Am I cruel?

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Janah

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My boy is 20 yrs old and since I've owned him been kept in at night over winter. He has a good thick winter coat and is still out 24/7, no rugs.

I aim to keep him out as long as possible as I do feel he's better moving about and to be honest less work and cheaper to keep this way. He seems quite happy and his weight is good, even put some on lately as the grass is still growing. I do feel mean tho' when it is chucking down with rain.

Am I cruel?

Jnae
 
I don't know where you live but here where I am we haven't had night temps below about 10 degrees yet so on those standards definitely not cruel.

ETS: I wish I was still allowed to leave mine out at night. They don't need to be in yet. It's dry and mild still. Boo :(
 
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Not at all, as long as he has a good coat on him and has the weight and forage he should be fine. It is not that bad out there yet. You know your boy best and if you feel he is ok then do not compare to others and worry :)
 
No, not if he is happy. What did the horses do before rugs were used? I am sure they coped. If it's any consolation my 19 yo is out 24/7 in a retirement herd, she is very content and so are the other oldies (she is one of the youngest) they have plenty of cover and trees to go under.
 
Noooooo. Mine are all out, including my 18 year old - and they will be all year :) They like it better, actually :D
 
No.

For an older horse that may stiffen up when confined in a stall then it is more cruel to keep him in.

I have a heap of oldies, only one lives in (her choice) the others are out 24/7, some rugged, some not, depends how they are doing.
Usually there is snow on the ground and the daytime temps average -10C for months when winter finally comes.

They all do just fine with ad-lib hay and some sort of shelter.

You do what you think suits your horse best, you are the one that knows him and sees him day in, day out. Smile sweetly and carry on doing your own thing if anyone tells you otherwise.
 
Our boy is 28 and lives out 24/7 he only has a LW turnout to keep the rain off him as he has cushings and his coat, although thick is not keeping him dry. Keeping horses out is perfectly natural.

Meant to he only has a LW at the moment he has a warmer one when it gets cold.
 
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Janah said:
My boy is 20 yrs old and since I've owned him been kept in at night over winter. He has a good thick winter coat and is still out 24/7, no rugs.

I aim to keep him out as long as possible as I do feel he's better moving about and to be honest less work and cheaper to keep this way. He seems quite happy and his weight is good, even put some on lately as the grass is still growing. I do feel mean tho' when it is chucking down with rain.

Am I cruel?

Jnae
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To allow a horse to be out as much as possibe, and not clip it and load it up with rugs is about the most natural and best way to keep a horse - if he is keeping good condition. Don't feel guilty, you're not being cruel at all.
 
It depends on what shelter he has.
I have some horses rugged, some not, but all without rugs have access to a shelter with haylage inside.
Anything clipped comes inside in heavy rain but they stay out in cold or snow, as they appear to cope easily with that.
I think if it is forecast several days of heavy rain a rug or bring him in to dry off completely now and then is fine, but if he's out 24/7 with no proper shelter at 20 it's a bit mean to see him end up shivering. Old horses do feel the cold more. Just use your own judgement.
 
well I can only add yet another resounding NO that you are not cruel ...as long as he has access to loads forage / shelter and is keeping weight on.
My 20 year old looks like a big black teddy and even when its snowing she is warm undeneath and choosing to stand in the snow ( they have open stable doors so can be in or out as they please).

Most of the time she is unrugged but if its steady rains as well as wind / cold that I dry her off and rug.

I think that its important for older horses especially to be able to keep moving and not standing for long periods.
 
No. Definitely not. Best place to be, so long as shelter, rugs if necessary (and on an older horse I do rug it, but not excessively), good quality hay/haylage and plenty of it, ice-free water and companionship are available. It's what nature intended.
 
I fully understand where you are coming from OP. I have a hairy part yak native who is unrugged and living out. I have to fight the urge to rug and stable with a mug of cocoa and a hot water bottle.
I KNOW she is fine, I KNOW she is warm enough. I KNOW she is happy being out. I KNOW she survived living out unrugged oop north for the first 12years of her life. I KNOW she won't melt in the rain and I even KNOW that when it rains she is dry next to her skin.!
None of that makes it any easier :D
 
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