Can you put one turn out rug on top of another?

[Shay]

or do they slip?

Its so very cold just now I can either layer on fleece, under rug, sheet etc (I think we'd end up with about 4 rugs) or put one M/w turn out on top of another. Fill wise that would be ideal and I have a brand new turnout that is clean to go underneath.

But will they slip over one another because of the waterpoof surface?

 

[clairec1154]

Have you put your hand under the rug to feel how warm your horse is with just the M/W rug?? You will be surprised how much warmer they are compared to us!

 

[Blue-bear]

Yeah i put turnouts over each other and they seem fine

 

[Irishcobs]

One of mine is in 2 turnouts over night. They haven't slipped at all but she doesn't play or run around that much.

 

[Sprout]

I do, and have never had any problems.

 

[flyingfeet]

[ QUOTE ]
Have you put your hand under the rug to feel how warm your horse is with just the M/W rug?? You will be surprised how much warmer they are compared to us!

[/ QUOTE ]

To be fair if you stick you hand under ANY rug and its cold, then your horse is dead! Not exactly a trusted method on deciding whether your horse is hot or cold.....

 

[Shay]

Thanks everyone.

Lad is fully clipped out and hogged. He was cold (Not dead cold - but cool LOL!) this morning after a night in a fleece, super thick full neck under rug and stable rug. I hate turing him out with his full under rug on becuase he rolls in it and gets the bottom wet and its the only one we've got!

So he's gone out looking like a michelin man pony in his 2 turn outs and I'll check him in a hour.

If I can get the car to start again....

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

As long as the under rug won't slip or make the top rug slip, it's fine. There's a similar post on NL (I think) from yesterday and loads of people recommended the Amigo Insulator as an under rug. It's a stable rug really but word of mouth recommendation is as good as it gets so I've just ordered one!

 

[flyingfeet]

If it any help, mine live in their turnouts (400g) and currently have slinky mark todd under rugs. These are all nylon and very easy to wip on and off (in the mornings, jut undo the front and the one clip and pull them out from under the top rug!

I would use turnouts over each other, no problem, as the only difference with a stable / under rug is the waterproof outer.

 

[Mabel98]

I don't use stable rugs at all, always turnout rugs and I layer them too. Never slip, never get wet and they dry out left on the horse overnight in the stable.

 

[Izzwizz]

Personally I dont like too much weight on a horses back, turnout rugs are heavy and to have 2 on is a lot of weight. The better idea is the Amigo Insulator or the Duo liners which are available in different weghts according to what you want, I think theres 3 to choose from. Apart from anything else I dont like too many belly/leg straps, a lot to get tangled up if they get a rug(s) off, and it does happen. Horse at our yard got his rug off in field last week, bit of a Houdini!!

 

[onemoretime]

My mare goes out with her turnout rug over the top of a lightweight night rug. At night in the stable she wears a Thermatex under a middleweight weatherbeeta night rug with an all in one neck on it. The Thermatex hangs down a bit and I dont want it getting wet and muddy so I take it off during the day and replace with the LW stable rug.

 

[sambarny23]

i have a HW 420g turnout with a 300g amigo insulator on my Welsh Cob at the moment she is fully clipped and hogged and lives out day and night, but i'm worried that in this really cold weather that she is still gonna be cold at night.

 

[Shay]

Just got back from bringing in toasty warm boy. 2 turnouts worked like a dream. Poor lad had icicles on all his whiskers but underneath he was all warm. Almost a pity to put his cold night time rugs on him - especially as all his carrots have also frozen!

Thanks all for the re-assurance.

 

[clairec1154]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Have you put your hand under the rug to feel how warm your horse is with just the M/W rug?? You will be surprised how much warmer they are compared to us!

[/ QUOTE ]

To be fair if you stick you hand under ANY rug and its cold, then your horse is dead! Not exactly a trusted method on deciding whether your horse is hot or cold.....

[/ QUOTE ]

OH dear PMSL - I think I would notice if my horse was dead without checking it's body temperature!!

My reply was asking, how do you know your horse is cold?

You must remember that a horses body temperature is 100 degress compared to our 37. They are designed to live in temperatures -30. But as we clip our horses we replace there coats with turnout rugs. IMO I would be careful about putting two M/W turnouts on any of my horses as both rugs would now become ill fitting causing associated problems.

