Good Grief! How many rugs....??!!

[evsj]

Got to the yard last night and one of the girls asked me if I thought it was going to be really cold. I replied that I thought it would be around freezing, to which she asked 'should I put another rug on him (her TB ex-race horse)?' I asked how many he had on already. Five, she replied.

FIVE??!

But he feels the cold, she said. Ok, so why did you full clip a TB that feels the cold when you don't hunt, compete or do any fast work (and the horse is only ridden 3-4 times per week, anyway)?

My advice not to put another rug and give him axtra hay instead was ignored and as far as I know, he went to bed with six rugs on.

Can anyone beat this record??

 

[Christmas_Kate]

No, used to put 3 layers on a TB, nothing more. And he was in a cowshed, so not really protected from the wind, and hunting fit, clipped out, he wasnt cold, and never lost condition.

I do think I have gone soft though, we had stable rugs for a very hairy out of work native.... in november lol.

 

[SSM]

Donkey had a fleece, a double bed duvet and her quilted stable rug with full neck cover - I like her to be as snug as a bug in a rug - she's gone out in her heavyweight with a fleece under!!

 

[fairhill]

One of the horses in our block also has six rugs (plus neck covers), and thermatex leg warmers! The YO was almost squashed under there weight when she took them off.
Mine only has the one stable rug on as I need her to shiver off some of her pot belly.

 

[Tierra]

Mine had 4 on last year by January.... a fleece next to his skin, a full neck under rug (although it wasnt a heavy one), a HW stable rug and a HW full neck turnout on top. He then has his legs wrapped.

In my defence I dont clip him precisely because he suffers so much with the cold

Although he doesnt grow a heavy winter coat either so it's not a great hassle for me to have a full coated horse all year.

This year I invested in a couple of very very heavy weight rugs (550g HW stable and a 450g HW full neck under rug) and so far he's doing fine with those on!

6 does seem rather excessive :/ I tried to cut mine down because I cant imagine its incredibly comfortable for the horse. She'd probably be better trying to buy either a couple of good quality very heavy weight stable rugs or look at some of the rugs with the advanced linings.

 

[sojeph]

How on earth does it move?!!

Mine have none on

 

[ihatework]

Maybe I'm lucky not to have a horse that suffers with the cold but it continually amazes me how many owners overload their horses with rugs

Quick someone report me to the RSPCA, my 7/8th TB only wore his 200g rambo wug plus last night ...

 

[Vicki1986]

stinkerstonker i am the same at night fleece+double bed duvet+mw rug. and in the day fleece+hw full neck t/o. my pony is fully clipped because i mock hunt and do fast work. i wont put more than 3 rugs on it must be uncomfortable for them! 6 rugs is ridiculous. if you have good quality heavy rugs there shouldnt be any need to put so many on poor horse must be hot and really uncomfortable

 

[Baileysno1]

God I'm quite shocked at this post, Ryu has only had his HW stable rug on until this week when I put a fleece on underneath when the weather changed, and last night because they said on the radio it would be -2 I begrudgingly put his quilt on underneath but worried he'd be hot.

Even my skinny TB vetran who was clipped ot last year only ever had his HW stable with neck on with a fleece underneath.

Being too hot is as bad as been too cold, I'd be mortified if they sweated up.

 

[Vicki1986]

agree dont like the thought of hot uncomfy horses. mine seems to be really feeling the cold this winter so shes been kept wrapped up x

 

[Heidi1]

Oh my god I must be a bad mummy, my gang have two rugs on, two clipped out have heavyweight t/o with l/w t/o underneath, "TB ex racer" only high chaser clipped, had same as the other two on and retired old boy had same too and he has a full coat. What's she going to do if it gets colder, poor thing must have felt like it was carrying a rider all night...........

 

[Thistle]

Max I use is a heavyweight T/O with neck.

If you put extra on all you do is squash the insulating layers and make them less effective.
I never use fleeces under rugs as they always move and pull tight.
A horse (even a clipped one) has it's own natural fleecey layer (albeit short if clipped) that will trap air if insulated well.

 

[lucysnapshot]

horses find it easier to warm up than to cool down so six rugs is a little worrying! My TB has a 360gm stable rug on and a fleece underneath if its freezing and he copes fine!

 

[Chex]

I very rarely use more than rug, but then he's only got a trace clip. A woman at my old yard would put 6 rugs on, I did often wonder how the poor horse walked!

 

[vickers22]

six?!!!must have looked like a big fat puffball!!my tb has a blanket clip, and i only have him in his weatherbeet 300 combo-is this too little?He is in an enclosed barn with lots of other horsies so id imagine it would be quite warm....

 

[fizz-tally]

jay is unclipped & a bit under weight,he has a lw stable rug & a hw half neck turnout on, 4 or 5 stuffed haynets & a big deep straw bed inside a barn

 

[Tempi]

Bloss had her heavyweight (400g) with hood and another rug (200g) underneath. Archie just had his 450g on, its not cold enough for him to have another underneath yet, as hes a naturally warm horse. They both wear thermatex leg wraps at night.

