Heavyweight rug already?!

If he was uncomfortable and sweating whilst having the rugs on then I would take them off. No horse suffering here, your more than welcome to pop up ill pm you my address :)

And at the end of the day its none of your business what you think is right or wrong, its your own opinion
 
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RunToEarth said:
Do you know the horse?
Do you know the weight of the rug?
Do you know it's owner?
Are you actually concerned or just out for a good bitch?

Personally, I don't really care how many rugs anyone else's horses are wearing, so long as they are comfortable.

I understand, having three horses with three different rugging needs, that it isn't just a case of one rule for all - but also this forum is full of people who don't understand that.
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Well said. I've been known to shake my head in disbelief when passing a field full of horses rugged up (just yesterday - including two hairy haffies), but then I remind myself that it's really none of my business and that I don't know the circumstances. I rug for my horse's comfort and to keep him dry for being ridden . . . I clip because I can't stand the "snowstorm" when he sheds his winter/summer coats (have ruined so many fleeces due to that) and then make sure he's rugged accordingly . . . however, that's up to me . . . what others do is up to them and there may be a myriad of reasons why they rug/clip/don't rug/don't clip, etc. the way they do.

P
 
Carrots&Mints said:
If he was uncomfortable and sweating whilst having the rugs on then I would take them off. No horse suffering here, your more than welcome to pop up ill pm you my address :)
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If your horse is comfortable wearing a MW with duvet underneath, in temps like these (and I do know what temps it is around the Pennines currently) then there is something very wrong.
 
Carrots&Mints said:
I dont see what the issue is? Im trying to keep him from gettin a winter coat by compensating in rugging him up? If i was to let him get his winter coat then he wouldnt be rugged but as Im still showing him till the end of november he needs rugging up.
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. . . but you do know, don't you, that it's the number of daylight hours in the day that is the predominant factor in coat changes?

http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/equine_winter_hair_coats_101

P
 
well thee old girl and the connie with no coat are rugged in medium weights today as it is 8 degrees and blowing a gale with horizontal rain their field is exposed on a hill so I would rather they were a little warm than cold. Old girl looked much happier when I left They will go back to rainsheets if the temp rises and the wind and rain drop off. I rug according to the weather here. The two young ones are out naked
The ones in big rugs to stop growth are presumably under lights too
 
tobiano1984 said:
Haha I know! Wasn't meant to start a bitch fest!
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I think there may have been a slight misinterpretation between what weight the rug is and whether the specific horse is over-rugged and unhappy :/

Mine are in lightweights because:
-they hate rugs
-they are reasonably hardy
-I have no problem with them growing a coat
-and it's not that cold yet

I do agree that rugs can look misleading :) But also don't like to see big chunky hairy horses sulking in a corner because they're too hot :/
 
Mine was in a fly rug unless it rained until he was clipped. I would only put the no fill on if it rained because he is a mud monster and it saved time. It would only go on if there was a good few hours of proper rain. He would have gone out naked but reacts to fly bites and gets big lumps all up his belly. If he wasn't clipped he'd probs still be in the same. After clipping him I put a medium weight on as it was due to get below 3°C and his current field doesn't have any shelter. I feel a bit silly putting his mw on but he was cool to the touch (warm at base of ears ) the night before he was clipped when it wasn't as cold. Will just take it as it comes!

They're all individual but I agree some are overugged. It does depend on the person as well as I know I gage how cold it is on how I feel. Down to about 5°C I am in a tshirt if I'm walking around so not bothered about him being out in a fly sheet. However a friend in in a long sleeve top and gilet if it is any less than 20°C, her horse is always rugged to his eyeballs.
 
