What rug should I put on my horse tonight?

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.

What is the best horse rug app in Australia?

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.

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.

Can I buy second-hand horse rugs in Australia?

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.

How does the AI rug recommendation work?

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.

What horse breeds does Rugged Up support?

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.

Does Rugged Up work for clipped horses?

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.

Can I sell my old horse rugs on Rugged Up?

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.

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

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.

Rugged up manages 5 data types including horses. Helps you organize, track, and share your work in 1 place for teams and solo users.

What rug does a Thoroughbred need in winter?

Thoroughbreds are hot-blooded with thinner coats and higher LCT (8-10°C unclipped). In Australian winter, an unclipped TB typically needs a 100g lightweight at 10°C, 200g medium at 5°C, and 300g+ heavy below 0°C. Clipped TBs need 100g extra fill at each threshold.

Do Thoroughbreds get colder than other horse breeds?

Yes. Thoroughbreds are hot-blooded horses with naturally thinner coats and higher metabolisms. Their Lower Critical Temperature is around 8-10°C compared to 5°C for warmbloods and 0°C for cold-blooded breeds. They feel cold sooner and need rugging earlier than other breeds.

What rug for an off-the-track (OTT) Thoroughbred?

OTT Thoroughbreds often have compromised coat-growing ability from racing-season clipping and may have lower body condition scores coming off the track. They typically need rugging sooner than other breeds. Start with a 200g medium turnout in winter and monitor body condition. Rugged Up has a dedicated Thoroughbred profile that accounts for racing history.

When should I rug my Thoroughbred in Australia?

In southern states (Victoria, Tasmania, ACT), Thoroughbreds typically need rugging from May through September. In Queensland and northern NSW, rugging may only be needed June-July for overnight lows. Thoroughbreds should be rugged when temperatures approach their LCT of 8-10°C, especially in wet or windy conditions.

🐴 Thoroughbred Rug Guide

Thoroughbreds Feel the Cold First.
Here's What to Do About It.

A complete guide to rugging your Thoroughbred in Australian conditions — plus a free tool that calculates tonight's recommendation automatically.

🐴 Thoroughbred Rug Guide — Australia

Thoroughbreds Feel the Cold First.
Here's What to Do About It.

A complete guide to rugging your Thoroughbred in Australian conditions — plus a free tool that calculates tonight's recommendation automatically.

⏱ 3-min setup🌡️ Real-time weather🆓 Free to start

Today's Rug Plan

Princeton — OTT Thoroughbred

thoroughbredhunter cliphigh sensitivity

🐴

Tonight will be cold with wind chill to 2°C. Clipped Thoroughbred needs extra warmth.

🌅Morning

92%

200g Turnout

07:00 · 6°C · clear

☀️Afternoon

88%

100g Lightweight

13:00 · 14°C · sunny

🌆Evening

90%

200g Turnout

18:00 · 9°C · clear

🌙Overnight

95%

300g Turnout + Neck

00:00 · 3°C · clear

Calculated for your horse's exact profile

🧬 Why Thoroughbreds are different

Why Your Thoroughbred Gets Cold Before Any Other Horse

Thoroughbreds were bred for speed, not warmth. Their skin is thinner, their coat is finer, and they carry less natural body fat than native breeds. This means their Lower Critical Temperature (LCT) — the point at which they start burning energy just to stay warm — is significantly higher than a Warmblood or a native pony.

An unclipped Thoroughbred typically starts feeling the cold at around 8–10°C. A clipped Thoroughbred can need rugging from as warm as 14–16°C.

Compare that to a Warmblood (LCT around 5°C unclipped) or a native pony (LCT as low as 0°C) and you can see why a one-size-fits-all rug guide doesn't work.

