Horse Rug Calculator — What Does Your Horse Need Tonight?
Use this guide to calculate the right rug for your horse based on breed, clip type, and tonight's temperature. Or let Rugged Up do it automatically — every day, for every horse in your paddock.
Horse Rug Calculator — What Does Your Horse Need Tonight?
Use this guide to calculate the right rug for your horse based on breed, clip type, and tonight's temperature. Or let Rugged Up do it automatically — every day, for every horse in your paddock.
Rugged Up — Smart Calculator
Tonight's Recommendation
200g Turnout
7°C · Clear
No rug needed
18°C · Sunny
100g Lightweight
12°C · Cooling
300g + Neck Cover
3°C · Clear + Wind
vs. static table: same horse, same night
Horse Rug Weight Guide — By Temperature and Horse Type
Native/WB: No rug
TB/Arabian: No rug
Clipped: Light sheet (sun/UV)
Native/WB: No rug
TB/Arabian: Light sheet
Clipped: 0g–100g sheet
Native/WB: Light sheet or no rug
TB/Arabian: 100g turnout
Clipped: 100g–200g turnout
Native/WB: 100g–200g turnout
TB/Arabian: 200g turnout
Clipped: 200g–300g turnout
Native/WB: 200g–300g turnout
TB/Arabian: 300g turnout
Clipped: 300g–400g turnout
Native/WB: 300g+ turnout
TB/Arabian: 300g–400g turnout
Clipped: 400g+ with neck cover
| Temperature | Unclipped Native/WB | Unclipped TB/Arabian | Clipped (Any Breed) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Above 20°C | No rug | No rug | Light sheet (sun/UV) |
| 15–20°C | No rug | Light sheet | 0g–100g sheet |
| 10–15°C | Light sheet or no rug | 100g turnout | 100g–200g turnout |
| 5–10°C | 100g–200g turnout | 200g turnout | 200g–300g turnout |
| 0–5°C | 200g–300g turnout | 300g turnout | 300g–400g turnout |
| Below 0°C | 300g+ turnout | 300g–400g turnout | 400g+ with neck cover |
Add 1–2°C to the "feels-like" for every 10km/h of wind speed.
Add a waterproof outer if rain is forecast, even light rain.
This table gives a starting point only. Your horse's individual factors — body condition, age, shelter, coat stage, and health — can shift the recommendation significantly.
Why a Static Table Can't Give You the Right Answer
A rug calculator table assumes average conditions and an average horse. But no horse is average. A 24-year-old Thoroughbred mare who's recently lost condition needs a very different rug from a 6-year-old Warmblood gelding with a full winter coat — even if they're standing in the same paddock.
And the weather matters more than most people realise. The temperature at midnight is often 4–6°C colder than at 9pm. Wind adds chill. Rain changes everything.
This is why Rugged Up exists — to replace the static table with a dynamic, personalised recommendation that updates with the weather and knows your horse.
Rugged Up — Smart Calculator
Tonight's Recommendation
200g Turnout
7°C · Clear
No rug needed
18°C · Sunny
100g Lightweight
12°C · Cooling
300g + Neck Cover
3°C · Clear + Wind
vs. static table: same horse, same night
What Rugged Up Does That This Table Can't
GPS-exact weather
Real-time data for your property coordinates — not the nearest town
Breed LCT profiles
Breed-specific Lower Critical Temperature for 12+ breeds
4-slot daily plan
Morning, day, evening, overnight — separate recommendation for each
Wind & rain adjusted
Chill factor and waterproofing need calculated automatically
Weather alerts
Notified when a weather event changes tonight's recommendation
Learns over time
Adjusts as you give feedback on what's working for your horse
The Smarter Version of This Calculator
Rugged Up does all of this automatically — every day, for every horse you have. Free to use. Set up in 3 minutes.