Anyone else made to feel bad for keeping their horse naked?

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HaffiesRock

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I am on a small yard with 2 other livery horses and the YO'S 4 horses. My Haffy is the only one naked. All of the horses are in over night bar one of the liveries (Her horse hates the stable, much to the dismay of the owner as she wants her Sec D mare tucked up warm and cosy) and a youngster. All are heavily rugged (2 very fury unclipped cobs, a cushings pony with more hair than I have ever seen and a couple of natives) My pony is out 24/7.

My pony looks like a big fury teddy, is always warm, gets ad lib forage, has a small woodland for shelter and is always caked in mud and smiling, but I keep getting comments about when I will be rugging him. We have a facebook group too and although know one ever says anything directly, the comments are always there (tonight's was "all rugged up horses cosy and warm") I dont feel bad keeping him naked as he is cosy and happy. I have a light weight for when its really cold and wet, but I am made to feel like the meany for the way I keep my pony, when to be honest, my pony is probably the the happiest on the yard!

I don't want this to become a debate out whether or not to rug, more other peoples experiences when they haven't rugged when everyone else has?

Thanks
 
I ignore what others are doing and do what is best for my horse. I could hide my hands in his coat, fluffy cob boy. Just explain if directly challenged, otherwise smile and walk away. Not their horse, it's yours.
 
SpottyFalula said:
I am on a small yard with 2 other livery horses and the YO'S 4 horses. My Haffy is the only one naked. All of the horses are in over night bar one of the liveries (Her horse hates the stable, much to the dismay of the owner as she wants her Sec D mare tucked up warm and cosy) and a youngster. All are heavily rugged (2 very fury unclipped cobs, a cushings pony with more hair than I have ever seen and a couple of natives) My pony is out 24/7.

My pony looks like a big fury teddy, is always warm, gets ad lib forage, has a small woodland for shelter and is always caked in mud and smiling, but I keep getting comments about when I will be rugging him. We have a facebook group too and although know one ever says anything directly, the comments are always there (tonight's was "all rugged up horses cosy and warm") I dont feel bad keeping him naked as he is cosy and happy. I have a light weight for when its really cold and wet, but I am made to feel like the meany for the way I keep my pony, when to be honest, my pony is probably the the happiest on the yard!

I don't want this to become a debate out whether or not to rug, more other peoples experiences when they haven't rugged when everyone else has?

Thanks
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I wouldn't let anyone make you feel guilty for not rugging. Your pony sounds like a perfectly healthy lad capable of keeping himself warm.

I am not rugging my WB mare this year (unclipped for first time) until it gets stupidly cold and wet etc, and then she will just get a lightweight.

Every night when she has come in she has been toasty warm.

There was a woman on our yard who used to clip her oldie hunter 'because he sweated when she rugged him, so he needed clipping so that she could rug him. :rolleyes:
 
I don't get made to feel bad. My cob is a hairy bear and hence naked. My ISH is in a no fill sheet mostly to prevent him from injury by a member of his herd who's decided to have a pop at him at bringing in time. Both are warm enough like this. Got to do what's right for each individual :).

They're being clipped soon also rugs will change then.
 
If your pony doesn't need a rug, don't let them wear you down. :) ;)

How I keep my horses is completely wrong according to two ladies that I know, so I understand your frustrations.
 
I'm probably amongst the group least likely to rug up at my yard. I'll keep them off as long as possible, my little lad is out with a 50g only because it's meant to get to minus 1 tonight and there isn't a huge amount of shelter for him. He's normally in a nights unrugged but big lad has an abcess so has the stable tonight with a thin stable rug.
 
Moomin1 said:
There was a woman on our yard who used to clip her oldie hunter 'because he sweated when she rugged him, so he needed clipping so that she could rug him. :rolleyes:
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Are you serious!

I love that I can arrive at the yard, bring him in, ride, feed and chuck him back out, then make a hot chocolate and watch everyone muck out, faff over/repair rugs etc. Soooooo much easier (and cheaper!) having an outdoor neked neddy :O)
 
I posted on a similar thread. Mine is kept unclipped & unrugged is dirty most of the time :) he is the only one kept like this on the yard. I did use to feel guilty but not anymore as I am confident he is plenty warm. He fluffs up lovely & looks like a big Woolley teddy not everyone's cup of tea I know! :)
 
SpottyFalula said:
Are you serious!

