get, and this means bacteria! We are then, reusing the same rugs daily on them. I know we all like to wash our rugs but I don’t know anyone who washes them as much as they’d like too which means our horses rugs are a bacteria-house! Grim thought, but it’s true! It’s the number one reason why and how our horses get bacterial skin issues.
By spritzing on STAY PERFECT daily, we are killing off as many germs as possibly and overall “refreshing” our horses entire body in-between rug changes helping to keep their skin healthy!
STAY PERFECT is also incredibly hydrating to the skin and create a little hydrating/cushioning barrier. This is not only going to help defuse friction but also the hydrating affect will keep their coat and skin healthy, strong and more resilient to rug rubs!
SOLUTION
- As a last stage before you’re about the re-rug your horse, simply spritz STAY PERFECT over your horse’s entire body. Pay particular attention to areas that are most affected by rug rubs. I.e. chest, shoulders and mane!
- With a finishing brush or mitt, gently buff over your horse to ensure the product is absorbed and that your horse’s hairs are all lying flat and in one direction. This also creates the most gorgeous shine!
- Obviously, if you’re concerned about mane rug rubs, ensure you’re using BEAUTIFY OIL on it as often as needed. Usually this is only about 2-3 times per week.
TOP TIP: Avoid using any silicone products. This are found in detangling sprays, shampoos and shine sprays. Silicones are hydrophobic which means they repel water and further dry out your horses skin and coat.
HOW TO TREAT RUG RUBS?
If your horse has rub rubs already, here’s how to treat them without having to stop using rugs!