A rug (UK), blanket (equine and other livestock, US), or coat (canine and other companion animals, US) is a covering or
garment
Clothing (also known as clothes, garments, dress, apparel, or attire) is any item worn on a human human body, body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin s ...
made by humans to protect their
pets from the elements, as in a ''horse rug'' or ''dog coat''.
Rugs are also used to protect the
pelage of show animals, particularly if the wool or fleece is to be judged, as in
alpaca
The alpaca (''Lama pacos'') is a species of South American camelid mammal. Traditionally, alpacas were kept in herds that grazed on the level heights of the Andes of Southern Peru, Western Bolivia, Ecuador, and Northern Chile. More recentl ...
fleece sent to an
agricultural show
An agricultural show is a public event exhibiting the equipment, animals, sports and recreation associated with agriculture and animal husbandry. The largest comprise a livestock show (a judged event or display in which selective breeding, bree ...
, where it would be desirable to have the wool free from dirt and debris. Small dogs and dogs with thin pelage often need protection from
extreme weather
Extreme weather includes unexpected, unusual, severe weather, severe, or unseasonal weather; weather at the extremes of the historical distribution—the range that has been seen in the past. Extreme events are based on a location's recorded weat ...
.
[Annalisa Berta, James L. Sumich, Kit M. Kovacs, Pieter Arend Folkens, Peter J. Adam. 2006]
Horse rugs
Horse rugs are used for many reasons. They can be waterproof to keep the horse dry in wet weather and allow it to be turned out. They are also used as a means of providing extra warmth, especially to clipped horses, as well as a method of keeping flies off the animal in summer. They help keep a horse clean.
See also
*
Coat (animal)
Coat is the nature and quality of a mammal's fur. In the animal fancy, coat is an attribute that reflects the quality of a specimen's Selective breeding, breeding as well as the level of the animal's Animal husbandry, care, conditioning, and man ...
References
{{horse-stub
Dog equipment
Dog shows and showing
Horse management