This year marks 30 years of ground-breaking rug technology from Horseware and to celebrate we have joined up with Horseware to offer you the chance to win £500 worth of Horseware goodies!
For those of you who might not know about Horseware’s history, we’ve gathered together some facts and features about the pioneering rugs that have changed the industry.
Horseware was founded in Dundalk, Ireland in 1985 by Tom MacGuinness. He looked to create a waterproof yet breathable and warm rug for horses and after months of research and testing from his family’s home, the Rambo Original was created. The iconic green and red Rambo Turnout (below) was the rug that revolutionised the equestrian blanket industry: Rambo Duo 400g Limited Edition Turnout.
When Tom began Horseware 30 years ago, people used New Zealand or jute rugs to protect their horses. These fabrics did not breathe, lost their waterproof abilities easily and were extremely heavy to lift. Furthermore, the poor fit of the rugs caused many of the rugs to slide off the horse, which became a danger to the animal itself.
After attending an information day on fabrics, Tom learnt about the latest waterproof technologies, which matched up to his desire to design a lightweight, breathable and waterproof rug. This would be better for both the horse and owner. So, Tom began making the famous Rambo rugs with super-tough and lightweight ballistic nylon, then adding the Aquatrans coating to make it waterproof and breathable. This has revolutionised the horse rugging industry, and now many other rug companies have followed suit. The use of versions of nylon, polypropylene and polyester as outer materials is now commonplace.
You can watch the behind the scenes video from Horseware Ireland: The making of ‘Rugs for Life’ here: https://youtu.be/EY1j-VPJMcY
Follow the campaign on Twitter and Facebook using the #Rugsforlife
(Source: Horse and Hound)
