All summer season, he/she’s been joyously naked, and you ‘d forgotten the rug palaver that follows as quickly as the weather condition turns. And turn it has. So now you’re back to this again …
1. Pulling off a sopping damp rug and somehow covering yourself up in it like a cold, upset, living mummy in the process.
2. Wishing like mad that you had one of those luxury heated rug driers– they are actually the height of luxury! As it is, there are few places where you can spread out a heavy, wet 6 foot rug and expect it to get dry reasonably well.
3. Attempting to hang a damp rug up while mud (a bit of you will hope it’s mud) and water (at least you hope it’s water) drips all over you.
4. That stuff caked under the tail strap. Yeah, that’s poo. Great.
5. Why will the blasted thing not dry? 2 days later, and it’s still as damp as when you took it off, but now it smells wet and stagnant, too.
6. At this moment, someone willingly explains that, ‘If you leave it on the horse, it dries much quicker.’ Thanks for that. Actually helpful.
7. That unique damp rug scent. Wet poo, mould and horse. Urgh.
8. Worrying when it’s tipping and blowing a wind down with cold rain that your horse is too cold, and will be even chillier if the rug somehow blows off.
9. Stressing on relatively mild nights that your horse is over-rugged.
10. Did they really re-proof it appropriately when you took it to be cleaned all set for winter season? Now you’re not too sure …
11. Attempting to fasten buckles and straps with freezing cold fingers. How long does it take?
12. Getting the surcingles untwisted before putting the rug on. Rapunzel’s hair had absolutely nothing on these tangles.
13. Trying to adjust the rug in high winds in the middle of a field with your horse constantly in your pocket looking for treats,
14. Your horse’s proud face as he trots beside you in the field with the neck/surcingle/front fastenings torn off and the rest of the rug flapping about in the breeze. “I’ve been working on this all night, Mum, but in the end it was Horse: One. Rug: Nil!”.
15. Tryng to repair by sewing a patch on with your sewing machine and breaking all your spare needles.
16. There’s only one thing for it– you need to get another rug …
