Most horses wear a horse rug in the winter and

Find a tall fence to lay the rug over so that it is not touching the ground. You will be striking the rug to clean it so hang it in an appropriate place. Use can use a broom or baseball bat to beat the dust out of the rug. An old fairly stiff brush will get most of the dirt out. Now turn the horse rug over and brush the under side to get all the horsehair out. Put the rug into a bathtub or water trough containing water and horse shampoo. Swirl the rug around to soak it well.

Then stretch the rug out on a clean floor and scrub with a brush. Rinse with clear water and get all the soap out. Using horse shampoo will lessen the chance that a little residual soap will irritate the horse.

At this point you may choose to put the rug into a washing machine. Heavier rugs will require a commercial washing machine. Remove any straps and place them in a fabric bag to be placed in the washer as well.

Now lay the rug out in a sunny location to dry for at least a day. Placing the rug over fence can be a good way to dry it.

Some things to remember:

Never use laundry detergents or strong soaps to clean the rug. These soaps can irritate the horse's skin. Horse shampoo is best.

Do not put a damp rug into storage or on a horse. The rug could easily mildew.

It is best not to dry the rugs in your tack room. The moisture created can damage the leather.