Genuine rugging question...

For one of my horses it's the wet that's the problem.
She is stabled during the day unrugged but last week or so it's been wet, windy and down to 5/6 degrees. She has been going out about 7pm in a 350g Rambo wug.

During winter she is in overnight, clipped out and providing she is dry is perfectly happy for the majority of winter in a heavy weight rug. In freezing rain conditions she goes out in a Rambo supreme + 100g bucas Irish.

A serious question - if you have a 350g rug on now, and you put a heavyweight in winter, what weight is that?

My two are out at night in an exposed field in the Pennines with summer rain sheets on. They come in by day and dry out with no rugs. After my first clip in November I put on 250g rugs, and after the second clip in Jan I change to a 350g rug, but they are usually only in that for a few weeks before they get too hot and go back down to their middleweights. In winter they are in by night and on a hardcore turnout area that has shelter under the overhang of the stables by day. They don't get hard feed, only low cal balancer, hifi light and haylage
 
Well that's not very cryptic and quite rude really since the majority know who you are on about. And as she has repeatedly said, her horses are fine and she has reasons for doing so.

Yes, she has 'reasons to do so'. Doesn't mean it's right. Her horse may look fine, I hazard a guess it's pretty uncomfortable (or has been in the past if the rugging regime has now changed of course) with 5+ hws on at once. I don't just mean heat wise - I'm talking mobility, lack of ability to relieve itching when rolling etc. I certainly wouldn't want to wear 5+ thick jackets.
 
Honey08, Supreme is a full neck 450g.
She just doesn't do wet!!! Currently has the finest of summer coats and well groomed so not got any grease protection .
It's been a bit of a culture shock to me having this horse, I've never rugged anything else I've owned as much.
 
I have a strange theory.

I rug according to if each individual horse is cold or warm regardless of weather, time of year or what other people think.

This seems to work.

Ha! You are not alone ;) I do this too!

At the moment my two ISHers, whom are of similar build, and who live in neighbouring fields and stables are wearing different weight rugs. The wussy gelding has a rambo duo (100gm) with a 100gm liner, so 200gm, and the much more hardy mare is wearing a LW with a 100gm liner. I added the liners last night as it was jolly chilly when I brought them in, and today it has been miserable here.
 
Thanks for the answer. I can't actually decide if I'm lucky to have naturally warm good doers, or be jealous as if they got cold I may get some fat off them a bit easier!
 
Ha! You are not alone ;) I do this too!

At the moment my two ISHers, whom are of similar build, and who live in neighbouring fields and stables are wearing different weight rugs. The wussy gelding has a rambo duo (100gm) with a 100gm liner, so 200gm, and the much more hardy mare is wearing a LW with a 100gm liner. I added the liners last night as it was jolly chilly when I brought them in, and today it has been miserable here.

People don't seem to be grasping the point though - nobody is saying don't rug according to individual horses. Of course they all require different levels of rugging. The point is, if horses are requiring rugging to the extent of 5+ hw's in one go, in temps which are barely freezing, then something somewhere is a problem with that horse or it's management. There's horses (and people) who feel the cold obviously, but when they (if of course they do) are unable to thrive without that ludicrous amount of rugging, then there is something very wrong, whatever breed, whatever age.
 
mines a wimp. he has a mw in the day in the field with a sheet underneath if wet and cold. at night he has a mw with the neck pulled back and a sheet on top.

in the depths of winter he has 2 hw and a under rug haha
 
mines a wimp. he has a mw in the day in the field with a sheet underneath if wet and cold. at night he has a mw with the neck pulled back and a sheet on top.

in the depths of winter he has 2 hw and a under rug haha

That's nothing compared to what some people put on theirs!! Lol!!!
 
For overnight stable wear I stick by the rules laid out in a very old horse and pony owners manual I had as a kid. The book reads - for fully clipped horses 1 fawn jute for over 7 degrees, 2 fawn jutes for between 0 and 7 and 3 fawn jutes for under 0. I get some strange looks when I start to ask people how many fawn jutes my rugs are equivalent to ♥
 
I could not give two hoots what you think to be honest.