🐎

Thoroughbred (unclipped)

Lower Critical Temperature

8–10°C

✂️

Thoroughbred (clipped)

Lower Critical Temperature

14–16°C

🐴

Warmblood (unclipped)

Lower Critical Temperature

~5°C

🦄

Native Pony (unclipped)

Lower Critical Temperature

~0°C

📊 Rug weight guide

Thoroughbred Rug Weight Guide by Temperature

Unclipped, dry, calm

Above 15°C

No rug needed

Unclipped, dry, calm

10–15°C

Light sheet or no rug

Unclipped, dry, calm

5–10°C

100g–200g turnout

Unclipped, dry, calm

Below 5°C

200g–300g turnout

Clipped, dry, calm

Above 16°C

Light sheet

Clipped, dry, calm

10–16°C

100g–200g turnout

Clipped, dry, calm

5–10°C

200g–300g turnout

Clipped, dry, calm

Below 5°C

300g–400g turnout

Any, rain or wind

Add 2–4°C feels-like

Go one weight heavier

Ageing (18+) or underweight

Any temp

Go one weight heavier

Condition	Temperature	Recommended Rug
Unclipped, dry, calm	Above 15°C	No rug needed
Unclipped, dry, calm	10–15°C	Light sheet or no rug
Unclipped, dry, calm	5–10°C	100g–200g turnout
Unclipped, dry, calm	Below 5°C	200g–300g turnout
Clipped, dry, calm	Above 16°C	Light sheet
Clipped, dry, calm	10–16°C	100g–200g turnout
Clipped, dry, calm	5–10°C	200g–300g turnout
Clipped, dry, calm	Below 5°C	300g–400g turnout
Any, rain or wind	Add 2–4°C feels-like	Go one weight heavier
Ageing (18+) or underweight	Any temp	Go one weight heavier

These are starting points only. Your individual horse may need adjustment based on body condition, shelter, and their own thermoregulation. Rugged Up calculates this for your horse specifically.

🌡️ The problem with guessing

The Problem With Rugging by Feel

Most horse owners rug based on what feels cold to them — not what's actually happening at the property at 2am. The coldest point of the night is usually between 3–5am, well after most owners have gone to bed.

A Thoroughbred left in a 200g rug when the overnight temperature drops to 3°C with 25km/h winds is effectively feeling sub-zero conditions.

This is exactly what Rugged Up solves. It pulls real-time and forecast weather for your horse's exact GPS location — not the nearest town — and factors in your horse's breed, clip type, age, and body condition to give you a recommendation for morning, day, evening, and overnight slots.

Try it free

📍 Your Horse's Location

Tyabb VIC

6°

Clear · Overnight low

↑ 14° ↓ 3°

Wind 22 km/h

Feels like 2°

Mon

☁️

14°

6°

Tue

🌧️

11°

4°

Wed

☀️

16°

7°

Thu

⛅

13°

5°

Fri

🌧️

10°

3°

Wind

22 km/h

Humidity

78%

Feels like

2°C

GPS

Exact

🚨

Cold snap alert — overnight low 3°C

Wind chill to −1°C. Consider upping to 300g for your Thoroughbred.

⚠️ Warning signs

Signs Your Thoroughbred Is Too Cold

⚠️

Shivering or muscle trembling

⚠️

Tucked-up stance (hunched back, tail clamped)

⚠️

Reluctance to move away from shelter

⚠️

Feeling cold to the touch behind the ears, on the back, or at the flanks

⚠️

Weight loss despite adequate feed

⚠️

Poor coat condition

If you're seeing any of these regularly, your Thoroughbred is likely under-rugged for overnight conditions. The fix isn't always a heavier rug — sometimes it's about timing (rug change at dusk, not sunset) or adding a neck cover in windy conditions.

🐴 Horse Profile — Rugged Up

NamePrinceton

BreedThoroughbred (OTT)

Age9 years

Clip typeHunter clip

SensitivityHigh

Body condition5/9 — Moderate

HousingPaddock with shelter

Has hay accessAd lib

✨ Tonight's Recommendation

300g Turnout + Neck Cover

Overnight low 3°C · Wind chill −1°C

Stop Guessing. Let the App Work It Out.

Rugged Up gives you a personalised daily rug recommendation for your Thoroughbred — based on tonight's actual weather at your property. Free to use. Takes 3 minutes to set up.

Try Rugged Up Free View pricing →

See how it works → ruggedup.app/#how-it-works

Thoroughbreds Feel the Cold First.Here's What to Do About It.

Thoroughbreds Feel the Cold First.Here's What to Do About It.

Why Your Thoroughbred Gets Cold Before Any Other Horse

Thoroughbred Rug Weight Guide by Temperature

The Problem With Rugging by Feel

Signs Your Thoroughbred Is Too Cold

Stop Guessing. Let the App Work It Out.

Thoroughbreds Feel the Cold First.
Here's What to Do About It.

Thoroughbreds Feel the Cold First.
Here's What to Do About It.