Help rugging gypsy cob

[Ninarodders]

I've had him 5 years and have rugged him all of the winters as was fully clipped. But he's now possibly retired and if not deffo won't be worked over winter as I'm expecting. He hasn't been clipped since maybe may/June and is getting a nice winter coat in. I've never seen him so hairy! My question is does he need rugging at all? It will be my first winter with him not clipped and also I'm moving yards in Dec so will be my first there too. I have a light to med weight rug which he was getting hot in as the nicer whether came in but I don't have any no fill ones. Should I buy him a non fill? He's a good weight too, but too good lol. Tia

 

[eggs]

If he is healthy and not underweight he should be OK without being rugged.

 

[Kezzabell2]

nope, don't rug him! My horse has a clip from under his belly and half of his neck and he's only wearing a light weight if its less than 7 at night or its likely to rain a lot, but more to keep him clean! he's not a cob either, but he's a fluffy as one!

and why might he need to be retired

 

[AmyMay]

If he's nicely roughed off, then he shouldn't need rugging.

 

[McFluff]

He should be fine. I left one of mine unrugged when he had a winter off. I went to get him in one day when the weather was awful (wet and windy and very cold) and discovered that under the muddy top coat he had an inner coat that was dry and warm. He was better off than some that were rugged! He is usually clipped and rugged to stay in work.

 

[Sukistokes2]

If my traditional wasn't clipped then I wouldn't rug. They are usually fine without.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Most trads have a coat like a mammoth and I'd think yours should be fine out without OP.

Mine is in pretty regular work and also has sweet itch, so it makes sense to keep him clipped to keep him cool, then rug him appropriately, which is what I do.

 

[cobgoblin]

Mostly I don't rug at all...but if we get prolonged really wet and windy weather and it's cold, then I put a no fill on.

 

[Yardbird]

I have not rugged mine for years and he is fine. Probably warmer than clipped and rugged horses as no hairless bits at all .I think that he is more comfortable like this.

 

[meleeka]

If you have a medium lite rug that will be fine for when there's a lot of rain. I wouldn't bother with a no fill.
He'll cope with cold perfectly well.

 

[Maesfen]

Please don't get a no fill rug for any horse as all they do is collect the heat from the body which can't escape which makes the horse a lot colder than if no rug. Have you ever felt how clammy the inside of a no fill is when you take it off?

 

[pansymouse]

My YO turns away her traditional driving cob in the winter unrugged and he is absolutely fine - he has a yeti coat and is bib clipped in the spring for his own comfort or he sweats like navvy at the first suggestion of a sunny day.

 

[Ninarodders]

Thanks everyone. I have been told to avoid no fill but I fewl like a bad horse owner of I don't have one.

He has damage to both back suspensorys (sp?) he's had shockwave treatment but waiting to see if it works and will need scans beginning of Nov to tell.

 

[hairycob]

I know everyone says to avoid refills but my clipped gypsy cob would overheat in anything heavier unless it was well below freezing.

 

[booandellie]

I also hear people say to avoid no fills but my cob has one on and she feels warm under hers. I think it is the ones that have the 600 denier outer that are the problem but the ones with 1200 denier are a thicker and don't flatten down to the coat in heavy rain like the thinners one do.

 

[cobgoblin]

I've never had a cob that is cold under a no fill....I think people have fallen prey to marketing hype that started when they invented 50g rugs a few years ago!

 

[only_me]

Mine is still currently unrugged & he's 3/4 tb

I'm another who doesn't use no fills - they flatten coat so horse can't warm up & no fill provides no warmth. Plus they leak - I've a no fill purely to use over a cooler type rug for shows or to put on overnight day before a show to help keep him clean!

I have got a 50g and it's perfect - I can stick it on if there's heavy heavy rain predicted (I live in Ireland so we're talking torrential relentless rain here) and it helps give him some protection against wind/rain and heat in early morning when temps are v low. But come mid day when it's warmer and/or dry I don't worry because 50g isn't going to cause him to overheat!
It's really good for this Time of year imo. I've also ordered a 100g one which will do him over Christmas and then I'll probably up it to a MW come Jan/feb.

If your boy has a good coat now then he'll be very hairy by the time colder weather sets in, so I doubt you'll need much more than 100g for the worst of the weather!

 

[Maesfen]

LOL! If you've ever used a rain sheet (which is all a no fill is) you will realise my hatred of them particularly if they're used in situations where nobody checks the horse for hours like if you're at work morning til night. The horse can get far too cold in them because they don't breathe, you might just as well have wrapped it in polythene.

 

[sport horse]

God made horses with perfectly fitting, waterproof coats.

They do not need rugs unless they are very thin skinned ie TB and some warm bloods and/or you live in the North of Scotland. Just feed them plenty of bulk feed (hay) and they will be fine.

 

[VikingSong]

If he isn't being worked and he isn't clipped then I wouldn't have thought you would need to rug him, imo.

 

[laura_nash]

I have a gypsy cob and he grows the most amazing thick winter coat if he's left out unrugged. Its twice the thickness of his field mates (native pony). I have just bib clipped him because he was sweating standing in the field. Even with the small clip I don't intend to rug (I do have some if needed), he could also stand to lose weight. I have watched him stand out in an absolute downpour happily grazing, with the water running down his sides and dripping off his flanks like well-planned guttering. The only time I might consider it is if it was very windy, wet and cold at the same time and he was out without shelter (natural or manmade). I find the wind can disrupt their coat so it can't resist the rain and then if the coat soaks through they do feel the cold. The best solution is to move them somewhere with shelter in that weather, but if that wasn't possible then I might rug.