Can anyone tell me

F

FairyLights

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 August 2010
Messages
4,070
Location
UK
Visit site
why a Haflinger or a Fiord needs a rug? :confused: I've just read elsewhere that someone wants recommendations as to make of rug for a haflinger,someone with a Fiord has replies stating what they have. Unbelievable. Alpine and Nordic breeds DO NOT NEED RUGGING. :p as they say "nowt so quer as folk"
Sorry but need to rant
 
in the village where my neddy is there are a couple that have icelandics.. they compete worldwide so not hobby ponies.. they have rugs on:eek:
 
Think it is like every horse, it will depend on the individual. Remember they are all different, as I always say, one size does not fit all. If the owner feels it needs rugging then s/he knows the horse best.

Fany is a cold blood and was rugged last year due to being poorly, not rugged this year and out enjoying the snow. It all depends, if you do not know the circumstances you should not judge.
FDC
 
Last edited:
Every horse is different you cant just go on their breeds for past 2 winters my highland has had to have h/w rugs on this is her first winter she has not had to have a rug on as she is no longer underweight.
 
Mine is a hairy cob and I under-rugged him the first year I had him, thinking he was fluffy enough to cope. My saddler absolutely went mad at me when I wanted his saddle re-fitted because he had lost way too much weigh over winter. :(:o I know better now. :) It is, as FDC says, dependent on the individual.
 
Whilst I realise that every horse is different, I do think that if owners would make sure that horses had ad-lib forage and little or no cereal/refined sugar, most horses would cope very well without a rug. Most rugged horses wear rugs for their owners' convenience and anthropomorphism.
 
Pearlsacarolsinger said:
Whilst I realise that every horse is different, I do think that if owners would make sure that horses had ad-lib forage and little or no cereal/refined sugar, most horses would cope very well without a rug. Most rugged horses wear rugs for their owners' convenience and anthropomorphism.
Click to expand...

So when my WB stands shivering in the corner and is dropping weight like a supermodel whilst on ad lib haylage and 2 good quality buckets, with Bailey's outshine and balancer, a day I should tell him he can't be rugged because his distress is in my mind? He is happy in his HW stable rug, I am happy he is happy and he is healthy the weight is staying on. Who exactly is losing?

Please treat each horse as an individual, don't apply one rule to all and don't follow the herd. Do what is needed for the welfare of the horse in question not what everyone else does.
FDC
 
Last edited:
I have to disagree: as I said, my cob should have been fine with a thin rug, decent feed etc the first winter I had him: he wasn't.

This is my Hanoverian X that I took on after winter: he had been left unrugged and was severely underweight. He needed good feed and correct rugging.

Boomerang.jpg


Shivering off weight is a technique that some people use for their horse if it is overweight but I would prefer a decent exercise regime and correct nutrition. Never mind anthropomorphism, all animals seek food and shelter: it is nature, not nurture.
 
Last edited:
cinammontoast said:
I have to disagree: as I said, my cob should have been fine with a thin rug, decent feed etc the first winter I had him: he wasn't.

This is my Hanoverian X that I took on after winter: he had been left unrugged and was severely underweight. He needed good feed and correct rugging
.
Boomerang.jpg
Click to expand...


Agree any after pictures of him? I think a lot of people seem to jump on the "rugging is bad" wagon without any thought to what type of horse, age, temperament and other issues it may have. Think it is an argument that will run and run.
FDC
 
I agree with FDC, each horse is an individual. They are all kept differently in terms of location, grass type, hay/haylage, feed, local weather/temp, shelter etc etc etc. One size DOES NOT fit all!!

There seems to have been a strange sort of 'competition' on here the past couple of years as to who can rug their horse the least - I find it very odd!
 
Surely it's the owners choice 90% of the time??? None of my horses NEED rugs, however they all wear them, as i choose to put them on.....it's none of my business who rugs and who doesn't!!!
 
My Halflinger is rugged in heavy rain as he doesn't have the undercoat that the natives have. Otherwise he ends up with rainscald. Only ever a lw rug as he really does need to shiver the weight off. He lives out 24/7 now he's retired.

Remember that the amount of exercise required to keep good doers slim isn't always possible if they are retired, in this kind of weather, if their owners work 9 - 5 etc, etc.
 
