Anybody else’s horse not grown a thick coat this winter?

[ImmyS]

So Arlo is Welsh D x traditional cob and I was expecting him to turn into a complete bear over the winter, but he’s hardly grown a coat?? He started to look a bit fluffy about a month ago but grooming him this morning, albeit a little fluff around the tops of his legs and chest his coat is non-existent? All the other natives on the yard you can pretty much lose your hand in their coat it’s so thick and they’ve been rugged. Arlo hasn’t seen a rug yet this winter apart from a couple of days with a rain sheet in torrential rain. I’m totally puzzled!

I’m hoping it’s a sign that winter won’t be too harsh, but I’m slightly worried I’m going to be caught out if the weather really turns. He never seems cold though, always quite happy even when wet.

Anybody else’s not grown a thick coat this year?

 

[SOS]

I think it’s how warm it is! Even the clipped horses are producing very fine, ‘summer’ coats. I have daffodils attempting to come up in my garden... nature is confused

 

[ImmyS]

I think it’s how warm it is! Even the clipped horses are producing very fine, ‘summer’ coats. I have daffodils attempting to come up in my garden... nature is confused

It is so confused! I was freezing doing the yard jobs yesterday, then today in the same clothes I was boiling! What is going on?!

 

[DabDab]

Nope, mine are yak-like in comparison to previous winters, except for hot blood mare who never grows anything anyway.

 

[Equi]

Nope barely any coat on the big lad. Not abnormal for him though. He’s shedding already and is only in a rainsheet so others mouthing at him get rug not fluff.

 

[Surbie]

Archie has hardly anything this year and is on his third clip as he's so sweaty. Last year he had only a bib clip and he looked like a plush toy. He was out unrugged in the snow, which settled on him and didn't melt on his back.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

My foal is like a fluffy wee bear, but then they tend to do that anyway don’t they

All the horses on the yard are hairy here

 

[ponynutz]

Possibly the warm weather, although horses winter coats normally grow according to length of the days! My Connie grew a super fluffy and thick coat - but she's already started to shed!

 

[ImmyS]

Hmm seems like a mixture then! It’s my first winter with him so not sure what’s ‘normal’ for him. His summer coat seemed thick so I was expecting a yak over the winter but hardly anything!

 

[ponynutz]

Hmm seems like a mixture then! It’s my first winter with him so not sure what’s ‘normal’ for him. His summer coat seemed thick so I was expecting a yak over the winter but hardly anything!

Every horse is different - how late on in the summer did you get him? Some horses grow their winter coats earlier on, could be his full on summer coat is much thinner!

 

[ImmyS]

Every horse is different - how late on in the summer did you get him? Some horses grow their winter coats earlier on, could be his full on summer coat is much thinner!

I bought him in March, but he had a growing out full clip so never really saw his winter coat. So I had him all through the summer and his coat was so thick, he would sweat just standing around. If it’s the same this year I’m probably going to have to clip him for the summer!

 

[be positive]

My ISH never grows much coat and has not worn a rug yet this winter, a few times he has been a little sweaty so certainly fine naked, my 28 year old pba is also naked although did wear a rug when it was wet, again he hardly grows a winter coat but this time last winter he was well rugged, had dropped some weight and was in at night to keep him well, they are out 24/7 are barely eating any hay, look extremely well and seem to be enjoying a, so far, mud free winter, long may it last.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

Connie grows a yak like coat every winter and this year has been the same. DP is the warmest WB I have ever come across yet he still grows a decent coat but not this year, it is much shorter than usual. Both partially clipped, need clipping again and out naked.

 

[catkin]

Fellboy grows a short but dense coat - we call it an 'otter coat'; very waterproof, warm and dries pretty quickly after torrential rain. My Section D grew a similar coat. The only yaks here have been/are small Dartmoor Hill ponies, and (surprisingly) a TB!

The otter-coated ponies seem fine in all types of weather

 

[ImmyS]

Fellboy grows a short but dense coat - we call it an 'otter coat'; very waterproof, warm and dries pretty quickly after torrential rain. My Section D grew a similar coat. The only yaks here have been/are small Dartmoor Hill ponies, and (surprisingly) a TB!

The otter-coated ponies seem fine in all types of weather

Sounds like that’s what Arlos is like! Must be very dense. He never seems cold in anyway so he must be fine, I’m just used to my previous natives yak like coats and even my tb had a thicker coat!

 

[ImmyS]

This is my hand buried right in to the coat, there’s hardly anything. Must just be super waterproof!

 

[TheresaW]

Ollie is woolier than I have ever seen him in the 6 years I’ve owned him. Can only think, after the winter we had last year, he’s prepared himself for the worst this year! Mine are out 24/7 all year round, and he was left naked all through the beast from the east.

 

[Gazen]

Both of mine have a thinner coat than usual. It is January and they are out in rain sheets (my benefit not theirs - less mud removal!). If it were dry and there was no mud then they would be out naked even though they are trace & chaser clipped.

 

[HorseyTee]

My Welsh cob has enough hair to rival Cousin IT. Must be about 3 inches long.

 

[little_critter]

My native type did her usual trick of growing a full winter coat at the end of September, then complaining throughout October that’s she’s too hot.
She is retired but still has a low trace clip just to keep her cool enough to be comfortable. She is now starting to moult the longest layer of her coat.

 

[Greylegs]

My highland has been clipped twice - last time in November - and is back to yeti status. His legs, especially, are more hairy than I’ve ever seen them. I’ve decided he’s expecting snow and has protected himself accordingly. I’m in for an epic moult in the spring .......