Do we really need all these rugs?

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debneale

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I have just bought my first horse and am bamboozled by the number of different rugs??!! Could anyone tell me the most essential ones to buy and does anyone think we are pampering our horses unnecessarily?
 
I have a lightwieght mediumwieght and heavy weight in both turnout and stable rugs and a fly rug. Thats it. And i wouldnt even have the fly if he wasnt so itchy and things with the flys around. And yes i do think people pamper them unecessarilly but on the other hand i think non native horses do need the rugs to keep them warm in this climate as there skin and coat isnt a thick as native types.
 
fine coated horses or oldies who feel the cold or weather thats both wet and windy, then def need a rug. otherwise most dont.

we are in NE scotland and up a hill and the Haffie girl native type only had a rug on 2 days this winter, and we had lying snow for 3 months. It was hailing on her today about 5 different times! The IDxTB wuss on the other hand has only recently gone regularly nude and then only on fine days. The only problem not rugging in the hail is Haffie thinks someone is smacking her on the bum...

Likewise in the stable she had a rug on twice, he has only had a few nude nights.

I concluded after having a horse for 8 or so years that they were unlikely to dissolve in the rain or snow.....
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I'd start by getting a lightweight turnout rug. Something like an Amigo 600D or 1200D Lite. The 'D' sands for denier, like tights, so depending on how likely pony is to trash rugs will indicate whether he/she will need a 'tougher' outer.

I'd also go for a medium weight- again, the Amigo Medium for example,- with a detachable neck. I wouldn't go for a 'combo', as much as one which you can take the neck off, because that'll give you a better choice.

There is not reason why modern turnout rugs can't be worn indoors. A fleece cooler would be handy too.
 
How many rugs and what type will depend on what type of horse you have. Hardy native types don't need rugs unless they're clipped. Horses who live out 24/7 are unlikely to need a stable rug.
If your horse needs rugging then I'd start with a lightweight turnout and a medium weight turnout. I agree that detachable necks are more versatile. Don't buy a heavyweight until you're sure your horse will need it. A cooler of some sort would complete the set. If your horse is stabled, then you would need a stable rug of an appropriate weight too.
If you are starting from scratch look out for 'packages'. Some companies do sets of rugs which can save you quite a lot of money.
As for your question - yes, I think we do muffle our horses up far too much.
 
My 22 welsh C grows a coat like a bear, typically good doer never has hard feed just stabled overnight in winter with a couple of biscuits of hay - has not lost weight even over this chilly winter and certainly doesn't need a rug.

Likewise my ID/TB grows her own "rug" and when it was hailing / snowing / freezing in Jan she had a choice of eating haylage in her nice warm stable or standing in the middle of the paddock eating hay & yup, you guessed it she chose the latter.

So, no, in general we don't need all these rugs. Like another poster said, unless you have a thin skinned or clipped animal they are fine with what nature gave them.

Sorry - bit of a rant but really pet hate of mine to see natives / non clipped warmbloods etc still in rugs now!!!

Grrrr :mad:
 
It depends if your horse lives in or out and what sort he or she is. Mine live out all year round and just have a lightweight turnout and a medium weight turnout each. The shetland has nothing and our other pony only has both as he is getting older, stiff and not holding his weight like he used to.
 
My horses are clipped in the winter and they have a lightweight and medium weight turnout rug each, medium weight with full neck (when it was minus 12), and a couple of stable rugs. I normally leave their turnout rugs on and don't bother changing to stable rugs when they come in as this way they dry on the horse and you are not putting a cold wet rug on in the morning.
 
my boy lives out 24/7 and has 2 lightweights, one mediumweight with separate neck rug and a heavyweight with attached neck rug. oh and a waterproof exercise sheet and a cooler. he's quite fine coated and this was his first winter living out. he was in the lightweight from beginning of nov until we had the snow in dec. then his medium without neck until about march. for 2 days in feb he wore his heavyweight with neck during the awful wind and rain, as he was shivering. then back into lighweights for while, till that lovely spell last month. now naked 24/7. and will only rug up if bad wind and rain again, altho he wasnt shivering the last couple of times it was bad, which is good coz i want him to toughen up! and i've used his exercise sheet twice in bad weather - i do ride in rain, just been lucky with the weather so far!
 
What sort of horse have you bought? Are you planning on them living out? What do you want to do with them. For some horses you could make do with just one mw for really wet winter weather, others will need a wider range.

My advice would be to buy an Amigo lightweight now and then buy other rugs as and when you find that you need something more. If you buy a load now you'll probably find you never use some of them.
 
Dee has lots of rugs (especially pink ones)... she does wear them all at some point in the year. During the winter she is clipped and so needs to wear rugs even though she is a native. I keep her maintained at a good weight through the summer and good rug management maintains this through the winter when her exercise is reduced. She has:
LW
MW
HW (although she's only worn this very sparingly, it was a buy one get one free jobby!)
Neck cover which attaches to all of the above if she was to actually need it (and I find it quite effective to attach it to her LW when shes clipped)
Various stable rugs
Lots of fleeces which I use to rug her up when she's wet or its cold, and the last winter with all the snow she's had the fleece rugs under other rugs :)

So it all depends really :) Although I'm more than well aware of the fact dee has far too many rugs and could prob survive with 3 rugs for the whole year...
 
Like us with shoes, a horse can never have too many rugs!!! Its also fabulous as retail therapy and I have to admit I have got carried away many a time. However, I've got two, a irish bog cob and a warmblood/tb eventer. Admittedly WB mare has sweetitch so lives in a boett and a horseware bug rug in warmer weather but basically all we have is several fleeces of various hues, a couple of summer sheets, two in each type of lightweght, medium weither and heavy weight stable rugs and turnout rugs. On top of that, a couple of snuggy hoods are a good investment - great for keeping plaits in place, for keeping heads warm when turned out and for keeping filthy skewbalds cleanand also fab to stop itchy manes on hot days. I have been known to indulge greatly and both my horses possess some rather fantastic 'day rugs' and at least 3 thermatexes in various shades and hues - seeing as bog cob does not leave the yard unless I take him on holiday (twice a year), its rather indulgent. Also, eventer has logoed up fleece, thermatex and summer sheet. I am a bit over the top and you domt really need all of this, as I find we use the same rugs time after time. Have to admit to a fetish for Weatherbeeta as both nags are six foot and oddly enough I can swap and change their rugs. After six years of horse ownership I have accumulated a garage full of rugs and now dont need to buy anything for years!!!!!
 
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