You are quite right that a Haffie doesnt 'need' rugging to keep warm. They grow the most amazingly thick coats to keep them warm.....

However, have you ever tried keeping one in work that has such a thick coat? They get so so sweaty that it is not comfortable for them (how on earth do you propose you dry that sweat off them in this cold weather without them catching a chill? Of course I know thats what coolers are for, but have you tried it to see just how long it takes said horse to dry before it can be left without cooler without catching a chill! )
If you clip them, then of course they need rugging!


Soooooo.....................

We rug our Haffies so that they dont grow such a thick coat, hence we can keep them in work comfortably, without having to clip them out! (Not a heavyweight rug, just a medium weight is all I find my girlie needs to keep a nice length of coat thats not too thick)
DSC00916.jpg
 
If you under-rug a horse then you can make them colder than if they had no rug on at all (depending on the horse of course). That is because you take their natural, fluffy, insulating fur and flatten it down so that the insulating properties don't work any more. Therefore, you get a cold horse. So once you start to rug, you need to make sure you rug at the right weight for the temperatures.
Under-rugging doesn't always mean that you need to put on a thicker rug, it may mean that you need to take the rug off altogether, if that makes sense. I have a few friends who put lightweight rugs on when it starts to get cold. Lightweight rugs don't really keep horses warm, they keep them dry, but again as they are flattening the fur the horse MAY be better off without.
 
Pearlsacarolsinger said:
Whilst I realise that every horse is different, I do think that if owners would make sure that horses had ad-lib forage and little or no cereal/refined sugar, most horses would cope very well without a rug. Most rugged horses wear rugs for their owners' convenience and anthropomorphism.
Click to expand...

This was my highland last winter whilst on unlimited good hay and feed and this picture was taken of her just going into winter before she lost a lot more-
picture.php


Her in a h/w rug
picture.php


This winter where she has enough weight on her not to need a rug
picture.php
 
I know it seems the done thing to let a horse 'shiver some weight off', all I can say is thank God us humans dont have to do the same!!
 
Seahorse said:
But then on the other hand, I was told that if you keep your horse warm during the winter it's less likely to lose weight and and therefore needs less feed!
Click to expand...


That is my point exactly!
Ad-lib forage helps ALL horses to keep warm. Therefore they are less likely to need rugs or hard feed. It is the more natural way to keep horses. It also means that there is less liklihood of injury/damage to the horse from a rug.
Just for the record, all our horses have different weight stable and turnout rugs available but except in the very worst weather they are all, including the 28 yr old, out during the day and in at night without rugs. We are frequently complimented on how well they look.

Quote "I know it seems the done thing to let a horse 'shiver some weight off', all I can say is thank God us humans dont have to do the same!!"Quote
But then humans don't have fur coats. Healthy horses lose weight in winter and regain it in Summer, if fed correctly. This helps to minimise the risk of laminitis etc.
Much better to feel a bit cold than a lot hungry from a horse's pov. Horses are meant to be on the cool side, rather than, as rug manufacturers would have us believe, -'toasty'.
Obviously 'vulnerable' horses, for whatever reason may well benefit from wearing a rug regularly.
 
Last edited:
My fjord has had a rug on for one afternoon so far this year - he came in really sweaty after being chased by a nutter pony, and I had to keep him warm until he dried off. If he was clipped, he would be rugged. The only other horse on the yard that us rugged is our old ID, and that is only if it is wet or below -10! Each to their own I say, depending on workload, horse and environment.

Modified to add - even my fjord has been colder this year than last. He is not as hardy as you would think he would be - he was not turned out in Holland much, I believe, and he is older. Our TB is warmer!
 
Last edited:
benson21 said:
I know it seems the done thing to let a horse 'shiver some weight off', all I can say is thank God us humans dont have to do the same!!
Click to expand...

I know what you mean :) but the options are to reduce forage (which I'm not prepared to do in this weather) or have them arrive in spring fatter than they were in September....with the risk of laminitis and everything else! This is on clean but old hay, can't even soak it in these conditions.

As for us ;) I could be size 10 by now if I went out in a t shirt....hmmm, has to be easier than weight watchers :eek:
 
Red Nosed Fany said:
Agree any after pictures of him?
FDC
Click to expand...

