Clipped Pony - Thinking of taking her rug off!

[3Beasties]

Millie my Section A is hunter clipped and has been wearing a medium weight rug with neck. She is out during the day and in a big (drafty) barn at night. They live on a hill and it does get very cold/wet/windy!

Her clip is half grown out and she won't be re-clipped till the end of next week (at the earliest). I know that she must be feeling the cold a bit as usually she only gets clipped once or twice a year (if clipped early) but now we are going onto our 3rd clip. Trouble is she is over weight and being a little cold doesn't seem to be making much difference

Would it be really mean of me to take her rug of completely until she is re-clipped or even just to take her down to a lightweight rain sheet to try and get her to shift a few pounds? What do you think?

 

[simplyhunting]

i was always taught once rugged, they remain rugged. My lad has outgrown his clip and ive switiched him down to a middle-weight until he's clipped again then he can have his heavy back on.
Why dont you put a lightweight on her? then you can always leave this on even after shes been re-clipped so she stills drops a bit , but without being too mean lol

 

[Katie__Connie]

I was always taught the same

I would change to a LW

 

[Gentle_Warrior]

change her to a light weight - I have the same prob, but the hair growing back from the clip will not protect her

 

[Aru]

I was told that putting a pony out partly clipped with plenty of well soaked hay and some grass is a very good way to get them to drop the pounds as they will shiver some off but the food will give them a basic centre of heat....

we were also told that most owners wouldnt like this advise so procede with caution

As you said its wet and windy though id probly leave her in a lightweight rug, as her clipped coat wont be fit to protect her skin from the elements..

Exercise etc needs to be going on 2 though,just having her cold wont get the weight down in a safe manner...but im sure you know that anyway.

 

[TicTac]

Drop the weight of rug to a lightweight but do not be in considerate enough to take the rugs off completely! Up her excercise and reduce the feed if necessary. If she is on good grass then only give her one section of hay at night. Letting her get cold is not a sensible way to reduce her weight as she could catch a chill and become ill.

 

[3Beasties]

Thanks Guys, will change her to a lightweight tomorrow.

I can't reduce her hay as she shares a barn with Two TB's and a Donkey so we put a huge pile out at night. She has got her grazing mask back on though so that should also help.

Her work has been upped (again) and she should start hunting regularly from next weekend as her Jockey has a month off school for Xmas.

Food wise she doesn't have a lot, she has on small scoop of safe and sound at night which is mixed with water that the Sugar beet is soaked in, and then in the morning she gets a small scoop of competition mix. The sugar beet water is the only thing that has changed in her diet, not sure if that would put so much weight on though

 

[Tickles]

If she is really in need of loosing weight would it not be better to cut the hard feed out (almost - maybe a balancer or whatever for vits & mins in a handfull of chaff) altogether before turning out a clipped pony unrugged? Seems slightly odd to be muzzling etc /and/ giving hard feed...

 

[3Beasties]

The feed she gets is literally a handful of each, she needs the competition mix as she lacks energy (she's been on this all summer and IMO we haven't had a problem with her weight until recently) and the safe and sound is to mix her joint supplement in, she won't eat it otherwise.

 

[wonkey_donkey]

Yes it would be mean.
You can't just take her rug off in this weather.
She certainly will lose some weight but I'm sure she will be very cold and miserable with it :-(

 

[wilson1]

cant believe you are thinking about taking a rug off a clipped pony at this time of year, poor pony.
How would you like to be cold just to shiver some fat off, have you not heard of exercise to shift the weight?

 

[3Beasties]

Her clip has nearly grown out so she isn't 'really' clipped! I've put her in a lightweight and I very much doubt she will be shivering, I have never known her to shiver in the 11 years I have owned her.

As for exercise she is worked 5 days a week.

I would rather she was a bit cold and miserable then in a huge amount of pain due to Laminitis (sp!)!