exercise sheets...do you?

[diggerbez]

when do you use exercise sheets? its very rare that i use them- it has to be absolutely leathering down with rain (and then i normally don't ride at all

) or if i ride out and its starting to go dark then i'll use a reflective one...but otherwise i don't bother...old horse was a bit dead to leg and so extra protection made him worse and new horse is so flighty i fear being overtaken by my exercise sheet if he flips out

i just realised that a lot of people i know use them ALL the time in winter- personally i think this is a bit pointless unless you are going to wear one for warming up at shows? my horses are never bothered by rain at shows but other people seem to have probs with horses leaping about- do you think this could be a reason why?

sorry, rather rambling i realise, i'm housebound (snow) and bored!

 

[glenruby]

I dont think they are necessary for the majority of horses. In fact Ive only used them on racehorses. Perhaps if your horse is fully clipped and you are out for a slow hack/your horse is a tense sort/feels the cold a lot when fully clipped then they might be justified. However the majority of cobs/MWs and ponies have no need for them. Plus if you are doing a lot os schooling theres a good chance the horse will get too hot under one and sweat more than necessary. When we gallop the racehorses we tuck the sheets up under the stirrup leathers once we have warmed up.

 

[jesterfaerie]

I always use one if I am hacking as it is a hi-viz and I will use one if it is raining as he lives out and is rugged so he needs to be kept dry. When I had an indoor school I never used one.

 

[ISHmad]

Always use a hi viz Equafleece in winter, whether riding in the school or hacking out. Don't think it's fair to take a rug off a horse and leave their hindquarters exposed to the elements. Then again mine wouldn't know what hard work was if it hit them!

 

[Vikki89]

If i am going to ride in the rain i use a waterproof exercise sheet as i don't want to be putting a rug on a wet horse. Don't use them any other time.

 

[LadyRascasse]

I used mine for the first time the other day (had it for 2 winter

) it was snowing, for my mare. my older gelding i like him to have a thin exercise sheet to keep his joints warmer whist warming up in the colder weather (it have been 0 or below here for the past 5 days)

 

[black_horse]

i use one on my mare, but she is fully clipped including legs and can be a bit funny if her back is cold. she goes under the solarium before being ridden and has an exercise sheet on and warmed up for ages so she relaxs. Seems to work for us.

 

[3Beasties]

I used one for the first time yesterday. My horse is Hunter clipped and as we had to have a fairly sedate ride (due to the ice) I thought it was only fair that he had something over his back. I used a fleece exercise sheet on him.

 

[glenruby]

Oh yeas and when raining i guess as others have said...

 

[Snowysadude]

I have to use one all the time (new horse and discovered this the hard way!)... He gets really "backy" (if thats a word), hes not cold backed but does get really tense in the cold weather and humps/tenses and wont move without one

! Pain really but he is fully clipped and fit so doesnt get too hot (next time i clip him i will just give him a blanket, but i didnt know he was so tense, as i said, new horse!)

!

 

[Katie__Connie]

Never normally do... but did today as i went for a long hack in the snow and pony is fully clipped.... it was a pain though and kept moving when we cantered so i won't use it again

 

[Gorgeous George]

I have a thin and thick one, both hi-viz which I generally use for hacking unless it's really hot and then he just wears a hi-viz tail guard. I also use the thinner one if it is raining quite hard and the thick one if I'm riding in the cold and because of the ground will only be doing mostly walking in the school. The two I have are great and have never moved even when cantering.

 

[BackInBlack]

i have a hi viz that i use if its raining and a newmarket fleece if its very cold and i'm just on a slow hack.

 

[spacefaer]

Always once the horses are clipped - they've got melton ones for cold days, waterproof wool lined ones for wet days - and yesterday when it was particularly snowy and cold, they went out with the melton one under the waterproof.

They have 3-4 rugs on in the stable, are fully clipped and fit and I don't feel it's fair to expose large muscle structures to the cold and then expect them to work - it could well lead to muscle tension and strain.

 

[Lotty]

I have a Hi Viz one for hacking also my horse is fully clipped. I have another one i put on her for warming up when we're schooling, I take this off half way through and put it over the fence.

