20 degrees and wearing turnout rugs.

[ribbons]

Just driven past my neighbours horses rugged up in 20 degree full sun heat.

It was drizzling first thing, but T shirt temperature even then.
I have to wonder what the owner is wearing right now.

Bl***y idiot.

 

[tessybear]

Ooof im suprised this has yet to spark WW3

 

[dancingkris]

It drives me mad seeing this! Some of the girls at our yard are exactly the same - the slightest hint of rain or a cloud in the sky and on go the rugs. Then the poor things are a few hours later left sweltering and sweating and said owners moaning that their horses are dropping weight!

 

[ribbons]

To be honest Tessybear, I don't usually pass comment on people's choices of rugging choices, but this is unbelievable. Although it is probably not so bad, thinking about this woman's general level of horse management. I've known the same horses out naked in sub
zero temps. Seems to depend if she can be bothered to go out and see to them.

 

[all about Romeo]

You sure they are not fly rugs??

 

[benson21]

I must admit, the OH did this the other day!! When he got to the yard it was pelting it down, so he put a rainsheet on donovan, by the time I got there in the afternoon, it was lovely sunshine!! Thats the british weather for you!!!

 

[3Beasties]

Ditto Benson, the weather is so chargeable at the moment that it is hard to judge what to put on them.

Saying that, mine haven't had rugs in for weeks now!

 

[3Beasties]

Changeable*

 

[saddlesore]

Find it hard to believe that anything needs a rug on in the summer- especially if it lives in at night time!

 

[Luci07]

Agree, it's so changeable at the moment. It doesn't matter for my boy as if he is turned out in the wrong rug, it will be changed when the weather does.

Got round it for the retired mare though as have bought her the fly/shower sheet. No longer worry about mucking it up her anymore!

 

[JillA]

I'm struggling at the moment - especially with the old girl, when her fly rug gets wet it is really heavy, but she does need to wear something as she is relatively poor (34 with Cushings - who knows what busybodies might whistle up an RSPCA inspector!). And my horse is an itcher so unless it is really hot and humid (like now) he does wear either fly rug or rain sheet, to keep the bloody flies off him.

 

[ribbons]

Strangely enough I've seen a few rugs of all types in my time, so know a turn out from a fly sheet

Rain at this time of year is hardly going to cause the discomfort to a naked horse that a rug in the heat is going to.

 

[snooples]

How do you know what sort of rug it was, your a bit quick to judge..
My horse wears a waterproof fly rug with neck cover so it doesnt look like a fly rug more like a turn out one but its especially designed for summer. it keeps the flies off him and the enourmous amount of rain that can just come from nowhere on a lovely day.

 

[shmoo]

Mine are naked. I work though, so although I look at the forecast before I leave the house I can sometimes get it wrong. It can be peeing down first thing, sunny by 10, scorching by 1... and I'm stuck in an office looking out. So I can totally sympathise with horses being rugged when they needn't be.

Saying that I have a fab fieldmate who works different hours to me and we share rugging and unrugging...

 

[NellRosk]

People at my yard do this and their horses are all fat anyway, so getting slightly wet is not going to affect them at all. Makes me so angry!

 

[sonjafoers]

One of mine gets weatherbeet the moment she gets wet, I've posted about it recently as we have a bout at present.

Believe me I'd do anything to turn her out naked but there are times over summer when she just has to be rugged to keep her dry.

 

[Cortez]

What is weatherbeet?

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

mine have got the rambo waterproof liners in their fly rugs most days, brilliant at keeping rain off their backs without making them hot.

the half and half rain sheet/fly rugs look good too.

hard to know what to for the best at 6.30am, ours would be tucked up and shivering if they got rained on all day but there have been days they have gone out in LW and then its brightened up by 10am and im cursing. very difficult to get it right every single day.

 

[ribbons]

How do I know what sort of rug it was !!!!!!!!!
Because I'm not blind, that's how.

I'll shut up now. Clearly my thoughts that my neighbours ridiculous horse management habits were in the minority is not the case.

 

[Bertolie]

Two of the horses on my yard have had full neck turnout rugs on since last weekend. We had temperatures hitting 26 degrees on Tuesday and the poor horses were just stood in whatever shade they could find looking really sorry for themselves. Not much rain to speak of either!

