Census of opinions please?

I don't own any stable rugs because decided many years ago it would be a superfluous purchase ... I don't keep in very often, but when I do or when I am at away shows or sending horses off for training, they are in their turnout rugs ... not necessarily the same turnout rug they wore for the day but A turnout rug. If it is wet, I always leave it on to dry on the horse and have never had any areas of dampness, etc.
 
In an ideal world I prefer changing rugs over. I would always have spare turnout rugs of the same tog, so there would never be an occasion when I put a cold damp rug back on in the morning. I lie a wet rug out over a big bale of straw and it dries really well.

HOWEVER... as my husband has school runs, his own business and a mother with Alziemers to deal with when I go away for work, I had to change some of my text book practices to make sure he wasn't still doing the horses late into the evening and leaving the stable rugs on was one of the things we did.

I find that turnout rugs in the stable don't slip half as much as the stable ones did for some reason. I like that they get rinsed off in the rain, they don't stink half as much. I still have spare rugs for really windy nights if they are soaking wet, and on exceptionally bad nights (perhaps ten to fifteen nights a year) I shut top doors (we are in a very windy spot in the Pennines). I know a lot of people are horrified at this idea, but they'd probably change their minds if they lived here.

I used to have liveries, and I used to change rugs while the DIYs didn't. I did notice that their horses felt a lot colder to the touch when I did my late night checks on all the horses. I also know someone that allowed her horse to get very very fat without realising because she didn't take his rug off often enough.
 
I couldn't do it, the though if lyndhurst in a wet muddy rug.
I make sure I have enough rugs so if in the morning the rug is still wet I can put another on.
Rugs need to be removed regularly to readjust etc so it may as well be done when outdoor rugs are changed for indoor and vis versa.
 
I would, but not if the turnout had clips on the chest closure as I have seen a nasty accident caused when the horse got attached to his hay net by one of the clips and partially demolished a wooden stable trying to free himself. Lucky he wasn't badly injured, hay net was tied directly to ring and didn't break easily by the look of things....
Had to release one just last week from the same thing, she didn't panic, was as cool as a cucumber, but even so, I wouldn't risk a rug with clips, all my turnouts have them, and all the stable rugs I've got have buckles, so I use those.
 
I leave my turnouts on and always have. Most are designed to be dual purpose these days anyway. Even if I dont remove their rugs completely, I undo all all the straps, check for rubs and rearrange them every day. I don't have the storage for enough rugs for them to have stable and turnout rugs and nowhere to dry wet ones, so they're better off drying on them. The only concession was when one of them was on box rest in winter when he had a nice new smart tartan stable rug to cheer him* up.

*Ok not him, me.
 
Thank you all, that really helps. Someone this afternoon said to me about taking off a warm rug to put on a cold rug and I honestly had never thought of it like that. She also said if they lie in poo it isn't going to soak to the horses skin and won't go through a turnout anyway. Good point also about fillet strings versus straps....I have 2 out in fillet strings and one in straps and I am going to change all that!
It was also pointed out to me that I can put on a base layer if we plummet below freezing for any length of time. I will give it a try and see how we get on.....I have to say the horses seem perfectly happy and comfortable today in their boxes and its really very cold here today along with it being drizzly and damp. I think I will find it hard to get my round it once I have clipped them though....the idea of putting on a turnout instead of a warm, 400gram stable rug with neck might make me hyper-ventilate!!!
Thank you all!
 
Personally hate horses being in their stables with turnout rugs on. A lot of yards do this as saves them time swopping rugs but I have 6 to do and always change their rugs. A horse soon warms up a rug so for me there is absolutely no point in this for me but what others do is up to them. All our horses get a thorough groom and dried off before they go to bed so to leave a horse in its stable with water dripping off its rugs is just alien to me. Each to their own!
 
for those of you that do not like to take a warm rug off and replace with a cold one, do you not ride/remove the rug to check the horse etc?

when it is very cold I put a thin stable rug under a turn out or another stable rug depending where the horse is. I worked on a yard that left turn outs on all the time and often the rugs would still be wet the next morning when turning the horses back out, in the field the wind dries the rugs. I would hate to keep my wet heavy coat on in the house in fact I take it off when I go inside the stable block as it is heavy and makes my shoulders ache and it makes me feel cold due to it being wet.

the extra pressure of a heavy wet rug over the withers can't be pleasant, much nicer to pop a light stable rug on-if you are worried the horse will chill then walk the horse for a couple of minutes-usually I will pop a rug on as soon as I finish riding and then when the horse has cooled I would add another if it is cold enough.