I love that I can arrive at the yard, bring him in, ride, feed and chuck him back out, then make a hot chocolate and watch everyone muck out, faff over/repair rugs etc. Soooooo much easier (and cheaper!) having an outdoor neked neddy :O)
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Cobrastyle would back me up on this one - 100% true!

Not only that, but her friend who was also on our yard used to actually LEAVE work every time it rained, summer and winter, to go and put a rug on her oldie because she said he would look miserable in the rain! :eek:
 
Why would you care what others say or think of you if you know that your horse is well. I'd tell them to mind their own business!!

Horses ARE individuals. What is right for one isn't for the other. When will some horsey folk realise this. What is generally the main reason, most like to impart their little knowledge on to others. Just ignore and get in with your normal routine.

My TB is unclipped at present but in a 100g light medium with neck in day and a 200g medium at night. I don't care what others think of me as I know my horse and know what he wants/needs.
 
Halflingers come from Austria. Mountains, snow, etc. etc. I bet the German farmers don't expect to have to go out with a rug.

All you can do is watch your own horse and decide if it needs a rug or not. I think the English climate is very likely wetter than Continental, but so long as there is shelter and adequate feed and the pony is a good weight it is obviously quite OK as it is.
 
Yes, every year I get comments about it. They go over my head.....it's my own field so it's comments I see on FB that are 'trying to be sutble' in suggesting I'm being an evil cow...

:p

My horses have lived in that field over 5 years now, never lost one to frostbite, or shiver away to nothing, and that includes full TB's and an anglo-arab.
 
Orangehorse said:
Halflingers come from Austria. Mountains, snow, etc. etc. I bet the German farmers don't expect to have to go out with a rug.

All you can do is watch your own horse and decide if it needs a rug or not. I think the English climate is very likely wetter than Continental, but so long as there is shelter and adequate feed and the pony is a good weight it is obviously quite OK as it is.
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He is more than a good weight! Ha ha.

I am also not ashamed to say that when I ride I groom the saddle and girth area only and the leave the rest of him however he came out of the field! Purely to keep his natural oil and winter protection and definitley not because I am lazy... :rolleyes:
 
I do feel guilty as all the horses at my yard except the Shetlands and my boy are in rugs now. I nearly gave in and put one on him tonight just cuz I feel bad but I stopped myself!

No one has said anything and I don't think anyone cares to be honest so I am lucky in that respect but I can't help but worry that he might be cold. I have to keep reminding myself that he only ever wore a rug previously when he was clipped and as he isn't this year I don't need to worry.
 
Don't feel bad at all - in fact feel very smug - your horse is being kept in his natural state, and as long as you are only using a dandy brush to beat out a saddle patch - and can avoid turning him out when sweaty - then that is how he will feel most comfortable and warm. No NZ rug fully compensates for a thick, oil enriched coat. Picture the horse under a rain soaked NZ rug - that comes in for the night, has a stable rug - then has to have the only slightly dried NZ rug back on him for the next day.......Also think of the rubs he gets - and when we have those odd sunny days in winter, and he can't feel those lovely rays of sun on his back, and have a jolly good roll.
I rug my horses up, as I want to spend 5 mins getting them ready to ride and 2 hours on their backs - within my time poor life, which means riding mostly, at week-ends. It works for me, but sadly not as well for my horses - who can be rugged up from Oct through to May - not good for them at all.
 
SpottyFalula said:
He is more than a good weight! Ha ha.

I am also not ashamed to say that when I ride I groom the saddle and girth area only and the leave the rest of him however he came out of the field! Purely to keep his natural oil and winter protection and definitley not because I am lazy... :rolleyes:
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That sounds perfect!!

I don't touch my mare's coat with a brush this winter other than a two second brush on the saddle patch before I ride. All mud and grease gets left exactly where it is!
 
This is my first winter without my TB - if i had her still she'd be well rugged.
However, i have a fat cob who is getting fluffier by the day who is out naked with a semi grown out hog!
My welsh D who is 2 is getting equally as hairy - they are both naked and happy.
The D will start to have his hay next week as his grass almost gone. The other cob needs to lose a far bit so she will go a bit longer on the grass she has left!!

Last year the fat cob was clipped (low trace) so therefore naked untill it snowed and was very cold went out in a MW high neck turnout. She kept excellent weight despite being clipped and naked :eek::eek::eek:
Shes been turned away since early summer and not coming back into work till late winter so hoping to keep her hairy and naked like previous years!! (she's now 4 and had her since a foaly :D
 
it's snowing here:) and settling, not melting at all on my unrugged lot so that just shows how good the insulation is on a native, don't groom them just let the grease build:D
i do make sure i check regularly to see they are still fat as you can miss weight loss with teddy bear coats.
 
