at what point do you rug??

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ellis9905

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im just wondering at what point you all rug at? is it when the temperature drops below a certain point or do you have some other indicator?

i own a welsch sec a that only gets rugged in the very worst of the winter, but now have another new horse thats an older gentleman and will need more rugging.
 
If theyre shivering or tucked up or below just visible ribs in weight. Not dependent on temps/wind/rain as each horse has a different internal thermometer same as humans.
 
When I get up in the morning and its a bit too nippy. It's still a bit too warm at the mo for mine. I want them to grow thick coats this year as I'm expecting a baby in november and they are going to be spending more time out. As soon as they forecast a frost il stick a light weight on them.
 
As with everything it depends on the horse and where it is kept, with mine if they are going to be mainly out and not really in work I will leave them to grow a proper coat and only rug once it is cold and wet, they usually stay rugged up pretty much until the end of winter.

If they are going to be in work, clipped and stabled I rug either once they come in at night and get clipped or if it gets cold and wet before I want them in, I do not rug if just a bit chilly overnight, they are fine out and I think most cope with being a little cool as long as they are not soaking wet.

I have a 33year old that may have a rug on a bit earlier, his coat is thick and if he gets wet he takes a long while to dry.

At the moment just one horse is in a lightweight, he is in fairly hard work eventing most weekends and it helps keep him clean and dry until I relent and bring him in.

All my fields have very good hedges so if it rains they can get some natural
protection. I do not think that temperature is a good guide if it is fine, rain is what pulls them down, not a few hours of low temperature overnight.
 
Either when it is very wet, windy and cold, or when he is coming in at night and it's wet. Don't like him standing in the stable wet.
 
It's getting colder here at nights but dry, and mine have very good shelter and grazing so ate fine naked and out 24/7 atm. I'll start rugging when the rain comes in...
 
If and when any individual horse NEEDS to be rugged ;)
My own 3 year old New Forest for example was given a full bath before going to a show last weekend. She is only just starting to grow her winter coat, but by bathing her I removed her own waterproofing (grease) from her coat, so have rugged her in a lightweight to compensate for this. We have one more In Hand M&M Youngstock show at the end of November, so my pony will continue to wear a rug for the time being.
I have chosen to show her, so it is my responsibility to look after her properly in these circumstances, i.e. rugging her to protect her from the elements since being fully bathed.
The weather here in SE Scotland is very, very changeable right now. One minute the sun is shining, next, it is lashing down with rain. The night time temperatures are dropping to around 2 - 3 degrees. Yesterday, we had strong winds all day with gusts of up to 50/60mph along with a mixture of sun and heavy showers.
 
LittleWildOne said:
If and when any individual horse NEEDS to be rugged ;)
My own 3 year old New Forest for example was given a full bath before going to a show last weekend. She is only just starting to grow her winter coat, but by bathing her I removed her own waterproofing (grease) from her coat, so have rugged her in a lightweight to compensate for this. We have one more In Hand M&M Youngstock show at the end of November, so my pony will continue to wear a rug for the time being.
I have chosen to show her, so it is my responsibility to look after her properly in these circumstances, i.e. rugging her to protect her from the elements since being fully bathed.
The weather here in SE Scotland is very, very changeable right now. One minute the sun is shining, next, it is lashing down with rain. The night time temperatures are dropping to around 2 - 3 degrees. Yesterday, we had strong winds all day with gusts of up to 50/60mph along with a mixture of sun and heavy showers.
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My boy is fully clipped so if it's cold at night (he is in during the day) he'll get a sheet on but not if it's warm as he's quite a 'hot' pony.
 
Totally depends on the horse and how he is in whatever weather conditions. His stable isn't ready til next weekend so have rugged due to wet/muddy conditions so I can actually ride him!
 
When they need it, which is rather vague sounding, but all of them are different. I have a yearling who suffers if not rugged. He humps his back when he's miserable and that is the time to put the rug on. We got through the whole winter without any rugs, but the wet spring/summer put paid to that. He lost a lot of condition and so got rugged. His yearling companion prefers to be naked, I did manage to get a rug on him once, and he did the houdini thing and wriggled out of it (the night before a show)
 
When he needs it. I go by how warm or cold his body feels, not how cold I am. He is a welsh d so I find that i only need to rug when the weather has been both very wet and very cold for days on end, and even then it's only ever a lightweight. I tried a medium weight once when it was snowing - by the time i got to the yard after work he had ripped it in two and looked extremely pleased with himself! That told me then!
 
Mine stays naked all year round. Lives out 24/7 with lots of shelter from the wind and rain and ab lib hay to keep him warm from the inside. xx
 
Oh, when it starts looking like this :D

DSCF4480.jpg


Sometimes.
 
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Both of my tb's have no fill rugs on because they are both wimps and hate the rain and the slight chill we've had. The are out 24/7 at the moment until end of the month. They are in quite an exposed paddock with 1 small hedge for shelter so it just helps them a little bit.
 
I am usually last to rug, but this year I popped a light rug on overnight due to heavy thundery rain he would not be caught next day, and so still rugged, if we ever get a sunny warm day, the rug will come off, still waiting.
I clip when he needs it and he gets a rug then.
 
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