11/11/2025
With this unusually warm November weather lots of customers are using zero fill turnouts.
I remember a conversation I had over 10 years ago with a rug manufacturer regarding these rugs. I had a pony with cushings at the time, he was retired and unclipped, I explained that I needed a no fill rug as he was hairy but the cushings meant his coat wasn’t waterproof. They said they wouldn’t advise any of their no fill rugs would be suitable for anything other than spring and autumn showers as a warm pony on the inside with a cold wet outer could create condensation. Despite this I am still using no fills on my own ponies at the moment as they are unclipped, they do not live out though.
Every so often I have rugs that come in for reproofing as they are “leaking”, some are definitely past the point of no return and not even Nikwax reproofer will save them. Others can be damp on the inside due to condensation or even sweat! Some just need a reproof to create a barrier to help the water run off the outer fabric.
There is no simple yes or no answer when it comes to reproofing, to help me decide if your rug would benefit from it please do let me know when your rug comes in if it’s leaking. After 19 years of running the business I’ve washed, tested and cut up lots of turnouts! I know which ones are made well and which aren’t.
When it comes to choosing a no fill rug make sure the denier is as high as you can find, ideally choose a rug with a barrier in between the outer and the lining, this helps to keep the outer wet fabric from being in contact with your horse’s skin.
I have attached a few photos to help explain a little about what I have been talking about. I am more than happy to look at any rugs you think aren’t waterproof and help advise on the best course of action. A few times a year I will wash and reproof a rug only to find once it’s dry it definitely won’t be waterproof. In this case I will contact you to let you know and you will not be charged for the rug. I’d much rather lose some money than your horse come in soaked through and have an unhappy customer that they’ve paid for a rug that is useless!
Turnaround time at the moment is still sadly a few weeks. Over the last 2 weeks the washing machine ball bearings have gone, I broke a needle on the sewing machine that wedged inside the mechanism meaning I had to wait to have it repaired and we have had a family bereavement, they say things come in 3’s! At this time of year the volume of rugs coming in puts great pressure on the machines meaning breakdown are more common. Please do message me if you have rugs here and would like an estimate on when they will be ready. I’m working as fast I can to get back down to a 1 week turnaround.
Thank you so much for your patience, Emma