turnout rugs stink when covered in urine and poo, Using light weight stable rugs (in layers when cold enough) means I can wash them at home so I can put clean clothes against the horses skin rather than a minging/stinky/greasy one

ETA I remove legs straps form all rugs and replace with a fillet string too
 
I haven't changed rugs over since the breathable light fabric turnouts came available. The horses have their rugs removed for riding and grooming in the morning are then turned out in rugs So the rugs come off once a day anyway and the horses stay warm from the daytime and the rugs dry out. Turnouts stay cleaner than stable rugs because they get regularly washed in the rain and air in the wind. SO win win every way. It is relevant now as mine live out 24/7 still have rugs off to be ridden aired and replaced int he higher temperatures of daytime
 
I leave my turnouts on as with four horses to do in the mornings, it saves so much time.

I was always of the opinion that horses should wear stable rugs at night until I moved briefly to a yard several years ago. I had to keep the turnouts on as the rain blew in the stables and it was lovely the following morning not to have to put soggy rugs on my horses.

The other plus point with keeping them on is that I now have two filthy girls who lay in their wee and poo despite ridiculously thick beds. Sometimes when I arrived in the mornings the rugs would be saturated and the horses would be wet underneath. Obviously this doesn't happen if they have their turnouts on.
 
I haven't changed rugs for over ten years. No rubs on withers, no rubs on the chest except one horse that was sorted by a bib. And I use the cheapest rugs that are available because I like buying them new ones every couple of years.

For people planning to remove leg straps who live in hilly windy areas, please think twice about it. Two years ago my best friend had to have repairs to three well fitted Amigo rugs because she went out to get the horses and found all three of them with their rugs around their chests. She was lucky that none of the horses had got hurt, only the rugs. I've often seen horses standing in lowland livery fields in the same state. Personally I would never not use leg straps no matter where I was.
 
When I had a horse being stabled I did this. No leg straps but always a fillet string. No problems with rugs blowing over heads.
Modern rugs are nice and light anyway, they should wick away moisture. Makes much more sense to me than taking off rugs and replacing them with cold, and possibly damp ones. You just have to make sure that you re-seat the rugs, and keep the horse reasonably groomed.
If the rugs were wet underneath in the morning I'd suggest that they were too heavy and the horses were sweating. I never had that problem, and would wonder if maybe they were also a bit heavily rugged when out. I think there's a tendency for people to over-rug these days, my horses live out and seldom go above a good, waterproof, medium weight rug.
 
Tinypony said:
When I had a horse being stabled I did this. No leg straps but always a fillet string. No problems with rugs blowing over heads.
Modern rugs are nice and light anyway, they should wick away moisture. Makes much more sense to me than taking off rugs and replacing them with cold, and possibly damp ones. You just have to make sure that you re-seat the rugs, and keep the horse reasonably groomed.
If the rugs were wet underneath in the morning I'd suggest that they were too heavy and the horses were sweating. I never had that problem, and would wonder if maybe they were also a bit heavily rugged when out. I think there's a tendency for people to over-rug these days, my horses live out and seldom go above a good, waterproof, medium weight rug.
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in my case the rugs were wet on the outside and it would be when weather was very wet-there was one or two on the yard that were over rugged but they were DIY so I did not do them, the other were all in light/medium weights with no necks so if weather was very hot then yes they were sweaty as unfortunately it was a yard that rugs went on one day at the start of the winter and then were worn every day till they came off in the spring unless the owners decided to put in an appearance-I hated that yard, the owners were aware that stables were skipped out only 6 days per week, fresh water was only given once per week, rugs never changed, feet were never ever picked out-all the owners were local to the yard and the livery was only part livery so they were expected to come up every day but they very rarely did.
 
I do not leave turnout rugs on overnight, but some of my 'stable' rugs are old Rambo turnout rugs. I have had them for decades. Seeing as my horses still wet their beds!! The old turnout rugs don't soak up the urine as much as a stable rug would.
 
I change rugs... It would feel wrong leaving the filthy wet turnout rug on... I have 2 turnout rugs for each horse (at least ) so never put a wet rug on a horse... It may be technically an ok thing to do - but it feels icky just thinking about it...
 
If I'm bringing in I change it, if the livery that helps me out if I turn hers out is bringing in, he stays in his outdoor. He's enough faffing about with his inhaler...
 