Sadly, only the one from the RVC where he was briefly before being PTS for a broken shoulder blade. :( The vet said he was his ideal weight, tho I thought he was still way too skinny, 6 weeks after the original pic. He couldn't take much more weight, tho, cos his hinds were very icky.

BoomerangattheRVC.jpg




My vet was saying that there were more cases of laminitis going into winter last year than in the Spring because people were overfeeding hay: I'd rather rug than risk that.
 
Notjustforxmas said:
why a Haflinger or a Fiord needs a rug? :confused: I've just read elsewhere that someone wants recommendations as to make of rug for a haflinger,someone with a Fiord has replies stating what they have. Unbelievable. Alpine and Nordic breeds DO NOT NEED RUGGING. :p as they say "nowt so quer as folk"
Sorry but need to rant
Click to expand...

Although of course in the wild a Haflinger or a an Icelandic (for example) would be constantly on the move foraging. A domesticated example of this breed if stabled or in a small field won't be doing so. In that case I can see the need for a rug.

The wild Exmoors here certainly don't have rugs and they cope perfectly well, but they are roaming all the time.

I think if you take a horse out of its natural environment then you do have to make adjustments if necessary.
 
Red Nosed Fany said:
Think it is like every horse, it will depend on the individual. Remember they are all different, as I always say, one size does not fit all. If the owner feels it needs rugging then s/he knows the horse best.

Fany is a cold blood and was rugged last year due to being poorly, not rugged this year and out enjoying the snow. It all depends, if you do not know the circumstances you should not judge.
FDC
Click to expand...

agree.gif

or they could also be clipped and in full work , just leave them out no rug eh cos its a fjord
 
Are we forgetting that these icelandic ponies are living in England? Where although we can have nippy winters, are nothing like Iceland. If they have lived in England most of their lives then they're not going to be adapted to ridiculously freezing temperatures that we have had this winter for example. I have a cob and an irish sports horse - both of which are rugged. My cob was clipped a couple of months back so his coat is nearly fully grown once more, but he is wearing rugs. Why? - Keeps his hair as fine as possible, which makes him sweat up less and less likely to catch a chill. He is as happy as larry.

I do honestly think it's down to the owner, they know their horses best. As long as the horse isn't shivering in fields or sweating buckets under it's rugs, then what business is it of ours to judge?
 
cinammontoast said:
Sadly, only the one from the RVC where he was briefly before being PTS for a broken shoulder blade. :( The vet said he was his ideal weight, tho I thought he was still way too skinny, 6 weeks after the original pic. He couldn't take much more weight, tho, cos his hinds were very icky.

BoomerangattheRVC.jpg




My vet was saying that there were more cases of laminitis going into winter last year than in the Spring because people were overfeeding hay: I'd rather rug than risk that.
Click to expand...


Poor sweetie, sorry i did not realise he'd passed on.
FDC
 
I have 2 fjords and both are rugged right now as we speak. Last year my 3yr old fjord lost a lot of weight and had to be rugged up to his eyeballs to stop him loosing warmth. They are both clipped so both have 2 rugs on at the moment.

Just because they're fjords doesn't mean they don't need rugs. Every horse is different, unless you're in that situation then you have no right to judge just because you need a "rant". I think it's highly unfair you have tarred us all with the same brush. I'd rather my fjords were warm & dry than cold & wet, sorry if that's just me.
 
cbmcts said:
My Halflinger is rugged in heavy rain as he doesn't have the undercoat that the natives have. Otherwise he ends up with rainscald. Only ever a lw rug as he really does need to shiver the weight off. He lives out 24/7 now he's retired.

Remember that the amount of exercise required to keep good doers slim isn't always possible if they are retired, in this kind of weather, if their owners work 9 - 5 etc, etc.
Click to expand...

We have a haffie that has never worn a rug and has lived out all weathers without a problem. We also have 3 of our 8 natives that had to be rugged for the first time last year because they simply couldn't cope without the rugs, despite being on ad lib haylage all winter, yet this year all are coping well without, on hay fed by weight, (ad lib during snow). Just goes to prove that they really are all different and all have different needs.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top