 

[frannieuk]

Depends on the horse, the clip, and the level of work I intend to do that day. At the moment my 5yo DWB has a pony club style neck and belly clip as she doesn't sweat much so I don't bother with a sheet, but last year when she was fully clipped I used a sheet for slow work, and to warm up.

 

[SpottedCat]

I warm up and cool down in temps like this with my fully clipped horse, but once he has done the first trot and canter it comes off. I have a thermalux quarter sheet and do the same at comps. I've just done my third clip of the season (boo) so it will be dug out again tomorrow.

I never use them when it is raining as the temps are higher.

I don't bother if the horse is not clipped over the quarters - I was riding in -12 to -15 earlier this year and TBH it just taught me how to warm them up for the conditions - horse weren't clipped and so no exercise sheets were used.

 

[monkeybum13]

I have tonnes
I have a mesh hi viz for hacking in the summer, and a warmer hi viz for in the winter.
I use a waterproof one if its horrible weather when schooling and I use a fleece one for warming up/cooling down if its really cold - like today!!!
I then have loads of spares I've collected if others get wet etc

 

[maxapple]

I've just bought a newmarket fleece - I'm planning on doing lots of walking hacks this winter to give my pony some down time - and as he's clipped I think it would be nice for him to have an extra layer when its really cold.

I also have a waterproof one for my TB - he gets really cold and then likes to jump around to warm himself up!! I find an exercise sheet actually helps keep him nice and calm in the winter.

 

[CrazyMare]

I always use a reflective one out hacking, as a) tend to be going slower and b) it helps keep us safe.

I tend to throw a rug over her quaters to start in the school and whip it off as soon as we start to trot - she knows that it coming off means the work is about to get harder.

 

[Pidgeon]

Use a reflective sheet when going out on the roads and a thermatex under the saddle sheet when exercising in minus temperatures or if just going on a walk hack due to ground being yuck. Pidge is fully clipped.

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

i always warm up and cool down in one, horse is fully clipped and it must be horrid for them to have all their warm rugs pulled off and then expected to work softly over the back with cold tight muscles.
always wear one to hack too,but i dont trot on the roads and rarely do canter work as our hacking is rubbish, so would be pretty chilly without it.

 

[Coffee_Bean]

If it's raining I chuck the flourescent rain sheet on, improves visibility and stops her from coming back wet when I want to put a rug on.

 

[Tiffany]

I use in winter when it's cold and she's clipped

 

[d_s]

nope i cant use one

last time i used one it flapped a little bit, and pony freaked (we were only 10m out of the yard)
i ended up in a puddle on the road!

 

[Cash]

Agree with previous posts, I think it can't be nice to go from rugged up to naked and chilly in a few minutes

I use a waterproof, fleece lined (but pretty lightweight) sheet for fully clipped TB when hacking slowly in the cold, for warming up in the arena when it's really cold, also if it's raining v heavily- he's a bit of a princess anway

he's a little cold backed and not averse to throwing a few bucks if he's very chilly.

 

[MrsMozart]

If clipped then yes. If cold and horse has been in and rugged, then yes. If out on the road, then yes hi-viz always.

 

[CastleMouse]

When it's cold or very wet.

I'll also use a hi-viz one if visibility is poor if it's dark when hacking out on the roads.

 

[diggerbez]

my 4 year old is cold backed but i walk him round in hand for a few minutes before getting on or lunge for 2/3 mins in walk and gentle trot to warm him up....i'd rather do this than faff about with a quarter sheet...seem to see a lot of cobs and heavyweight type horses without full clips wearing them in the school...seems a bit strange to me- if i did warm up with one i'd take it off for proper schooling....and then back on for cooling down..... interesting to hear your thoughts tho folks

 

[palomino_pony]

Use my thermatex quarter sheet loads at the moment on my clipped mare , with very little coat anyway, as I'm riding pretty late in the evenings. She is loads more chilled when she is kept warm. Never got too hot under it yet (but not doing loads anyway). If she did its easy to whip off.