Our planet is in trouble. Wilderness areas are decreasing, the ice caps are melting, CO2 is rising, and climate change is real. Sir David Attenborough does a great job of showcasing just how much our world has changed during his lifetime in his latest documentary “A life on our planet”. Check it out on Netflix. It makes you think hard about how we need to look after our planet better.

But we don’t need Sir David Attenborough to tell us this, we only need to look at how our access to bridleways has changed over the last 30 years. Ever expanding villages and towns mean bigger roads, larger urban areas, and a lot more on road hacking.

All this expansion comes at a cost though, and not just to our enjoyment. We are using up all our resources whilst pumping our ground and oceans full of waste that will not decompose within our lifetime, or that of our children, or their children, or the generation after that!

So how can we as equestrian’s, help slow and then reverse the impact we have had on our world? Here are 3 easy changes you can put into practice that will make the world of difference:

  1. Buy less, buy better

The high demand for cheap products comes at a cost to our environment. Whether we talk meat, vegetables, gadgets or garments, the only way to produce a cheap product is to cut a corner somewhere, and very often it is the environment or the workers living conditions that suffer because of this. In the UK alone we throw out over 206,456 tonnes of textiles every year, the majority of which ends up in landfill. Why? Because it is disposable and because it is not made to last.

As horse owners we can certainly make better choices by investing our money in products that are made with longevity in mind. I personally can’t, with good conscious, buy into ‘fast fashion’. Whatever I am buying, whether it be for me, my dog or the horses at the yard, I make sure I buy affordable quality.

That is why at WeatherBeeta we offer a 3 Year Warranty on all our turnout rugs. Whether you buy our entry level WeatherBeeta ComFiTec Classic, or our most premium WeatherBeeta ComFiTec Ultra Cozi, our promise to you is that we have not compromised on the quality of the materials used or the methods used to make the product. The only difference lies within the features that the rug offers.

  1. Create a market for recycled plastic

We all know we need to use less plastic. But what about the 296,000 tonnes of plastic estimated to already be in our oceans? Depending on the type of plastic it can take anywhere between 400 and 1,000 years to decompose. Not adding more to it surely has to be a priority but finding products that allow us to use recycled plastic is just as important.

Did you know that the WeatherBeeta Green Tec rug is made using plastic bottles? Not only is each rug made on average from 340 bottles, it also uses 50% less energy to make! The bottles you recycle are cleaned, shredded, and turned into a polyester fibre yarn which is then woven into both the outer and lining of our WeatherBeeta Green-Tec rugs! And of course, you can expect these rugs to perform like any of our other turnouts which is why it also comes with a 3-year warranty.

But the WeatherBeeta Green-Tec rug isn’t the only way we use recycled plastic bottles! I am thrilled that our new WeatherBeeta dog coat packaging is also made using recycled plastics. We are constantly searching for more ways to create sustainably sourced packaging & products.

  1. Recycle everything

No matter how great the product is, it will eventually need to be replaced. However, just because your rug is no longer of use as a horse rug, it does not mean it can’t be repurposed into something new! Those that are repairable can be donated to Sanctuaries, those beyond repair can often be repurposed into something new, like dog beds! And for those that are destroyed, your local rug laundry and repairer will still welcome most of the hardware for future repairs. The rug material itself, if cleaned, can also be recycled into new yarn. So, when you are done with the rug, don’t just put it in the skip! Talk to your local rug repairer, they will be able advice you of the most useful way you can discard of your beloved rug!

By the way, this is the reason that WeatherBeeta rugs come in a sturdy reusable bag. What do you use yours for? I find they are perfect for storing all my white saddle pads!

By making small changes to our habits, we can make a big difference to the world. Do let us know how you and your horse are tackling climate change, we are always looking for positive stories to share!

Written by Bea Meitiner