 

[weebarney]

A wife where I used to keep my lot would rig her daughters jumping pony up in the middle if summer with heavyweight rugs with necks. Why ? Cos she liked it to have a lovely short flat coat. I felt bitterly sorry for it sweating all day. But she is a show jumper and her dad a horse breeder so obviously they know everything there is to know about horses.

 

[*hic*]

Out of the six I have living at home one may get his rug put on over the next couple of days, depends on what the weather's like. If he's going to be uncomfortable without it then of course it'll go on. My horses are visible to a large number of people and no doubt some will comment adversely, just as they probably did when my elderly Welsh and my weanling were out unrugged in the winter.

Fact of the matter is that I know my horses, I'm on hand to react to the weather conditions and I'll rug as I see fit.

I'd be interested how people can tell which grade of rug he has on as they are all the same colour, from no fill to heavyweight!

 

[NativePonyLover]

I must admit, my boy has naked since about March - and I do hate seeing horses rugged up unnecessarily. Its swings and roundabout though as someone at my yard is probably whinging on another forum about my poor naked and muzzled horse out for hours in the rain .... !! x

 

[Inthesticks]

Personally, I don't think there is a right rug for horse to have on at the moment unless its a fly rug, regardless of the changeable weather.

 

[ribbons]

Quote
I'd be interested how people can tell which grade of rug he has on as they are all the same colour, from no fill to heavyweight!

I can tell the difference just by the way it sits on the horse.

 

[Dizzle]

I must admit, my boy has naked since about March - and I do hate seeing horses rugged up unnecessarily. Its swings and roundabout though as someone at my yard is probably whinging on another forum about my poor naked and muzzled horse out for hours in the rain .... !! x

This sounds like me! My NF hasn't been rugged since March and is now muzzled. I did get her a fly rug over winter ready for the horse flies but when I tried it on, I could have got her AND her fieldmate in it so she's going without. She doesn't seem at all bothered by horseflies, they bite of course but she doesn't seem fussed. She has though lived out most of her 10 years though!

As for rugging... my TB would turn into a human eating psycho if he sweated up under a rug so I errd on the side of underrugging him too!

 

[Nicnac]

What is weatherbeet?

Rain scald I presume?

How do I know what sort of rug it was !!!!!!!!!
Because I'm not blind, that's how.

I'll shut up now. Clearly my thoughts that my neighbours ridiculous horse management habits were in the minority is not the case.

Wow - where did that come from? I think most people agreed naked is best and a couple use fly rugs

 

[shannonandtay]

I keep getting déjà vu

 

[Equilibrium Ireland]

I caught myself in a trap a few weeks ago. Lt sheets on and off. Driving myself crazy. I am fortunate that some of my work is here. But still was driving me and my horses crazy with the on and off. And then I was like, enough. I live in a climate in which rugs are probably needed 9 months of the year. Little showers here and there in this weather will not kill them. Even in heavy showers. The only thing I don't like is heavy consistent rain with wind. But that has really happened here and so they're naked. Mine are out 20 hours and fine. In fact happy. I have one older TB mare I may rug at night but as far as the others that put on weight easily, they are much better naked. Flies they need to deal with unless the eyes are getting eaten. Same as one has to have sunblock. But for the most part this summer is one in which they can get to be blanket free for a couple of months and it's nice to enjoy it. I really get sick of rugs.

Terri

 

[Lego]

I know that everyone keeps their horses differently etc, but I do sometimes feel like banging my head against the wall...

My livery yard is fab, but the other horses are all pampered dressage horses, and the first time I put my cob out naked - during the day, there was a flurry of "are you sure he'll be ok..." YM said he'd been itching a bit - lots of midges our way at the mo - but fly rug overnight not good in case it rains, so did I want to bring up a turnout for him?

All the other overnighters have been out in turnouts, and the only other naked horse even during the day is the mare with foal

It's lovely that they're interested in his wellbeing, but he's a cob that has managed a bit of a grass belly - he won't melt if he gets caught in a shower! He lived out all summer naked last year...