Help! Cant decide re rugs!

Impu1sion

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I would appreciate any thoughts I'm going round in circles! I'm going on holiday next week for a fortnight and was going to turn my horses out 24/7 this weekend, with friends checking them, of course. Just heard the weather is going to turn very cold and I cant make up my mind on whether to rug or not, one of them is a 2 yr old with a fine summer coat - she did live out last summer without a rug. Help!
 

tinap

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Just checked the weather here for the next week & over night temperatures vary from 0-11℃ - that a a huge difference just within 5 days. I'd either leave the rugs off or find someone who is capable of changing them. I certainly wouldn't be leaving them on for 2 weeks if the weather stays as it's has been - 8℃ one day & 18℃ 2 days later! x
 

The Fuzzy Furry

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I'd leave them without.
The lower temps will only be for a short period overnight and if your fuzzies have access to good grass (or hay) overnight, they will keep eating to keep warm.
As tinap says, temps are going up in daytimes to 18+.
Take this morning, it was 6 degrees here & thick fog at 6am, at 07.30 (now) its 11 degrees & much of fog has cleared & its heading to be 18 today!
have a good holiday :)
 

JillA

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I'm having to make daily decisions about my old mare and the poor do-er TB - he is wearing a rain sheet to keep out wind and rain and she is in a lightweight ATM. Have you got a rain sheet, or don't you think anyone can check whether it is getting sweat/condensation under it when it is warmer? A very good vet said to me some years ago they are much better too cold than too warm so if no-one can keep an eye on them (and they have shelter?) better off without.
 

Impu1sion

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Thanks for the replies. Good idea about hay in field, I will get my friend to put some out every evening and leave the rugs off. The rest of them are "good doers"! Thanks again :)
 

Auslander

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I hate this time of year! I had them all out naked a week ago, then the weather went pants, to the point where I ran out of dry lightweights, then they ended up back in heavyweights anyway. This morning it was cold, so I left their rugs on, and now its really sunny, so I need to go back and take their rugs off.

Definitely need to have someone who is willing ad able to switch rugs around while you're away!
 

tallyho!

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To be fair.... the temp differences are big but if you look carefully the lowest temperature is only for a few hours at the most. You can't leave a rug on in the day when temperatures are 11 but in the sun could be more!

Horses do have something called "fur" and it's pretty good at keeping them alive. Well... they have as a species been around much longer than we have and have managed just fine.

It's only England not Antarctica.
 
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