Another rugging and coat question...

[Gingernags]

We got away this year with only clipping once, even on Asti where she usually needs 3 goes. Both mares were clipped early November.

Now Asti is getting her summer coat through - her head and neck have a good covering appearing and her belly is still a bit bare, but you can easily see the difference when you see her legs and saddle patch.

Her legs and saddle patch with her winter woolies are moulting. She's down to a medium weight stable rug and turnout with no neck cover.

Now Byter is not growing anything it seems. She has a beautiful shiny coat - that lookes like it was clipped yesterday. As the weather was crappy until last week, she has only just dropped to a medium weight rug for t/o then, and a med stable rug over the weekend. She's 17 and has lost a bit of weight so we don't want her cold and losing more weight but she really needs to start growing her summer coat.

Any ideas what we can do to persuade her she needs to grow her coat?

Of course the fluffy one is moulting like mad being unrugged and unclipped and getting sweaty overnight but thats because she grew the type of coat commonly associated with polar bears...

Anyway - what to do with the coatless silly TB?

 

[AmyMay]

She'll grow it when she's ready GM and changing her rugs around won't make any difference.

Rug her as you think appropriate, bearing in mind that she needs to be kept on the warm side. And nature and longer days will do the rest.

 

[Maesfen]

Can't beat what AmyMay says, it'll come, just be patient!

 

[Gingernags]

She's never left it this late! Was just worried in case it was masking something else, but I'll be happy enough if she's just "not ready" yet.

Have never known the Orange one manage with just one clip either! I think we're having a strange year!

 

[AmyMay]

Well, it's certainly been a warm year, so that could certainly be the reason for only needing one clip. Or maybe you did it a bit later this time round??

 

[Gingernags]

I used to always clip in October in time for opening meet dates - so have always stuck with that, but last couple of years have left them out longer so they don't get clipped until we bring them in on a night. Still, have always needed to re-clip asti as she grows back quickly.

You are right about it being milder though, its cold and very windy where we are but has not been as bad this year as usual.

 

[air78]

I'm sure I read somewhere about using pre/ pro biotics help older horses with their coats. I think it was about bio(?) equine gold..... or it could have been pink powder.
The person who had been feeding it said their horse always struggled to change their coat but after feeding this they had moulted easily, and earlier, and their summer coat had never been better.