Does George need a turnout rug yet?

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Gorgeous George

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I have got back from hols to discover the majority of horses at my yard are now going out with turnouts on, I wasn't going to bother until I clip George at the end of this month. He only goes out 8-2 and not if it's really wet, does he really need a rug yet? As I say he's not clipped yet, we're down south, and I'm not bothered if he gets a bit woolly!
 
Alisha is wearing a medium T/O during the day, only because she has been on box rest and she feels the cold, so suddenly chucking her out in a field with no rug would be a bit cruel!! If your's is not cold then he doesn't need a rug yet, a lot of horses haven't got T/Os on yet
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Depends on you and George...my horse is in a lightweight but am trying to prolong the clipping as only just back in work, one of the natives at our yard is not rugged the other only has one on when really awful and owner keeping him clean and dry to ride him. If you're not fussed about wooliness and he's not bothered, wait until you clip him. Its all down to personal preference and what type of horse you have (or depending on which post on the forum you read !!!
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Hope you had a nice hols!
 
Up to you! If he's cold then put one on but if he seems ok then dont bother.

I usually have my Welshy in a LW by now (but then I usually have him fully clipped by now too...). The new girl (WB) was in a LW but it leaked so badly today I've had to put her in a light MW because she was shivering when I brought her in. Wimpy horse!
 
My boy is similar breeding TBXID and size etc and he has a LW T/O now. My feeling is that he is in a good condition going into the winter and I do not want him losing that being cold in the field. The problem with our weather at the moment is that it is changing so quickly and can turn v wet and cold during the day. Even when it has been sunny this week he has not been overly warm.

But then again - only you know your horse.
 
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But then again - only you know your horse.

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That's the trouble i don't really, never done a winter with George and of course he's my first horse, so I'm a little confused
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If he is wearing a rug a night then you are squashing the hairs flat. Because they are squashed they then can't fluff up to keep him warm during the day.

Is here a yard rule that they can't go out if wet? Horses won't melt in the rain.
 
Yes the yard doesn't turn out when it's very wet, this is one of the reasons I'm moving yards soon. I have a Mark Todd Autumner turnout that's 150g so I guess I should think about cracking it out!
 
I think George is a bit like Lance, Lance deosnt have a rug on at all at the mo, and he is out 24/7. george certainly wont need one with the amount of time he is currently out.

If its raining and you just want to keep him dry and clean just put a lightweight on him with no fill.

Beau is out in a medium weight at the mo, he has been for 4 days, but he needs it as this is his definition of a winter coat so far:

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He came in on monday freezing bless him.he is the kind of horse that can seemingly lose condition overnight!

Meanwhile Lance is walking around like a Yeti!


How fluffy is george?
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George isn't fluffy at all, except for a little bit on his belly, but then it isn't exactly that cold here. I reasoned that as he is out for such a short period with plenty of grass that he would be fine rugless. His condition looks fine (a little round if anything) to me, the rug he has on at night is only a MT universal sheet (cotton lining, poly outer but no fill) as the barn he's in is quite warm.
 
I put merlins rain sheet on the other day and it leaked, so i decided to 'crack open' the new rambo duo which i treated him to..... only 100g of fill but went up to check him just now and he is a little too cozy under it.... (mind you he may have been looning around in it before i got there)!!!

so I would probably leave yours off unless you really need it or george looks cold.
 
Winter is difficult with any new horse, especially when he's your first horse. Tarquin had been barn kept every winter since he was born so when I got him he had now idea about winter coats and didn't grow one until it was January and too late, he lost loads of weight and looked a state. This couple with livery yards stupid policy of large numbers of horses on low acreage meant I had to leave. He had gone from sleak show horse to woolley mammonth in one week, this week and is already in his medium but he does live out and it is bleak here. As the grass is good at the new yard and I have two paddocks to rotate him over as I wish then I will keep out as long as possible. I started rugging in August as I wanted to show him, normally I wouldn't rug heavier than a lightweight and stripped during the day if it is not raining at this time of year.
 
My working horses are in rug and the others won't be rugged unless they start loosing heck of a lot of weight (currently obese)

I have shameful put rugs on one to a) keep him clean and b) try and stop hair growth. He is out 24/7 and currently wearing a 100g Horseware rhino and unlined neck cover at night / bad weather.

The other is sweet itch boy who has 3 rugs on in the rain in summer and therefore I need to compensate for the colder weather in the evenings. So he is wearing tonight: pagony rug, shires maxiflow combo, shires hug rug (300g) and an unlined neck cover.
 
None of mine are rugged yet, normally I've clipped by now so they would be but with the hunting being stopped I won't for a while yet. None of mine are cold and the thoroughbred is a little lightweight variety.
 
This is something that you will figure out over time. Both mine are now rugged, but they are sporting fleeces under LW turnouts when they are out and either fleeces or 110g stable rugs at night. to complicate matters I have one cold morsel and one hot morsel so am juggling the whole rug senario to get it right.

The worst thing, in my mind is to be cold and wet.... that combination is just not good... From what you have said you are going the right way just keep him covered if it is raining and he is out
 
Most of the liveries are rugging now but my boss hasn't rugged any of his horses apart from one TB who is in at night and out in the day with a lightweigh rain sheet on. I'm keepin an eye on a couple of the finer ponies but so far they all seem to be doing great although the little ones look like wooly bears already!

My horse is out 24/7 with a MW t/o on - she has no winter coat yet though. If I were a better owner she would switch to a L/W during the day but it is a bit of a struggle to get up there twice a day to change rugs so she just has to cope during the day in her MW.
 
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