Umbongo said:
I do this too. Most turnouts now are breathable and suitable for inside use too. The rug dries quickly on the horse without the horse becoming cold or wet. Otherwise you are removing a nice warm turnout rug, putting on a cold stable rug. Likewise for the morning, removing a nice warm stable rug and putting on a cold, probably still wet and heavy turnout. I do remove the rug still and give the horses a once over, re-adjust the rug etc. I only do this with good quality and well fitted rugs.
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This. I have a couple of rugs in each weight so if one gets really wet and muddy I have a clean/dry one to put on otherwise they stay on the horse to dry. I prefer turnout rugs in the stable as if the horse lies in poo/wet it doesnt soak through whereas I find stable rugs soak it up like a smelly sponge! I also like that outdoor rugs have a tail flap- stops my horse rubbing his tail in the stable.
 
Mrs G said:
This. I have a couple of rugs in each weight so if one gets really wet and muddy I have a clean/dry one to put on otherwise they stay on the horse to dry. I prefer turnout rugs in the stable as if the horse lies in poo/wet it doesnt soak through whereas I find stable rugs soak it up like a smelly sponge! I also like that outdoor rugs have a tail flap- stops my horse rubbing his tail in the stable.
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I'm another who will do this on ocassion too.
 
Seville said:
Hi All,
I have worked with and owned horses for many many years, and I have always changed a horses outdoor rugs for indoor stable rugs..I admit drying turnout rugs can be a huge issue as we all know.
Just lately, several people I know and even picking up from various conversations at events, its popular now for horses to remain in their turnout rugs when brought in for the night. The rug dries on the horse without the horse being either cold or wet..I can understand that. I am having trouble equating all that on a filthy night, or when the weather drops below freezing, to leaving the horse, albeit in a stable with a deep dry bed, in its outdoor rug.
Can I ask what others think of this? Do you do this? Is the horse perfectly ok to leave overnight in its turnout? (I have a thing about horses laying down with leg-straps causing possible trouble) Am I worrying about nothing, and the horse will still be comfortable going out the following day? I would have to remove it daily anyway to groom simply because I could not bear NOT to!! I am interested to know how others deal with this and whether or not they think its actually ok to leave the turnout on? (I have good heavyweight rugs for winter, medium for Autumn/Spring). Thoughts and opinions please!!!!!!
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I prefer to change outdoor rugs to indoor. I use 1200d turnout rugs & they are always dry underneath but a wet rug is a heavy rug & I like to put a a fleece/waffle/quilt on as they are lighter. I use a retractable washing line to dry the turnouts.
 
I am one of the "old school" types by the look of it! I just cannot bring myself to leave a turnout rug on overnight. I understand the principle and they dry better etc but I just can't do it myself.
 
I often use turnout rugs in the stable because they repel stains better than stable rugs. I wouldn't leave a very wet rug on a horse though.
 
I always have his rugs changed between stable and turn out ones. I did loan a horse once who didn't have his changed from his turn out and it didn't feel right not changing it!
 
I don't do this I dislike it intensely , I make sure my horse wear different rugs at night so they are not wearing rugs of the same fit all the time they are rugged I will however leave very wet rugs on the horses to dry In the stables, two hours is usually enough .
Then I change them to nice warmed stable rug .
I also wash stable rugs over the winter I hate handling dirty rugs .
How do check a horse with a muddy outside rug on ? The answer is you can't you need to see the whole of your horse to check it ,once the rug is off you might as well put on a different one .
Some horses need warmer rugs when stabled some would be way to hot in a appropriate outside rug for an exposed field inside overnight .
I find they are very individual in their rugging needs .
 
I have heard about this - but the thought of not putting his pyjamas on! I don't like the idea of one rug on 24/7 due to fit, pressure, all the things that others have mentioned. I also agree about different weight of rug, less rug in the daytime out in the field, a thicker one at night in the stable.

What about the clip and the haynet story - you just can't believe how horses try to get themselves into trouble. I always prefer buckles on the chest, I don't like those little thread through fasteners.

However, this has certainly given me food for thought! I have been trying to think of ways to make horse keeping easier as the years roll past.
 
School nights my horses stay in there turnouts. Modern rugs are light and comfortable, so I am happy for them to stay on unless wet through, I would then swap. Non school nights I will sometimes swap to give them a change.

All rugs have straps, buckles, clips...I do not think any rugs are more dangerous then others.
 
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