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

[WestCoast]

I feel bad for rugging Bree - I was under pressure from to yard as it keeps them clean. But she's quite capable of managing without since she's now in at night. Horrible, uncomfortable things if you ask me.

Paula

 

[FfionWinnie]

No one would make me feel bad for any choices I made. No one here to make me feel bad right enough but even if there was I would rise above it

 

[teasle]

Mine is one o f the very much minority as unclipped and naked , and probably the muddiest horse on the yard most of the time. No one has a go at me, and I dont coment when horses are rugged before being clipped , hoods and all cause I asume that if they come in sweaty their owners will have the intelligence to rug more lightly.
But I dont know what to do for the winter- how do you manage when your horses get sweaty when you ride. Last year my horse was unridden cause of lameness and was not rugged , previous to that we clipped and rugged. He gets sweaty ridden at a walk on a mild day, and I do not like to exercise wearing an overcoat- but I am scared to clip him, I just think if I do he wil be lame or it will snow. Also last year was great with no faffing about with rugs. He is now in at night so can dry off after a wet day.

 

[JavaJaneW]

Yes, constantly
The others are so appalling I now rarely go to the field and leave it to my daughter to do the ponies because they have taken the enjoyment out of having them.
Will be putting a rug on today because I have had enough of the constant sniping.

 

[c2b]

When I first got my dales mare I was told by the yard know it all if she isn't rugged she would die of kidney failure.....8 years on and she hasn't yet.
Last year I moved, the new field has a footpath through it. On those days I arrived to find her covered in frost with icicles hanging from her whiskers I fully expected a visit from the RSPCA it never happened though.
Oh and yes she was toasty warm under her fluff. She lives out 24/7/365 with natural shelter. She doesn't get hay unless it's snow covering the ground. Still have trouble keeping weight off her. The only feed she gets is a token amount of ff to put a vit supplement in. One bag of ff lasts almost a year!

However earlier this year she was found shivering in the rain, so this winter (she is now 19) I will be keeping a close eye on her if she gets cold or loses condition then my management will change to deal with it. I have rugs and stable available should I need them. If she is warm and keeping condition on then nothing will change. If anyone else doesn't like it.......tough. My horse my rules.

 

[scarymare]

My neighbours used to try to. However they are now educated on the dangers of rugging youngstock etc. When we were younger horses were all out in these wierd green new zealands that slipped and they can't have been that warm and nobody died or got cold!

 

[Puppy]

I briefly contemplated rugging my WB last night as it had dropped so cold in the evening. Then I stuck my hand in her coat and I knew she was fine as she is

I have two rugged and two naked - I go with what suits the individual.

 

[Hobbitpony]

At the end of the day it comes down to common sense and the individual horse/pony. My first pony arab/welsh was a poor doer, lost weight really easily and was miserable left out in bad weather, even though we didn't clip him, so he was always in at night, well rugged and well fed during the winter. This is what was just necessary to keep him healthy and happy. My Aunty has a fat furry cob who lives out 24/7 and in middle of winter with no rug, minimal feed just ad lib hay, still looks like a barrel and is happy as a hippo in a bog. No need to judge anyone it is just whatever works best for that particular animal.

 

[DragonSlayer]

Yes, constantly
The others are so appalling I now rarely go to the field and leave it to my daughter to do the ponies because they have taken the enjoyment out of having them.
Will be putting a rug on today because I have had enough of the constant sniping.

The universal words **** off work well....

 

[JavaJaneW]

The universal words **** off work well....

I know DS. I am not a confrontational person, rarely speak out (much to my annoyance as I get used by people ..) however I have recently lost the plot and screamed at one of them to MTOFB.
But it's just a miserable experience, with them huddled and talking when I am there I have just given up, to the point that I have loaned Magic out, something I promised I wouldn't do since the last time :/

Anyway I am digressing from OP, sorry.

 

[Moomin1]

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.

See this is why it infuriates me so much when people on here say "there is no right or wrong with rugging"!!!

 

[JoannaC]

ha ha I was told this morning that I am cruel for not rugging my arabs last night. As I pointed out the base of the ears are warm and if you burrow into the fur they are warm underneath. My boy has just gone onto a new field and there is loads and loads of grass and my mare comes in to ad lib hay so both can keep warm by eating as nature intended. I think a lot of people assume that if they are cold to touch that they are cold and don't actually know about how to check if they are cold or not e.g base of ears and by burrowing down. As soon as it is wet at this temperature of course mine will be rugged but it's been wet and warm and now it's cold and dry so until they need to be rugged they can stay naked and people can call me cruel.

 

[millieconnellx]

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

My girl's out, and is not rugged. She's also fluffy! I don't rug her till it gets like freezing, because she's actually lovely and cosy. She's not stabled, and just has woodland to have shelter under.
Is the horse page on facebook Horse Chit Chat(h.c.c. equestrian) by any chance? Just wondered, haha x

 

[annaellie]

My husband is not horsey and he thinks am cruel leaving my two to live it and the fact I have no rugs on them and don't groom daily am an evil woman.
I try to explain their natives and it's better for them out then in and if I groom daily then it's not good as they basically live out. No am still the evil owner according to him