Funny rug pic

TigerTail

TigerTail

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 November 2011
Messages
3,426
Visit site
Had this sent to my FB today after ranting about all the roasting horses Ive been driving past rugged up to the eyeballs despite bright sunshine and 10 deg!

563557_4896881413362_529626017_n.jpg


Remember your horse cant take it off when he starts to slow cook in the sun!
 
Yep, I think every horse I saw today had a rug on in the bright sunshine at 12 degrees he in southwest!

So so true.
 
I'm not sure how you can tell horses are roasting from a drive by?! ;)


Mine were in medium weights today but they are fully clipped, hunting fit horses carrying little flab to keep them warm. Yes - lovely and sunny today but sun doesn't get very high in the sky at this time of year. I think mine would have been bit chilly naked today - I personally don't think 8 degrees is warm enough to be naked for clipped horses. The sun moves round quickly at this time of year (we only have 9 daylight hours) so the sunny field they were in this morning was in shadow by the time they came in and pretty damn chilly! Yes, I was warm this morning ..... in a jumper and a coat!


Different if you're talking about hairy natives .... but you wouldn't be able to tell that from driving by .....?
 
TeamChaser said:
I'm not sure how you can tell horses are roasting from a drive by?! ;)


Mine were in medium weights today but they are fully clipped, hunting fit horses carrying little flab to keep them warm. Yes - lovely and sunny today but sun doesn't get very high in the sky at this time of year. I think mine would have been bit chilly naked today - I personally don't think 8 degrees is warm enough to be naked for clipped horses. The sun moves round quickly at this time of year (we only have 9 daylight hours) so the sunny field they were in this morning was in shadow by the time they came in and pretty damn chilly! Yes, I was warm this morning ..... in a jumper and a coat!


Different if you're talking about hairy natives .... but you wouldn't be able to tell that from driving by .....?
Click to expand...

I agree! Mine was only out for 2 and a half hours until 3pm so he was fine, but by the time the others came in at 4.30/ 5pm it was very chilly again.
 
TeamChaser said:
I'm not sure how you can tell horses are roasting from a drive by?! ;)


Mine were in medium weights today but they are fully clipped, hunting fit horses carrying little flab to keep them warm. Yes - lovely and sunny today but sun doesn't get very high in the sky at this time of year. I think mine would have been bit chilly naked today - I personally don't think 8 degrees is warm enough to be naked for clipped horses. The sun moves round quickly at this time of year (we only have 9 daylight hours) so the sunny field they were in this morning was in shadow by the time they came in and pretty damn chilly! Yes, I was warm this morning ..... in a jumper and a coat!


Different if you're talking about hairy natives .... but you wouldn't be able to tell that from driving by .....?
Click to expand...


By the way they stand a lot of the time! And by the fact they are animals with a very complex coat system designed to cope with weather changes naturally. Even a clipped horse can thermoregulate to some extent, if provided with enough fodder and are healthy.

The whole rug saga is just a massive marketing ploy that people have got so used o they think they HAVE to do it or the horse is going to be cold / drop dead etc.

8 degrees in the sun is fine for a clipped animal - im sure they'd appreciate the chance to soak up a little vit D - uk horses tend to be deficient in it due to our penchant for covering them nose to tail.
 
They'll have plenty of time to absorb some vitamin D when they're turned out naked 24/7 for the spring/summer months .... or maybe not if last year is anything to go by! Don't we need "sun"light for that?!

In the meantime I will continue to clip and rug my horses in the winter months as I believe this to be best for their routine and well being :)
 
Actually there is 2000 iu of vitamin D per kg in fresh hay, and seeing as a horse is covered in hair, I don't imagine that it is is a huge difference to absorbing uv rays than when clipped and rugged. Fallen leaves are also full of vit D, so a horse allowed access will probably be topping up levels in the Autumn anyway.

Nothing wrong with rugging and keeping a horse comfortable, and I don't agree that the thermoregulation of a clipped horse unrugged is capable of keeping the comfortably warm in what is still chilly weather.
 
My ex boyfriend once asked me why I spent 200 quid on clippers, to then have to spend another 100quid on a new rug...

There's always more than one right answer, and thank goodness for that or this forum wouldn't exist and it does amuse me so! :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top