Foal rugs bigger than 4'3?

[lennysmith]

Have been looking to get baby D a lightweight turnout for the nights as it's getting chilly now. However, tried a 4'3 'normal' rug on him at the weekend and it was a little too short along the back!!!!! But too deep. So even though he's filling out am going to need a foalie rug this time. But I cant seem to find one in a bigger size than a 4'3. If the pony rug was too short then the foalie one deffinately will be. Anyone know of a 4'6 foalie rug? Or any bright ideas please! xxx

 

[Maesfen]

Unless you are planning on showing him in foal classes this autumn, please do not rug him at all Lenny! He'll end up being a namby pamby that will always need rugging if you do because you haven't allowed his coat to grow naturally and his system to work properly. Even in the depths of winter, it's very rare for foals to feel the cold as they are always so active and their coats so thick you have a job to get your hands down into it; even at night and as long as he always has continual access to forage whether it's hay or haylage, that will keep him warm too. It's all very well training him to wear rugs, but a foal honestly doesn't need one unless they are poorly when it would be a bit of comfort for him.
Don't get me wrong, I would never allow my lot to suffer in the cold/heat, but the more you molly coddle them the worse it will be in the future. You won't be doing him any favours if you rug him un necessarily so, honestly.

 

[lennysmith]

Ah ok Pat. thankies. As always advice geatly received!! Still winging it with foalie malarky.

I was just thinking about rug for D as I went down to them last weekend to find him shivering! I felt soo bad

. It hadn't been esp cold but it was soo much wetter than I thought and the wind had got up. Josie was fine (she does have all that insulation!!), but D was a shivering wreck! Is it still ok to leave him like this? Obvioulsy his winter coat is yet to come so hoping that will be warm enough, just breaks my heart seeing him that cold

 

[Maesfen]

Aah, that's a bit different then as that was because his coat had got saturated; in a perfect world we would know how long these storms are going to last and can bring them in out of it if we know they are going to be more than half a day long; as it is, we don't and can get caught out as you were last week; it happens all the time so don't blame yourself! If you can, stop grooming him as such, it's not as though he needs teaching how is it; that way, the grease will build up in his coat so giving him better insulation for later on. Also, if you can and it rains as long as it did before, then bring them in, even if just for a few hours to give D a chance to dry off. Foals can cope with most things, obviously wild ones have to, but what can be their downfall is too much heat or too much wet so their coats get waterlogged when they can get chills that way and become ill. A normal day of turnout in the winter doesn't warrant a rug as it's not that long a time and if it's that bad a day, I wouldn't be turning out anyway as they don't do anything other than stand in a heap looking miserable, they don't even bother grazing so I think in that case they are better tucked up with a rack of hay! If you feel you 'have' to rug him in the stable, then a light sheet like a CoolMasta or a waffle weave is very good; not heavy enough to be too much, just takes the chill off their backs which is all that is needed. Hope that's helped.

 

[AmyMay]

Do you have anywhere round you that makes rugs? That might be a solution.

 

[sallyf]

We havnt put any rugs on yet athough foals looking a tad cold at times.
Ours do have a shelter though.
We do put rugs on ours out in the field in the winter , but have the most awful rain here in Devon.
Dont bother in the stables as they get pretty hairy.
I just dont like the idea that they get soaked and then take all night to dry out.
We use the Rhino pony range which i think start at 4ft 6 and fit foal really well and dont use anything very thick as they overheat.

 

[lennysmith]

Thanks Pat. Ok I shall have a word with him and tell him toughen up a little bit! It will all be different when we move. I'll be able to get them in as and when I plese and not have to wait for the field to be vacated. Grrr