Laughing.always good to know people just can't stop talking about you.....


As for the horses, you would be guessing wrong to think they were melting because I'm not an idiot and don't desire to have sweaty itchy horses.
What is they say about assuming....something about being a giant ass......a bit like that anyway.....

Now go and get worked up about something slightly more important.
 
My thoroughbred ex racer who is in horsepital is wearing nothing in the day and wearing fleece at night I think. When he comes home he will be wearing no more that lightweight stable.
 
heavyweights??!! really?!!

Mine are still naked apart from the welsh who is in a field with grazing and no shelter he has a no fill rain sheet - the welsh a and cob are both getting fluffy now............
I don't start rugging until it gets cold as in icy cold! but then again i have 3 natives..............
 
Of course horses need lots of rugs. And dogs apparently, even the shaggy ones.

I'm just having a problem finding rugs for the squirrels in the garden and the cows in the meadow behind the house look awfully cold and wet. Perhaps someone would like to start manufacturing rugs for woodland creatures ? If horses can't manage without multiple layers, surely it makes sense to rug everything ?
 
These sort's of threads are always a bit odd really, as despite all the sniping most people seem to agree that you should rug according to the individual horse and the actual weather conditions?

I can add that we have one of each ;).
Topaz is a mud wallowing, heat emitting, swamp donkey who loves nothing more than being out in whatever the weather and if we didn't clip her yak like fuzz off would be most probably naked in all conditions and you probably wouldn't be able to see her due to the camouflage caused by the behaviors mentioned above :D.

Doodle however is 20, a poor do'er normally and cannot get wet at any time of the year without shivering... :o, must be the Arab in her which means she doesn't tolerate being wet? To add to this she also comes out in lumps if she sweats and if I cannot get wash her off thoroughly, so in the depths of winter when washing isn't the most sensible or practical approach she is fully clipped (but legs left on as we had a 'discussion' about if they should come off or not and Doodle won the argument that they should stay :p). So she is well rugged but to be honest as long as I can keep her dry she quite a hot horse bizarrely...

So there's my contribution, not sure it has really enriched the debate but there you are I had a go ;).

x x x
 
QUOTE=horserider;12056867]Of course horses need lots of rugs. And dogs apparently, even the shaggy ones.

I'm just having a problem finding rugs for the squirrels in the garden and the cows in the meadow behind the house look awfully cold and wet. Perhaps someone would like to start manufacturing rugs for woodland creatures ? If horses can't manage without multiple layers, surely it makes sense to rug everything ?[/QUOTE]

I've found the answer horse rider! Cow rugs!

http://www.woolover.co.nz/ultracows.html
 
Of course horses need lots of rugs. And dogs apparently, even the shaggy ones.

I'm just having a problem finding rugs for the squirrels in the garden and the cows in the meadow behind the house look awfully cold and wet. Perhaps someone would like to start manufacturing rugs for woodland creatures ? If horses can't manage without multiple layers, surely it makes sense to rug everything ?

Pahahaha!! :-)
 
Thos very same thread comes up year after year and is getting rather boring now !
All horses are individuals and im sure most people on here treat their horses as individuals!

My clipped out driving pony has little shelter in his field and is in a 120gm full neck. His lighter rug wasnt enough and was coming in tucked up. He is still out 24/7 but i know he is warmer when in at night and only needs his LW full neck stable rug on usually unless really cold
 
Thos very same thread comes up year after year and is getting rather boring now !
All horses are individuals and im sure most people on here treat their horses as individuals!

My clipped out driving pony has little shelter in his field and is in a 120gm full neck. His lighter rug wasnt enough and was coming in tucked up. He is still out 24/7 but i know he is warmer when in at night and only needs his LW full neck stable rug on usually unless really cold

TM - nobody is disputing that rugging horses is necessary at times. Nobody is disputing that every horse is individual. What people are disputing is the 'fashion' of piling rugs on to an extreme in temps which really aren't that cold.
 
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