Question 1

What rug should I put on my horse tonight?

Accepted Answer

The right rug depends on your horse's breed, clip type, age, body condition, and the actual weather at their location. Rugged Up calculates this automatically. As a guide: unclipped horses need rugging below 5-8°C, trace-clipped horses below 8-10°C, fully clipped horses below 12-16°C. Wind, rain, and humidity also affect the equine effective temperature.

Question 2

What is the best horse rug app in Australia?

Accepted Answer

Rugged Up (ruggedup.app) is Australia's first AI-powered horse rug recommendation app. It gives daily personalised rug recommendations based on your horse's profile and real-time local weather, and includes a second-hand rug marketplace.

Question 3

Is Rugged Up free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Rugged Up has a free Rider plan including 1 horse, 5 rugs, 10 AI messages/month, and daily rug recommendations. Pro Rider is $10/month for unlimited horses and rugs. Business is $25/month for multi-rider management.

Question 4

Can I buy second-hand horse rugs in Australia?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Rugged Up second-hand marketplace at ruggedup.app/secondhand-marketplace lets Australian horse owners buy and sell pre-loved horse rugs with verified sellers. It is free to list and browse.

Question 5

How does the AI rug recommendation work?

Accepted Answer

Rugged Up uses your horse's breed classification, body condition score, clip type, coat stage, age, health conditions, acclimatization factor, and local weather forecast to calculate the horse's Lower Critical Temperature (LCT). It then determines the insulation required in grams of fill and recommends the optimal rug or rug combination from your inventory for each time of day.

Question 6

What horse breeds does Rugged Up support?

Accepted Answer

Rugged Up supports thoroughbreds, warmbloods, Arabians, quarter horses, Clydesdales, Friesians, Andalusians, Welsh ponies, Shetland ponies, and other breeds. Each breed classification (cold-blooded, warm-blooded, hot-blooded) affects the LCT calculation.

Question 7

Does Rugged Up work for clipped horses?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Rugged Up supports all clip types (trace, blanket, hunter, full clip) and adjusts the LCT accordingly. Clipped horses have a higher LCT and need rugging at warmer temperatures than unclipped horses.

Question 8

Can I sell my old horse rugs on Rugged Up?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Sign up for a free account at ruggedup.app/secondhand-marketplace/sell, snap a photo of your rug, and the AI will auto-fill the listing details. There are no listing fees or commissions — you keep 100% of the sale.

Question 9

What is the Lower Critical Temperature (LCT) for horses?

Accepted Answer

The LCT is the temperature below which a horse needs additional insulation (rugging) to maintain body heat. For most unclipped adult horses, the LCT is around 5-8°C. Clipped horses, young horses, thin horses, and those with health conditions have a higher LCT.

Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started

How do I create an account?

Is Rugged Up really free?

What devices can I use?

Rug Recommendations

How accurate are the recommendations?

Can I override the recommendation?

How often do recommendations update?

Weather & Alerts

How local is the weather data?

What kind of alerts will I receive?

Can I turn off notifications?

Managing Horses & Rugs

Can I add multiple horses?

Do I need to add my rugs to the system?

Can I update my horse's information?

Still Have Questions?