I also monitor my horses body temperature. It's always safer to under blanket than over blanket. Overheating any horse, at the very least, will cause the horse to sweat and we all know what happens when our clothing gets damp from sweating and then it cools off! Brrrrr!!!

In more severe cases, you could cause heat exhaustion or stroke, as well as stress the horse's system. That is why I asked if you knew your horses temperature?

 

[Enfys]

I frequently double up if I have a chilly horse.

Mine live out so I don't want to put stable rugs underneath (don't have any besides), 2 x MW do the job, the mares cope without bending at the knees and the rugs don't slip.

 

[flyingfeet]

[ QUOTE ]
You must remember that a horses body temperature is 100 degress compared to our 37. They are designed to live in temperatures -30.

[/ QUOTE ]

100 Degrees C, is boiling water!

Human 36.5-37.5oC
Horse 37.5 to 38.5 oC

Yes they are warmer than us, however if you've clipped all their hair off they cannot regulate their temperature.

A cold horse under a rug can feel warmer than they ought to, as they are trying to heat themselves up. Which is why the base of the ears is generally used to assess a horses temperature. If cold (like human with cold fingers and toes) the body focuses on keeping core organs warm and the extremities become colder.

Also horses can only exist in -30oC where they have humans to assist in feeding and someone has not clipped their hair off!

 

[Haniki]

I think you've got mixed up with your Centigrade and Farenheit - average human's is 98.4F (37C) and average horse's 100.4F (37-38C)

 

[clairec1154]

Thanks Haniki, I was converting both temperatures to farenheit when I got called away and then posted the thread in a hurry forgetting that I had only done one!

 

[SpottedCat]

[ QUOTE ]
Just got back from bringing in toasty warm boy. 2 turnouts worked like a dream. Poor lad had icicles on all his whiskers but underneath he was all warm. Almost a pity to put his cold night time rugs on him - especially as all his carrots have also frozen!

Thanks all for the re-assurance.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, a complete pity - why not just leave him in the TOs? This is why I only have TO rugs as I can't see what you gain by taking nice warm rugs off a horse and putting freezing cold ones on it which it then uses energy (which costs me money in the form of haylage) to heat them up again!

 

[Mabel98]

Spotted Cat, I agree totally. The turnout rugs are so good now and lightweight. They also don't get covered in stable stains like stable rugs. Saves time in the mornings not having to change rugs too!

 

[star]

mine live in their turnout rugs. one is out 24/7, the other in at night in the worst weather. i dont change his rugs to cold stable ones, i just leave him in his turnout rugs. also i layer my turnouts because have found that using an under rug when it's raining means that when he lies down the water soaks into the absorbable material and wicks up the rug leaving him with a soggy rug next to him, so now i dont bother with stable rugs at all and just layer my turnouts. He's currently wearing 2 HW's (is full clipped and in hard work, so fit and lean and feels the cold) Yes, it's a bit heavy but doesn't seem to stop him rearing up and hooning round the field!

 

[Pep12]

Two turn outs is fine. My guy is in two at the moment as is bloody freezing and he is fully clipped and out from 6.30 till 6.30 ish. I have a 70g rug on under a 450g, so not really added much more weight but I think the layering keeps them warmer. He would normally be fine without another layer but it has been so bloody cold here, -2/3 during day and -10 at night. he is just comfortable with this combo so i am happy.

I have been leaving him in his turnouts at night at the moment too as why let out all that warm air, and saves me time to do all the extra cold wetaher crap like, putting vaseline in hooves and carting warm water to field. have to save time somewhere!!

 

[1987]

My old boy is wearing 2 turnouts and seems much happier having the extra layer.

My TB has a stable rug under his turnout but i'm thinking about putting another turnout on top as he is getting cold at night.

 

[dizzyf]

[ QUOTE ]
Spotted Cat, I agree totally. The turnout rugs are so good now and lightweight. They also don't get covered in stable stains like stable rugs. Saves time in the mornings not having to change rugs too!

[/ QUOTE ]

Shouldnt you take off and put the rug on again at least twice a day to stop rubbing etc?

 

[russianhorse]

My boy lives out 24/7, but since the weather has gone soooo cold Ive put a second turnout rug on him to keep him snuggly warm (and he's unclipped), but take off one during the day

Slightly spoilt me thinks