A question re post from yesterday Keeping horses out in snow??

[flowerlady]

Interestingly people were saying I only put a light weight rug on!! The thing is if we put a rug on then their natural fur lies flat and cannot hold the heat so just putting a water proof or light weight on in minus temperatures!! Are we doing more harm than good? I personally put a medium weight on my oldy in the day and bring in at night but would put heavy weight on at night if he was out as it was minus -5 here last night. I'm not criticising one way or another just interested in others views?

 

[spotty_pony]

I prefer to use lots of thin rugs as layers rather than just one thick rug. Also, old horses find it harder to regulate their body temperature so it is important that you make sure they are warm enough, especially in this weather!

 

[alsxx]

I often think this. I am very interested to know how warm a horse is in its full coat, unrugged, than it would be in its full coat with a rug on. I think warmer with no rug, certainly when its dry.

Both the ponies are living out, unrugged and they are as happy as larry out there in the freezing wind, all puffed up and warm as toast, prefering to eat the grass than the mountain of hay in their shelter. My TB comes in at night, he is currently wearing a medium today and has his heavy weight stable rug on at night - he is unclipped at the moment but i do feel flattening their coats down with a rug means they lose that natural insulation.

The ponies will go straight into a medium weight if they really need a rug, as in its very cold and very rainy, but chances are they will manage all winter naked with exception of one or two days.

 

[flowerlady]

I often think this. I am very interested to know how warm a horse is in its full coat, unrugged, than it would be in its full coat with a rug on. I think warmer with no rug, certainly when its dry.

Both the ponies are living out, unrugged and they are as happy as larry out there in the freezing wind, all puffed up and warm as toast, prefering to eat the grass than the mountain of hay in their shelter. My TB comes in at night, he is currently wearing a medium today and has his heavy weight stable rug on at night - he is unclipped at the moment but i do feel flattening their coats down with a rug means they lose that natural insulation.

The ponies will go straight into a medium weight if they really need a rug, as in its very cold and very rainy, but chances are they will manage all winter naked with exception of one or two days.

Must admit with the stable being on the back I do tend to check him about 3 times upto about 11pm (I think he wishes I'd leave him alone) But this morning even the water in stable was frozen. The water in field troughs are frozen solid so hoping he will get enough water from the snow if he needs it between me taking fresh bucket over mid day

 

[MrsMozart]

Dizz has a rainsheet on. She's unclipped and in hardly any work at the moment (frozen ground!). Given how she's moving, I don't think the sheet is keeping her hair flat, otherwise her muscles would be cold and stiff and she'd be stiff in her movement

Little Cob is unrugged and as hairy as they come

Little Lad has a rain sheet on because he rolls for England and has managed to get rainscald for the first time ever (at least since we've had him). He's a fluff ball and seems comfortable

Grey Mare has had all clipped apart from legs. She's now in a medium (300 gram) full-neck turnout. She loons around and sweats up, or did when she had a full coat, so am hoping that this weight rug will be the right balance.

They're all out 24/7 and are showing only a mild interest in the hay, preferring to go rooting for grass in a slightly sheltered part of the field.

All get fed daily - sugarbeet as the base, with whatever each one needs on top.

 

[Ellies_mum2]

Bella lives out unrugged and was on the hay when I got there yesterday but soon came up for her dinner She has a lovely fluffy coat and I keep checking to make sure she is warm enough. So far so good

 

[samstar]

Star is trace clipped and in a full neck mw rug and with last night temps she's cosy this morning.
Harley not clipped and in a mw no neck but then he's a woose, and shivers with only a slight chill

 

[domane]

I prefer to use one thick rug rather than lots of layers... I really don't like the weight aspect of more than one (fleeces excluded!) as IMHO this is far more likely to lead to rug-rubs and slips. Would much rather have one thicker rug and a chance for a layer of warm air to build up underneath it.

But then I'm lucky as my unclipped 15yo chunky TB grows a fantastic coat and only ever needs a MW combo to get through winter.

 

[flowerlady]

I prefer to use one thick rug rather than lots of layers... I really don't like the weight aspect of more than one (fleeces excluded!) as IMHO this is far more likely to lead to rug-rubs and slips. Would much rather have one thicker rug and a chance for a layer of warm air to build up underneath it.

But then I'm lucky as my unclipped 15yo chunky TB grows a fantastic coat and only ever needs a MW combo to get through winter.

Well its 8.30pm and I've had to change JB's stable rug for a warmer one as he feels quite cool. It was -7/-9 here last night and country file have said it may be colder tonight I'm thinking of putting him in my sons old room with the central heating on

 

[stencilface]

Mine has a HW full neck on in the day, and a rambo full neck underrug and MW stable rug at night. He always seems ok, never too hot or cold.

There must be some temp range in most rugs so I don't really worry if he's wearing the same. When his clip grows out more, and if it gets warmer, he'll likely get lighter rugs

 

[Ravenwood]

This is the first year I have ever wintered this mare out. So I am reading this post with interest

Unfortunately she is very thin skinned and fine coated - and she hates the weather!

She is in an HW Amigo with hood and whenever I check her she is nice and warm despite it getting down to nearly -10

However, they do have access to a big, warm, bedded down barn which is where I put out their hay and I haven't seen her out of it for the last couple of days! She is such a Wuss!

 

[Fuzznugget]

Our little Welshie is out in nothing but her birthday suit at the moment, all fluffed up and happy as can be. She doesn't do stables, so keeping her in will only be if the weather turns very very very nasty, and even though she has a rug, she's really much happier without it on.

 

[Sanolly]

My two are clipped so are rugged, the mare is in a no neck mw/hw, and the cob is in a full neck medium weight, when it gets really cold the cob will get his full neck heavy weight and the mare will get the rug he's wearing now.