PRODUCT REVIEW: WEATHERBEETA COMFITEC PREMIER FREE II DETACH-A-NECK

Written by brand ambassador Antje

Cold winters require tough turnout rugs to battle the weather, and last year was no exception. One of our brand ambassadors, Antje, reached for the WeatherBeeta ComFiTec Premier Free II Detach-A-Neck Medium to keep her ex racehorse mare, Shari, protected all winter long. She has now shared her experience with us...

We were really able to take our time and had many days of putting the rug on and take it off, it being pulled, playing with field companions, going out walking and enjoying.

Shari was supposed to go hunting in autumn. That’s why she had been clipped. Unfortunately COVID 19, had other plans...She was already clipped, that’s of course why she needed a good rug.

Shari normally wears rugs in a 78''. She also got the ComFiTec in a 78'' and it fits perfect. The outer is made from 1200 Denier with triple weave and repel shell coating.

Shari lives out all year round. A rug needs to be able to cope with quite a lot. When it is damp and when the weather is cold and wet, every now and then, she gets a little cold backed. This winter was really long, cold and wet in December and several weeks of snow in January/February. Despite that there was not one day, when she was sensitive in her back. She was always warm and dry. I really never had such a relaxed horse in such conditions.

The rug is 100% waterproof. Even with several days of non-stop rain, she wasn’t once soaked or damp. A clear advantage. Playing, bucking, and rolling this rug copes with brilliantly. Shari rolls relatively often. The rug has never moved once or done it’s own thing. It always stayed where it is supposed to.

This style features a removable neck rug. The closures on chest and neck are covered. I personally think this is brilliant. With them being covered, it avoids to get stuck on hay racks etc. The leg straps are removable and adjustable. The low cross surcingles, I personally prefer on a rug and this rugs has got them too. Furthermore it has a memory foam wither relief pad. Even that, I wouldn’t want to be without now. It lifts the rug of the wither and avoids rubbing. This has been a problem in the past on numerous occasions. The ComFiTec has not broken any hair or even rubbed.

The rug is compatible with the liner system from WeatherBeeta. So you can 'add' to the filling as you wish. But we haven’t tested that yet. With 220g filling our rug has been plenty warm enough. The reflective gussets and stripes on the tail flap are handy. That way, I knew where my horse was in the field even in low light. In February 2021 for a short while it looked like it was going to be Spring. Towards the end of the winter Shari gets clipped completely. In Spring she always gets a problem with changing her coat. Usually she only starts in April/ May time. That usually wears her out, she gets thin and doesn’t look well at all. In the past it has worked to clip her completely, so she puts all her energy into regrowing her new coat. I was worried, that 220g wouldn’t be enough after the clipping and wanted to order an additional liner. But I kept having a warm, dry and relaxed horse. She actually continued to wear the rug until April. Only then it warmed up slightly and we changed to the WeatherBeeta Green Tec with 50g fill.

In total Shari has worn the rug for 7 months living out. The rug hasn’t got any damage or tears and Shari has no rubs or sores. The mud (once dried) brushes off easily with a soft brush.

Anyone looking for a warm, robust, tear-resistant, well fitting rug I can highly recommend the WeatherBeeta ComFiTec Premier Free II Detach-A-Neck.

Shop the complete WeatherBeeta ComFiTec Premier Free II range here