Posted: 26th April 2022 | Back to news feed
With its distinctive green, clover logo, the name Bucas has been synonymous with innovative rug designs for over 40 years.
The brand was founded in 1981 when most horses would have had a traditional New Zealand turnout and a jute stable rug, a far cry from the extensive wardrobe of most horses today.
Even just one horse’s collection can now include a number of winter rugs in different weights to suit the weather both stable and turnout, a lightweight rug for spring showers and a fly rug to ward of pesky insects in the summer.
Originating in Cork, Ireland, the brand combined generations of Irish equestrian knowledge with the latest technical developments to produce unrivalled products that have been exported worldwide.
In its first year, Bucas produced the very first high performance, water-resistant turnout rug, a ground-breaking product that saw the start of the end for the New Zealand rug and is the pioneer for many of the turnout rugs used today.
By the end of the late eighties, Bucas manufactured the very first fully waterproof rugs made from breathable fabric and also perfected the ‘stay dry’ principle using wicking linings that transport sweat and moisture away from the horse while the inside of the lining remains dry.
The level of comfort enjoyed by horses today is thanks to these technical advances, previously they had to endure rugs that would become smelly and wet and would slip, causing rubbed shoulders due to being ill-fitting, with no leg straps or cross-over surcingles.
Horse welfare is not the only advantage of the improvements made through years of research. Whilst good quality rugs can appear expensive, unlike the rugs of days gone by they can be washed and reproofed much easier than the labour intensive scrubbing and drying of traditional New Zealand rugs.
In the early 1990’s Bucas developed the first truly lightweight fully waterproof and breathable turnout rug, ideal for the unpredictable British summer. This was designed to be worn in higher temperatures than a normal turnout rug and included a sun-reflective silver outer layer to help keep the horse comfortable in hot weather.
At the same time anti-bacterial linings were introduced to help keep rugs fresh and in good condition.
At the start of the new millennium Bucas created their very first fly rug, the Buzz-Off full body fly and UV protection rug; this was popular with customers in a new era of fly protection for horses.
In 2012, Bucas launched, their iconic Buzz-Off Zebra fly rug, with its revolutionary design. Zebra stripes are proven to confuse and repel flies, which explains why zebra’s in the wild are not bombarded with flies.
In 2012, dog coats were introduced to the Bucas range to provide the other four-legged members of the family with the same well-fitting good quality products.
Bucas continue their great tradition of pioneering intelligent horse rugs and the range today includes a greater choice of high performance products than ever before.
For further information please contact Zebra Products on +44(0)1352 763350 or visit www.zebraproducts.co.uk
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