anyone else feel a twinge of guilt...

muddypony

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when you leave your horse out on purpose in the pouring rain with no rug? i have a tb who is funny about being ridden when he's damp so for that reason i usually always put a rug on him when it's going to rain but he's broken it so has had to go out naked. i know he'll be fine (riding tomorrow might be a bit interesting) but i can't help feeling bad! :( he's not mollycoddled, honest!
 
I'm weird - with my gelding I know he's fine without a rug but with my mare I feel the need to rug her. He's a sec.d and she's a cob x so its abit odd of me! All the mare owners rug theirs and the gelding owners don't bother - perhaps its linked to that!
 
No I don't, maybe I'm odd :p

Hubby and I commented on the lack of horses turned out today at a large, well known equestrian centre :confused: odd, I wonder how they think horses cope in the wild.
 
depends on the individual horse.

most of ours are connies, cobs, welsh so no, but the TB is rugged and we feel guilty if she's not because she has been in poor condition (only just started looking great) and has very sensitive skin. My old boy used to be rugged too because he would get cold and rain scald.
 
glad i'm not alone. i keep thinking "he broke it, he's got to suffer the consequences - better wet than getting his rug tangled round his back legs" and in turn i will suffer the consequences when i get on him tomorrow!
 
I feel mean turning 2 of mine out in the rain rugged! Having said that one is 31 and arthritic so very stiff if she gets cold and wet and the other grew up as someone's pet with access to their house in poor weather so is very nesh. The other 2 I don't mind.
 
Nope. Not one bit. They don't shrink. (if only)

Now turning out a fully clipped pony in a neckless HW turnout on a cold, frosty morning does give me twinges - but she has a full mane which lies on both sides of her neck!
I give myself a good talking too, and go to work! :D
 
Fany is never rugged, summer or winter. Captain is rugged in the rain when it is also windy even in summer, otherwise he brings himself in, taking off the gate as he comes in.I don't feel guilty either way!
FDC
 
Mine go out in no fills when it rains (in summer). I say it's because I want to keep them dry to ride, secretly I like thinking that they're warm and cosy:o
They are always out though, I don't bring them in if it's windy/wet/cold/snowing.
 
Nope, he's not going to melt. No rug in the summer no matter what the weather. He only has one rug on in winter also :p

same here!! they do come equipped with their own coats you know:rolleyes: and amazingly 3 of mine cope without any rugs all winter:eek: gosh who'd have thought an animal could do that:rolleyes:
Do you all put coats on your dogs and cats too if it's raining:p
 
I think it depends on the horse and the environment.
In summer i'd probably not bother to much, but im in a flat field with no shelter, so sometimes i will rug if rains to be on for the day. Or flyrug if its to be hot to reflect the heat.
In the winter i will always rug as theres nowhere to go for shelter if they get wet n cold
 
Ruby has a no fill rainsheet on sometimes. Only when it is chucking it down, as I want to keep her dry for riding :p but if only light showers she goes out naked, I don't feel guilty.
 
No guilt as they are horses !! One has a fly sheet on as he gets sweet itch and they dont get rugged until they start to feel the cold in the winter.:eek:

I am an evil owner :D
 
Depends on the horse, but my youngster tb x knabstrupper i told him he was getting no rug may to end of august but he stands and looks so miserable and his muscles start shaking so i relent only if its hideous bouncing down rain and wind. However if i'm at work i dont worry about him if it does get horrible. He is quite spoilt but i figure why not he's my horse and i'll mollicoddle him if i want :) x
 
Quite the opposite. Summer rain is wonderful. I chose my yard for its extensive grazing and shelter. Mine get to enjoy the rain on their backs, roll in the dirt and generally look after their own coats, which are very shiny. Just need a few minutes extra to brush the mud off or stick a girth sleeve on if wet and ride anyway. They are able to regulate their own body temp and have the freedom of being able to move unhindered by rugs.
I'm more likely to bring a box resting horse out of the stable during a summer shower, particularly after a hot dry spell, so they can feel the rain on their backs.
I've noticed that its usually during summer rain that mine are more reluctant to be caught. While I'm getting soaked, they drag their feet coming in...
 
Went to get the horse I ride in before the rain came at the weekend and she wouldn't come in. She was naked so when the rain started we thought she's bound to want to come on now. How wrong we were - she stayed out all day in the rain and would not be caught until dinner time, she couldn't give two hoots about being out in the torrential downpours!

I used to worry a bit about making sure she was was appropriately attired for the weather, but not any more!
 
Well mine is 32 and I always rug him if rain forcast, he had his fly rug on the other day though and it emptyed down, he was quite happy and didn't want to come in, I was getting soaked calling him so left him for 2 hours, he wanted to come in then !
 
Horses for courses as always.

I had an arab in the UK that really did seem to melt in the wet, leave him out even in summer rain, I mean real rain, not a piddly little shower, and he'd be shaking like a leaf, tucked up,starey coated, miserable and in an evil temper by the morning. I would actually go the mile down the road to put a rain sheet on him in the dark and torrential rain, he'd come shrieking up to me and literally crawl into his rain sheet - such a wimp he was;)
 
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