Both out in just their 450s today, but its not that cold here, around 3degrees.

 

[nomini]

Alisha had her M/W full nect underrug and a L/W-M/W stable rug on last night and has gone out in a heavyweight and fleece underneath. Jig had on a fleece and heavyweight overnight and has gone out in the same today

 

[RobinHood]

Bailey is a fully clipped ISH living out 24/7. Up until last night he was wearing a heavyweight rambo (370g) with neck, but last night I put a fal crusader with neck (200g) underneath and I'm glad I did because we woke up to snow.

I would have thought 6 rugs would make the horse colder because the shear weight wouldn't allow any air to be trapped underneath.

This is the first winter that I've ever had unrugged horses and I have to say I'm finding it very difficult not to shove rugs on them. Every evening I slide my hands under the hair and the are both toasty warm but I'm used to wussy tbs.

 

[Grey_Arab]

Well, Ross had a full neck fleece and a MW indoor rug on last night, he has a blanket clip,and he seemed to cope!

 

[Hattikins]

well mine are both hunter clipped atm because their competing at the weekends and are being worked about 6 times a week most weeks, up until now they have been fine in under rug and turnout with neck cover but last night i added an extra layer!

they are in the same rugs 24/7 whether they are in or out

. Fiddler is in a thermatex, with middle weight FAL under rug and middle weight FAL turnout with neck cover over the top and he's just right from what i can feel

Hattie's in thickish fleece, middle weight FAL under rug and middle weight FAL turnout with neck cover over the top

and shes toasty warm too!

Hopefully they can have their fleece and thermatex off in the next couple of days though!

 

[SusieJane]

Oh I'm baaaad

Big Bird has an under fleece, and a thick stable rug on ~ and her leg bandages ~ and she's trace clipped

BIG DEEP straw bed though.

Six rugs??? I bet he couldn't get up this morning!
And why ask for advice, then not take it ... der!!!

 

[Sags_Deer]

my old mare has under rug with hood and one on top plus thermatex leg wraps with fibergee underneath turnout is 450gms. younger boy who is fully clipped out with fleece under 450gm nz at night under rug with hood and quilt on top plus an old nz on top as he chews rugs would put leg warmers on him but he would probably chew them.

 

[evsj]

[ QUOTE ]
How on earth does it move?!!

Mine have none on

[/ QUOTE ]

I know!!! My thoughts exactly! I have never seen so much molly-coddling as at my current yard. It defies common sense... Lots of the girls have full clipped their ponies/horses and they only do light work - then they load em up with rugs.

Added to this, they were also pouring hot water from the kettle into their horses feeds last night because it was cold. I am aware that warm brand mash/gruel was traditionally given to tired/convalescing horses but is this really of benefit at any other time?

 

[evsj]

Weigh-Hey, to my mind, that is fair - my moo-cow will get an extra thin layer this weekend when I do take a bit of fur off!

 

[xxcharlottexx]

wow as others have said...how can it actually move, bet it fills the stable just in bulk of rugs

uptil last night my TB had only a 200g Stable rug on at night and a 300g TO in the field...he was pleanty toasty

yesterday i put his thicker TO supposed to be 400g) with half neck during the day
and put his 300g with full neck stable rug on overnight and thats only becasue the weather changed so sharply
not sure he even needed it as he was still warm with thinner rugs on but would rather him be abit warmer than cold as hes still not put on all the condition id like him too from when i bought him.

 

[Scarlett]

6 rugs will do more harm than good - plus the weight of all of them must be so uncomfortable.

My 2 Ex-racers have been out in 300g shires combo rugs all winter so far, although i have just ordered a bargain half neck 360g wetherbeeta for the one who is out 24/7, she did get a 100g under rug on last night as it was baltic. The ISH is blanket clipped and out in a 360g combo, again he got a rug on underneath last night as well. the Highland destroyed his rug yesterday so he is currently trace clipped and naked til his new rug arrives.

 

[The Original Kao]

we used to rug our racers up in duvets right up to their ears in winter. the horses loved them and they're a cheaper way of keeping a horse really snug without paying loads for rugs. the duvet was put on underneath a stable rug and held round the middle with a surcingle. single duvets tend to be a good size for a TB.

 

[vicm2509]

OMG, that sounds a little excessive.

Baron is IDxTB and is fully clipped (but with his legs still on). He has a high neck heavy weight under rug on with a heavyweight stable rug on top. I did swap the underrug for a LW stable rug until last week when it got quite cold so the HW under rug had to go back on.

In the day he has a LW stable rug with HW turnout with neck cover. Again if its warmer than usual I take the LW off.

 

[_Jazz_]

Jazz isn't clipped as she's hardly grown a winter coat this year, it's been very mild here.
She wears her Rambo excel ( lightweight, no padding)plus neck cover when out and her 200g stable rug at night. She has heavier/lighter rugs and to be honest with all the techie rugs around now I see no reason to pile layer upon layers of rugs on.