Best medium weight turnout rugs with up to 250g fill

Two horses wearing Swish Equestrian medium weight turnout rugs — (Image credit: credit unknown)

Medium weight turnout rugs are an essential item in any clipped horse’s rug wardrobe. The best medium weight turnouts typically have around 200–250g insulation and will provide a clipped horse with some warmth and protection from the elements.

Rugs that are both waterproof and breathable are what everyone is looking for, although different types of horses will suit particular cuts, designs and neck configurations. It’s important that these rugs can withstand a heavy and prolonged rain shower, don’t slip or rub, and can survive the wear and tear that comes with turning your horse out. There’s a lot to consider when choosing a rug – jump to this section for more info on how to work out which rug is best for your horse.

This rug has a 600D ripstop outer, nylon lining and fully taped seams. It benefits from anti-rub shoulder linings, shoulder gussets and a gusseted tail flap. The JHL Essential fastens with adjustable buckle and clips at the chest, adjustable cross surcingles and adjustable, removable leg straps. It also has fleece protection at the wither, and the standard neck has three D-rings to attach a neck cover that can be purchased separately.

This is a top-of-the-range WeatherBeeta rug so it’s packed with extra features. It uses the new WeatherBeeta liner system and features the Cozi chest guard and memory foam wither relief pad that lifts the rug off the wither to reduce rubbing. The ballistic nylon outer shell has a waterproof and breathable coating, while the adjustable belly wrap offers extra comfort and warmth. It fastens with a double adjustable quick-clip front closure and has a reflective gusset and insert on tail wrap for extra visibility.

This 1200D turnout from Swish is compatible with Swish rug liners and comes with a detachable neck cover that fastens with two double-locking Velcro straps. It is designed to sit higher on the neck and shoulders to prevent the rug from slipping back and rubbing. It has reflective strips on the front, rear and tail flap, as well as large shoulder gussets, cross surcingles, a tail flap and removable, elasticated leg straps.

This rug from LeMieux has been developed using a two-part patented system – the independent lower skirt delivers a break in the hemline, which relieves tension and allows for a greater range of movement, while the central panel helps to self-right the rug and provides added protection. The angled front closure system evenly balances and distributes pressure, helping to prevent rubbing on the point of shoulder and across the chest.

This rug has interwoven reflective yarn that illuminates in low lighting conditions. The Vari-Layer technology means that with 250g fill across your horse’s back and 100g on the sides, the rug is warmer without the extra weight. It also has an additional waterproof inner layer, which is a handy extra barrier if the outer becomes damaged. It fastens with a V-front closure that reduces pressure on the shoulder and can be used on a variety of shapes but is ideal for broader horses. It also has three cross surcingles, leg straps and a tail-holding strap.

Manufacturers are constantly innovating and introducing new features to their lightweight turnout rugs, such as shaped padding to protect the withers and new designs of shoulder gusset to allow additional freedom of movement. Choosing between neck styles – standard with no neck, detachable or integrated – is mostly down to what suits your horse best, but detachable is certainly the most versatile, allowing you to remove the neck when the weather’s a little warmer or if your horse is prone to rubbing. Many of the best turnout rugs, however, feature special anti-rub linings that should go some way to help prevent this.

Fastenings are important because there’s nothing more annoying that having to find a spare buckle or replace your leg straps with a fillet string made of baler twine. Good quality, easy to fasten and comfortable for your horse are what you’re looking for here. Some rugs will have elasticated leg straps, while others will have clips rather than buckles at the front – have a good think about what you prefer and what will work for your horse because you’ll be using them every day.

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Georgia is Horse & Hound’s deputy website editor and equestrian products expert. She curates content across the website with a particular focus on upcoming equestrian events horse care and buying advice. She also manages all the ecommerce opportunities that allow us to give you easy access to the best products at the lowest prices via our buying guides. Georgia has first-hand knowledge of all the equestrian brands and their ever-evolving product lines, having been working with them closely since she started in equestrian media in 2015.

Best medium weight turnout rugs for chillier days

Best medium weight turnout rugs

WeatherBeeta ComFiTec Plus Dynamic II Medium

JHL Essential Medium Turnout

Hy StormX Original 200 Turnout

Shires Highlander Original 200 Turnout Rug

WeatherBeeta ComFiTec Ultra Cozi II Medium

Mark Todd Mediumweight Turnout Rug

Rhinegold Konig Turnout

Hy DefenceX System 200 Turnout

Swish 200g Turnout

LeMieux Arika Storm-Tek Rug

Horseware Rhino Reflectech Plus With Vari-Layer

Mackey Wicklow Turnout

Whitaker Angus Combo Turnout

How to choose the best turnout rug

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