Chottsy said:
They're all individual but I agree some are overugged. It does depend on the person as well as I know I gage how cold it is on how I feel. Down to about 5°C I am in a tshirt if I'm walking around so not bothered about him being out in a fly sheet. However a friend in in a long sleeve top and gilet if it is any less than 20°C, her horse is always rugged to his eyeballs.
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I think you've hit the nail on the head; the people who fall into the trap of the "I'm cold so my horse must be too" mentality. I have to fight with myself to avoid this every winter because I really feel the cold, whereas my girls don't. I feel their ears/muzzles/bellies to try to gauge their body temperature better. I don't always get it right because, let's face it, neither does the weather man! :/
 
Carrots&Mints said:
Yep and thats why he goes in the solarium a few hours a day :)
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But the point is the NUMBER of daylight hours - unless he's under the right sort of light for an optimum number of hours, it ain't gonna work . . . I'll admit that I don't know what the cut off point is (i.e., the optimum number of hours to retard coat change), but the point is that it's cumulative.

And under the solarium for a few hours? Really? I'm lucky if I can get Pops to stand under it for 20 minutes!

P
 
PolarSkye said:
But the point is the NUMBER of daylight hours - unless he's under the right sort of light for an optimum number of hours, it ain't gonna work . . . I'll admit that I don't know what the cut off point is (i.e., the optimum number of hours to retard coat change), but the point is that it's cumulative.

And under the solarium for a few hours? Really? I'm lucky if I can get Pops to stand under it for 20 minutes!

P
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Yep, an hour(ish) in the morning whilst I do my jobs and an hour(ish) at night whilst i do my jobs, he loves it. Keeping his coat nice and beautiful :)
 
I thought it wasn't the cold that brought on the winter coat - I always was under the impression it was more to do with the lack of daylight? And to keep a horse from growing it's winter coat, bring it in way before dusk and put it in a stable with a UV light to trick it into thinking it's daylight for longer? Mind you, it's alright for those able to do that - we don't have running water never mind proper electrics so couldn't do this if even if we wanted!! :D

ETA sorry just properly looked at comments above and see we concur!
 
So we don't know it was a heavyweight?

I do like it when hho get into a my horse is so much hardier than your horse competition! :p
 
ester said:
So we don't know it was a heavyweight?

I do like it when hho get into a my horse is so much hardier than your horse competition! :p
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I already replied to this a couple of pages back - yes it is a heavyweight, it has the brand and 'model' stamped on it and it's one I looked at for my TB recently for winter, but decided it was too excessive. It's 400g filling. And yes I know horse and rider, horse is healthy and in full work.
 
Moomin1 said:
Ah what a lucky horse. So long as his coat's nice and beautiful, doesn't matter about anything else.
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Exactly!

Also, what about all the horses/ponies that are at Hoys this week, not a lot of them will have been clipped, many of them will try and keep their coats as long as possible.
 
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Ah sorry I missed that reading through, distracted by lunch! I have two rhino's that look identical but one is heavy and one is medium.

My welshie is rugged more than has been yet today as we have sideways rain all day, rather than just in the morning as Saturday, I suspect he might be a bit warm later but I can't be doing with worrying too much/having endless rug options for him ;)
 
My freshly and fully clipped/hogged cob was out in a medium weight turn out last night as it was between 7-5 degrees and raining all night. Now the medium weight is out it doesn't mean it will stay, if it's back up in temp tonight then her lightweight with neck will go back on. She could have been put out naked...clipped...in the rain, but then she would have shivered all night. Despite being a cob, she's ***** in the rain when I take off all of her hair!

Live and let live?
 
Carrots&Mints said:
Exactly!

Also, what about all the horses/ponies that are at Hoys this week, not a lot of them will have been clipped, many of them will try and keep their coats as long as possible.
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I'm sorry, do you want me to agree that it's ok to pile a duvet under a MW in these temps, simply because there are horses who compete at HOYS who may do the same?

I genuinely think you must be taking the mick..
 
we have 8 degrees, very windy and very wet, no shelter so my Welshie is unclipped and out in a full neck PE 40g Someone else on yard has identical looking rug but its 400g so I do wonder how many will be thinking my mare has a HW on?
 
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