Opinion's on Rhino & Amigo Wug Blankets

[WindyCityRider]

The time has come to purchase a new medium weight turnout blanket for my guy, after having his Weatherbetta for nearly 12 years. It has held up wonderfully, and over those years only required two patch jobs. After taking it out from its bag, I noticed that it likely won’t stand up to another wash without disintegrating lol That’s a bit of an exaggeration, obviously, but it is obvious it’s time for a new one. Can’t complain, 12 years is pretty darn good!

I’d like to get him a Wug style, however I am hesitant to spend $300 on a Rambo (although I know they are the best quality!). He is not rough on blankets, however is turned out with other horses and tends to be in the lower part of the pecking order. I know Rambo has two “off-brands” with their Rhino and Amigo brand, however I know very little about the quality of these.

I would love any feedback on the Rhino and Amigo Wug’s, and if I should just give in a purchase a Rambo that I know is going to be excellent. Thanks for all of your help, in advance!

[kashmere]

My mare wears a mid weight (250g) Amigo Bravo. It’s great quality. Fits like a glove, keeps her dry and toasty (even in a complete downpour, she’s never even a tiny bit damp anywhere). It’s not the wug style, it’s a regular neck with a detachable hood, but all in all I love the quality. I am lucky in that she is not hard on blankets (not much of a roller, sleeps like a little statue in one position lying down, and has a pretty impressive mare glare that keeps pests from tugging on it too much), but even then, I feel like it would hold up pretty well.

My coach’s horse just grew out of the Rambo she bought him last year, and while she loved the blanket she said she didn’t see a huuuge difference in quality between the Rambo and the Amigo/Rhino lines. She didn’t replace it with another Rambo.

[alteringwego]

My horse got terrible rubs from the amigos and rhinos. Just splurge for the rambos for fit. To save money call the horseware outlet in Kinston, NC and ask them what they have. They’re often a huge discount.

[poltroon]

I’ve had two of the Rhino Wugs and am very happy with them. I like how easily they go on and stay on. I like that the straps are easy and quick to apply. I’ve never had a horse get wet in one, and my horses roll in them, stand out in the rain, etc. The first horse who wore one was a typical TB; the second is an Arabian.

The first Wug lasted about 10 years of regular use; it is still usable but I don’t have a horse it fits any longer.

I don’t wash them often if at all; mostly I just brush them clean.

[RedHorses]

I ran a Rambo Wug and a Rhino Wug on two horses at the same time in the same place and felt that the Rhino was better value for my money. I do have a Rambo now, but I snagged it barely used for less than a new Rhino.

Durability really depends on your specific situation and the horses involved. I knew someone who had their horse pull off and shred a new Rambo in the first week. I had a Rhino last six years before the outer fabric disintegrated (I suspect UV damage).

[CanteringCarrot]

I love my Rambo Wug. My horse plays hard, rolls, and us out in the rain sometimes. I’ve had no issues with the Wug. I hesitated to buy the Rhino version because my last horse (similar playfulness) tore his a few times, and I remember having to repair it more than once. The Rambo hasn’t let me down. He does have an Amigo mid weight as a back up, but I haven’t used it yet (1200D Medium). I think Rambo is worth it, especially for herd turnout in my case.

[SquishTheBunny]

I have them all.

Older rambos were the best on the market, I have one that’s about 20 years old.

As far as fit, the wugs all fit the exact same. They are the same cut. Quality is best with rambo, but the rhino and amigo are not bad to say the least. I have all of them but the “picked on” horses always get the rambos. The ones who are less likely to destroy get the rhino or amigos and Fwiw I have some that are close to 10 years old in decent shape. They do get more “snags” than the rambos but no big rips!

[hunterjumper98]

At the moment I currently own an Amigo Bravo 1200D and a Rhino High Neck Wug.

My favorite is hands down the Rhino Wug. In my opinion, it is an awesome blanket for the price point! The fit is just perfect for my warmblood and stays nice and secure no matter how crazy he gets during turnout. Also, I adore the high neck feature as it keeps my horse warm and dry no matter how nasty the weather is. It also doesn’t hurt that he looks ravishing in it.

To put it simply: BUY ONE! You won’t regret it!

[retrofit]

I have both Rhino & Rambo Wugs. The Rhinos are just as tough but what I like about the Rambos is that they have an extra velcro strap in the front closure that fits better on the narrower horses and also keeps everything closed up. Over time the Rhino velcro becomes coated with hair (yes even after washing) and doesn’t stay closed. Not that big of a deal on a sheet but if you’re trying to keep a horse warm in a medium weight, I don’t want the front gaping open.

With that said I’ve also had Weatherbeetas and they are outstanding quality too.

Just a note on fit - if Weatherbeeta fit your horse, you may find the Rambos a bit narrow. Also IME the Weatherbeetas run REALLY big as do Rambos, i.e. a 78" WB would be a 78" Rambo but the same horse would need an 81" in Amigo or Rhino.

Happy blanket shopping!

[SkipHiLad4me]

I’ve purchased a number of brands of blankets over the years for my Paint gelding and his Rhino Wug remains my absolute favorite. I’ve had trouble with some blankets not fitting him well in the shoulder/neck but no worries on the Rhino - fits him like a glove. No rubs, even when I body clipped him one winter and he lived in that blanket most of the winter. I also like that it has no leg straps to deal with and still stays in place. I’ve had mine at least 7-8 years and it gets washed at least once a year. I’ve re-waterproofed it a couple of times just to be safe. It’s still in excellent condition and I’ve definitely gotten my money’s worth out of that blanket. The only negative thing I can say about this blanket (and it’s not really negative) is that the “drop” on the blanket is not as long as some of my other blankets. I wish it were a tad longer but it’s made to be more of a fitted style so it still covers all of the important body parts well.

[poltroon]

The only negative thing I can say about this blanket (and it’s not really negative) is that the “drop” on the blanket is not as long as some of my other blankets. I wish it were a tad longer but it’s made to be more of a fitted style so it still covers all of the important body parts well.

Ha, the Arab I have wearing one looks like he’s wearing a tent. But it seems comfortable for him, and it stays put even when he rolls in it.

[TWH_Girl]

What happened to this post?? some of the responses are gone. I know mine is.

[Against_All_Odds1]

I find amigo’s to last 2 seasons due to the (poor) waterproofing. The Rhino line is actually my favorite from Horseware.

[poltroon]

What happened to this post?? some of the responses are gone. I know mine is.

I believe there are two with the same title. I stumbled into the other one and was also confused!

[Frog_Pond]

Had the same conundrum recently, solved it by locating a SmartPak sale email and noticing that the Rhino Wug was available for $150. Fingers crossed that this was the right move. My guy’s not too hard on blankets.

[J-Lu]

My horse (fine-boned warmblood) has a mid-weight Weatherbeeta that seems to sit low on his shoulders. I purchased another Rhino high-neck similar weight (~220g) blanket and … it turns out that the Rhino produces rubs. Not major rubs but I can see on the hair shearing that there are rubs in the shoulder hairs with the Rhino. The cut fits some horses but not others. Well, all blankets fit some horses but not others.

[retrofit]

JLu - I had the exact same problem with a fine-boned warmblood. That’s why I love the Rambo with the extra velcro closure in front. It helps keep it up on his chest & shoulders. Or you could go with either Schneider’s or Tough-1 with the shoulder velcro pull-straps.