Do cobs need rugs?!

[TillyF]

New cob, put new rug on her last night as it was raining a lot and temperature starting to dip. This morning it’s off her and ripped!
When I put it on she seemed fine, I was expecting her to move away, as is very nervous type. But she let me put it on.
But obviously didn’t like it and has somehow got it off.
Any suggestions - do I try again? Or leave her without.
She is not clipped. She does have a field shelter but doesn’t seem to use it much. Quite cold and windy in the field, as not much natural shelter.
Any ideas please.

 

[SOS]

A cob is no different to any horse - you rug according to their needs weighing up cost type, weight, shelter and temperatures. What weight of rug did you put on? It’s still quite warm for this time of year so a hairy, non clipped, good weight cob I would of only put a sheet on last night and that’s if I wanted to ride in the morning! If not I’d of not put one on.

Sometimes horses will get rugs off because they are not, sometimes it’s because they don’t fit properly but sometimes it’s just because they are horses and look for trouble in everything! Make sure the rugs fit well and the fillet/leg straps are all secure.

 

[alibali]

Wait and see how she does. If she becomes cold and miserable and loses lots of weight then try again. However I wouldn't expect an unclipped horse of that type to need rugged in a field with suitable shelter either natural or man-made unless they were elderly or otherwise compromised though there's always an exception to that rule

Many horses are over rugged. A bit of weight loss over winter will help you keep her in good shape over spring/summer which will help avoid metabolic disorders.

My 18 year old cob is low chaser clipped and currently wearing a no fill rain sheet. That's more for my convenience in having him dry to ride. I doubt he will be in anything more rug wise through the winter judging by how he held his weight last year.

 

[Auslander]

I've got one cob here (and three natives), Bar one native, who has immune problems, they are as tough as old boots, and shrug off weather that makes the sporthorse types suicidal. Our resident cob is very self sufficient, She produces her own insulation, weatherproofs herself, and knows exactly where to stand to minimise exposure.

 

[SOS]

Just re read your post and thought Is it possible she’s never had a rug on before? If young and a hardy type. Many take to it naturally but some do need a bit of desensitisation. We had one that came from Ireland and was petrified of being rugged. And when you did get a rug on would buck around it’s stable until the rug moved and then panic to get it off.

Id get her used to a rug being put on and off in a controlled environment (make this a learning exercise not fluke, wear a hat and reward for good behaviour). At this stage do not do the rug up until she is completely comfortable with it being put on, lying across her and taken off. When you do finally do it up, we did the rug up snugly on all straps and gave the horse a small feed. Finally we practised walking the horse with the rug on. He was fine after the above which took around a week or two.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

To add to other thoughts above, some will itch madly when they get too hot in a rug and trash it.
Rug the animal not the breed.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I can't imagine why you thought she might need a rug tbh. If there is a field shelter available to her, she has a full coat and is in good health, she is unlikely to need a rug. My cob lived out all last winter with a shelter and no rug, as did her finer bred field companion. In the days before there was a shelter, she would wear a rug on extremely wet and windy days but actually needed it more in summer when her coat is less protective. She has a full mane and hates having anything over her mane, I have to make sure that it is all outside the rug, if she wears one.
I guess that your horse took her rug off because she was too hot.

 

[Red-1]

I had a horse who would remove his rug when too hot. Clean over his head, from plucking at the shoulder. I had to always rug light.

I now have a cob. Rigsby isn't rugged. Last year, I did, this year I will only if he is actually cold.

 

[meleeka]

My cob isn’t rugged as the normal. He has one on if he’s cold, but it has to be a lot colder than it is now.

I’d leave her without and see how she is. She’s possibly not going to need one at all and will instead start using the shelter when the weather is bad. Certainly my cob doesn’t mind how low the temperature goes, but sometimes if it’s cold and then wet he needs a rug for a while.

 

[TillyF]

Thanks all.
It was just a lightweight one as it was raining and sort of a test for later in the week when it’s going to 3 degrees.
She was fine when I put it on and walked off round the field to eat. Will leave it off for now and practise a bit for it it gets really cold.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Thanks all.
It was just a lightweight one as it was raining and sort of a test for later in the week when it’s going to 3 degrees.
She was fine when I put it on and walked off round the field to eat. Will leave it off for now and practise a bit for it it gets really cold.

As I have understood the forecast, the temperature will drop but it won't be raining. She is unlikely to need a rug, If you put your hand on the bare skin behind the elbow, you will get a good idea of how warm the horse is and, remembering that horses prefer to be on the cooler side, work out if she really does need a rug.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Thanks all.
It was just a lightweight one as it was raining and sort of a test for later in the week when it’s going to 3 degrees.
She was fine when I put it on and walked off round the field to eat. Will leave it off for now and practise a bit for it it gets really cold.

I'd really only pop one on if it's very cold and wet, and this only if pony very miserably cold.
Wont need one if just cold out.

 

[TPO]

I've got a fat hairy cob and he has one rain sheet to his name that he's worn maybe twice in o ly the very very worst of Scottish weather.

Its cold, windy and heavy rain in Scotland today and he's out in the middle of the field grazing. The other two have 50gms on and are hanging near the hedge, their shelter, eating hay.

Generally speaking Its only when it's two bad weathers, or more, that I consider a rug for an unclipped cob who isn't underweight. In my cobs case thats been when it's minus temperatures but feels colder because of the wind and heavy rain/sleet.

That your cob is happily out grazing grazing not staying beside (they rarely seem to go inside!) the field shelter I think they'll be fine. 3 degrees isn't that cold especially not for an unclipped horse carrying condition.

Fwiw my last TB used to remove every rug if he felt even slightly too warm. Never caught him at it and the rugs were always still fastened in one piece. Stupid eejit would regret it 5mins later when the weather turned and he ended up like a drowned rat!

 

[tiga71]

My 23 year old cob is clipped but only has a lightweight on if very wet this weather. If it is above about 9/10 degrees he absolutely sweats buckets even in a rainsheet. I put a rainsheet on him last night as it is heavy rain and 50 mile an hour winds early this morning here but he will want it off as soon as heavy rain stops as only about 12 degrees.

My other two are unclipped and will only need a rug if freezing, wet and windy.
If yours has shelter she will use it if she needs to.

 

[planete]

I will only rug an unclipped horse in cold, wet and windy weather if he has no shelter and I have previously found him shivering in the same circumstances. I never saw Woody (heavy hairy small cob) shiver in the worst weather last Winter and he only lost a bit of weight when I put him on a diet before the Spring grass came.

 

[Cob Life]

I wouldn’t have a rug on blue if he was unclipped at the moment.
he’s ripped his rug tonight and I considered leaving him naked even with a blanket clip but thought it was a little mean so he’s probably a bit warm in a MW for tonight

 

[Equi]

Unclipped with a shelter available? No i would not rug (unless they were particularly prone to the wet/cold or had a condition)

 

[Flagstad]

Call me old fashioned, but if he's not clipped and has adequate shelter then I see no reason to rug him.