Haha my haffy looks like a teddy bear too she is sooo fluffy! Sounds like our management is quite similar ;-) don't think I'll need to rug her at all but we shall see, I do have a lightweight but think the coat flattening effect would definitely apply so will save it for very wet times.

Bah, I don't care what other people do really.
 
I currently have the only unrugged horse on the yard - my 3 year old NFx. She hates being too hot and rubs herself on the side of the stable when she gets hot, so she's happier unrugged. I do have a lightweight no fill turnout for her when the days get really wet, but until then she'll stay naked. She's grown a fab winter coat - really thick and furry, and I want her to stay as natural as possible although I do have to bring her in at night (livery yard rules!)

My TB is probably the least rugged out of the other horses - she is either in a no fill or 100g turnout by day and keeps this on overnight unless it's warmer when she just has a fleece on. I really object to over rugging. Nobody has said anything directly to me about not rugging the youngster though - they all appreciate that she's a native and doesn't like rugs very much!
 
I've got six, one Fell pony, and five cobs, who are never rugged and live out all winter. They all grow really thick coats, and I feed hay or haylage according to the weather conditions. I've kept my horses like that for the past fifteen years and I believe it suits them best.

There are people around here who rug their horses at the drop of a hat, and who frown at my ways, but I couldn't care less.

I'm not on a yard, though, so its easy for me to say that, I suppose.

Be your own person, and do what you feel is best for your horse and its management.
 
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3BayGeldings said:
You sound bitchy in your post about the fact that they ARE rugging their horses, so it's kind of double standards. If only people on livery yards concentrated on themselves and not everyone else.
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Who sounds bitchy? Use the quote bar, to reference.
But having read this post - most in support of OP - and those who are not - have their own reasons for what they do - as we all do really! And if we can't depend on our gut horse instinct for caring for our own animals - should we have them in the first place?
Whoops just making the type of post that others make to me - and are almost always removed by H&H controller person......not getting at you personally - or anyone - but beware when making slightly personal comments!! xx
 
I think it really depends on the horse and the amount of work they are doing,if they are not in heavy work and are native types then of course with shelter they can cope living out unclipped.

If they are in full work hunting or similar then the time it would take to cool down and dry would be so long then it would probably not be viable.
 
Well, 4 of our 5 have medium rugs on at night. I don't think technically any of them NEED them but two are over 25 and the oldest (coming up 29yo) TB does need to keep the weight on so would rather he didn't use energy to keep warm.

My 21yo actually doesn't need one and was not overly impressed when my sister put it on the other night apparently (he hates to be too warm) but he will be clipped in the next few weeks when i can be bothered! It does help me though if they have rugs on as, being asthmatic, having to groom a lot of dried mud off doesn't do me much good plus it's a pain! :)

My big fat 3 yo doesn't have a rug on though and went without all last winter and he'll be rugless again this year unless we get really awful -15 degrees type weather again! :)
 
A friend of mine owns a tack shop. We were discussing over rugging in general, as her friend is vet and had been out to 5 cases of dehydrated horses who had overheated thanks to 3 rugs on when it 10 and the sun then came out as well.

A customer overheard me say mine are still unrigged - and her face was one of absolute horror :eek: She honestly looked like I had just said I regularly thrash my horses with a prickly stick!!! I explained that they are both young, healthy, have natural and a field shelter and do not require rugs. ''But you rug them when it rains obviously'' she says, er no I don't - they have water repelling grease in their coats that means only top layer gets wet, theyre bone dry at the skin ''well but but but you rug them when its windy of course as we all know horses hate wind'' nope and not even when it snows dear :rolleyes::D

Has to be said we did dissolve into laughter when she left. It was like she seriously thinks horses will melt in wind/rain/snow :eek:
 
I almost caved and put a lightweight on Olive this morning as I felt that might be what I 'should' do. Nobody REALLY thinks I am being mean by not rugging her but I think if she belonged to the others she would have been wearing a lightweight a few weeks ago.

It is 3 degrees here at he moment and colder still with the wind chill but I decided to leave her for today as she is fluffing up as she still hasn't been clipped. I figure she is best to be able to fluff up than have a LW sitting on top. Also, I want to save 'rug faff' for as late as possible - after clipping.

I don't care what anyone else does with rugging. If your horse feels the cold, or is cold then put on as much as it needs!

I will go up at lunch and check her out but I am sure those ears will be cosy of their own accord :)
 
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