Does anyone else think this is bad?

Paint it Lucky

Paint it Lucky

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 March 2007
Messages
3,587
Location
Surrey
Visit site
I work on a full livery yard, this is my first summer there. They have a thing about rugging the horses (overugging in my oppinion). In the winter even some of the unclipped horses were in 3 polywarms in the daytime! I found this quite shocking. I assumed though that by summer they would take the rugs of. But no, the horses are still wearing rugs at night, admittedly only summer sheets but I'm sure they don't need them. The horses all live in at night and their rugs get put on fairly early in the afternoon. They only go without rugs if it is really boiling. The other groom was going to put rugs on today, it has been boiling here and she's been walking round in shorts and a vest top, yet when I asked her why on earth she wanted to put rugs on the horses she said that it keeps them clean and that unless they're really sweating under them then there is no need to take the rugs off! To say I am shocked and angry at her is an understatement. Unfortuantely the yard owners seem to be of the same oppinion, that it is more important that the horses coats be kept clean and shiney by them wearing rugs than to worry about horse welfare of them being far too hot. The horses are covered in hair for goodness sake! Often the horses do sweat up under their rugs but the other groom pretends not to notice. I get moaned at if I don't put rugs on or take them off. It is really atarting to annoy me! These people are very old fashioned and very much of the oppinion that their way is the correct way, there are several other things they do that I don't like which I won't go into now as I'd be here all day! I am on the verge of leaving as I feel so sorry for the poor horses.

So, following on from my poll below, surely it's not right to rug horses when it's as hot as it is now?
 
No in my opinion it's absolutely stupid and verging on cruelty, I don't know how you are managing to keep quiet!
Avery light summer sheet overnight only is ok.
 
It sounds like what they are doing is stupid and totally ridiculous. Its very unlikely you will be able to change their opinions, however, so I'd think carefully about whether you want to jeapordise your job (and your chances of a reference and therefore finding another job) over this.

I've met YOs like this - one who announced that in the middle of winter ALL the horses must wear a MW and a HW (at the same time!) - regardless of whether its an unclipped cob or a clipped out WB. Then she decided the rules didn't apply to my horse (who gets hot very easily and was actually sweating buckets and losing weight from it), and started adding extra rugs. When I hid them, I turned up to find my horse wearing someone else's rugs!!! She was only happy if they were getting sweaty under their rugs - god only knows what she was thinking - she must have known how uncomfortable it is if you get too hot overnight and wake up covered in sweat?

Needless to say I left - what else can you do?




ETA. Just to add, I don't mean a summer sheet over night is stupid and ridiculous. Probably unneccesary, but hardly cruel. I was referring to over-rugging in general
cool.gif
 
id say if they were old fashioned they would leave the rugs off them, as that is the 'old fashined' way And i know how it feels to get the 'i know whats best for them' lecture all the time. I would just get the point across that you dont agree with their way of rugging the horses by for example if u see a horse sweating under a rug then make sure u tell somebody and if they still persist then what more can you do? to be honest? and as you said they have hair and its boiling to them even without rugs, id just let them get on with it if apparently they know whats best all the time.
 
It seems to me it is for selfish reasons, keeping a sheet or rug on when there is no need and this is so the horses keep clean and it cuts down on grooming time, it must do.

Surely the owners have a duty to the horses they own to ensure their horses are managed correctly - I know they pay good money for full livery but they should still have an insight into what is going on.

Is there not an owner you could confide in? Or drop it into a conversation.

Could you not just remove the rugs and say the horses were far too hot?

If you have it in mind to leave anyway, why don't you approach the YO and tell them your concerns. If they get nasty and you make up your mind to leave say you'll report them.

What a difficult situation for you and I hope the situation comes good.

xxx
 
I work on a full livery yard and ours are very, very rarely rugged during the summer. If the temperature really drops then they may get a sheet on.

I hate to see horses rugged in warm wether, it's bad management
 
Just to add, the horse aren't just in rugs at night, often they are put on as early as 2pm, or sometimes don't get taken off in the day time at all.
 
A lot of the owners don't really know that much about horses, they come and ride them but leave the management side to the yard, trusting them to do the right thing.
 
We have someone on our yard who's horses very rarely are without rugs. I personally like my horses in outside stables and rug mine accordingly to the weather and the horse. None of mine are rugged indoors - however when we have had really heavy rain they have had rain sheets on. In the winter one of mine is in a heavy weight and lightweight with a neck yet the one in the next stable is in a lightweight rug and no neck cover. I was at a yard recently - a comp yard and all the horses were in and rugged and it was only 11 am in the morn. They had all been "turned out" or ridden and the grooms were starting the afternoon rounds of "hay, skip and waters". I was appalled it was like a mental ward all the poor animals were showing signs of stress and not a happy looking one at all. One poor mare had been cross tied so long on the bare concrete she was trying to wee without it splashing on her legs - it was awful i was glad to leave with one of the inmates - who has made a full recovery
 
It drives me mad over rugging.... I remember working in a hunting yard and the horses were heavily rugged and clipped regularly, but the minute they stopped hunting, rugs off and OUT!!

Wicked they used to be so cold it was awfull.
 
my horses both wear summer sheets at night unless its baking. but partly this is because we have a bad fly problem so it helps to keep them at bay. they never seem too warm in them tho....
smile.gif
 
They are called SUMMER sheets for a reason.... they are made to be used in the summer for the reasons the other groom gave. I think you are being OTT. The three rugs on unclipped horses during winter does sound unnecessary and would be uncomfortable for some horses IMO.
 
Sounds bloody stupid to me, and a lazy attitude at the horses expense because they dont want to clean them, it would drive me barmy if was there, my beast just has a flysheet on day and night to keep him from getting bit from flying bastards, it will come off as soon as possible as I dont really like him having to have that on either, over rugging is cruely as far as I am concerened.
 
I worked on a showing yard in Australia where the horses were permanently rugged and stood under hot lamps all night to keep their coats short. They barely even competed them, but didn't want anyone to see them look scruffy! It drove me insane and we fell out over it (and many other things) - I left.

I don't think you're over-reacting IF the horses are sweating up under the rugs. It's just cruelty for the sake of snobbery.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top