Hmmm quick rug question

M

millyspaniel

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 July 2009
Messages
435
Visit site
Whose horses winter out without a rug?
The reason i ask is because every horse around here seems to be rugged up.
My TB is the only one with a heavy weight with neck as she has been clipped |(low trace) my 2 welshies are really hairy and my yearling (18 month) coloured cob is really hairy/wooly/feathery too. They just eat hay and haylage, and the occasional carrot. They are quite chubby and its clear there getting enougth grub as when they have had enough hay they leave it and they start picking at the grass!
 
I haven't started rugging yet (my mare is out daytime and in overnight) she's an unclipped TB. I refuse to rug until she actually comes in feeling cold as she overheats easily. She's the only one on my yard unrugged. Actually I think the only one in my area!

I used to work on a yard where the ponies all wintered out rugless, and each horse only owned one rug which they wore overnight and were naked during the day. We had one WB who obviously felt the cold, lost lots of weight and needed to be kept warmer - but the other 19 horses on the yard coped beautifully.
 
[ QUOTE ]
My yearling is out rugless at the moment, not planning on rugging her unless I feel she needs it!

[/ QUOTE ]
Its good to know am not the only one!
Correct me if am wrong but is it you who has the same horses as me? (the TB, welshies and coblet?)
smile.gif
grin.gif
 
my welsh x and warmblood weanlings are still out 24/7 no rugs! Both are still maintaining their weight just on the grass! They get vit and min supplementation but nothing more yet!! My clipped (full) tb cross is rugged up and in at night.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
My yearling is out rugless at the moment, not planning on rugging her unless I feel she needs it!

[/ QUOTE ]
Its good to know am not the only one!
Correct me if am wrong but is it you who has the same horses as me? (the TB, welshies and coblet?)
smile.gif
grin.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

Guilty as Charged
grin.gif
Think we need picture to compare!

The TB and Welshie are rugged as they are Clipped out
smile.gif
 
I have a range of breed from TB's to part TB to Welsh Sec a & d. Most are rugged already in combo's and the welshies will be rugged this week to prevent the dreaded rainscald!
 
Unclipped horses and ponies shouldn't need rugging. Maybe TBs as they can be thin skinned but certainly not welshies or native ponies.
My Irish mare is fully clipped with one heavyweight rug and lives out 24/7. She doesn't get cold and stays fairly fit and of course I have no mucking out! Bonus!
A lot of skin problems are created by over rugging.
 
[ QUOTE ]

Guilty as Charged
grin.gif
Think we need picture to compare!


[/ QUOTE ]

Would love to see pics of them!

Heres my little herd
grin.gif

The coblets lying down
smile.gif

They all get on so well, sometimes the welshie gelding (the dapple grey) will squabble with the TB)
smile.gif
he is the only gelding and hes the boss!
grin.gif


2yn4eif.jpg
 
[ QUOTE ]
Unclipped horses and ponies shouldn't need rugging. Maybe TBs as they can be thin skinned but certainly not welshies or native ponies.
My Irish mare is fully clipped with one heavyweight rug and lives out 24/7. She doesn't get cold and stays fairly fit and of course I have no mucking out! Bonus!
A lot of skin problems are created by over rugging.

[/ QUOTE ]

Couldnt agree more
grin.gif
the Tbs the only one who gets fed too, shes the only one that needs it
 
Regarding feeding, we only feed hay from end of December to mid april. There seems to be enough grass plus I use hard feed as required.
 
Ahhh they all look lovely, I especially like the (light) Grey!

I don't have a piccy of my 3 together but here they are anyway

TB
CIMG1551.jpg



Coblet
CIMG3467.jpg



Welshie
CIMG1881.jpg
 
If I put a rug on my welsh cross weanling he'd sweat as soon as the sun came out!! His coat is soooo dense I don't think the rain could possibly even get to touch his skin!!!!!!! I am considering soon (december time) getting a rug on my warmblood x weanling though, he does have a good coat but nothing like the welshie!!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Unclipped horses and ponies shouldn't need rugging. Maybe TBs as they can be thin skinned but certainly not welshies or native ponies.
My Irish mare is fully clipped with one heavyweight rug and lives out 24/7. She doesn't get cold and stays fairly fit and of course I have no mucking out! Bonus!
A lot of skin problems are created by over rugging.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is a very sweeping statement. Why are so many people on this forum so anti rug!! I believe in rugging to suit the horse, I currently own a freezing horse who will spend most of the winter in a 450g rug with full neck and she is unclipped. I also own a native who copes fine with the cold but struggles with the rain so will spend most of the winter in a medium weight standard neck rug, while the mare that I recently sold was a very warm horse and spent most of the winter in a medium weight combo fully clipped. I am also curious to know if any of these anti rug people live in Scotland?
 
I put mine in a 200g full neck a couple of days ago and he is not clipped (although does live out). It is freezing here! 2 degrees when I left the stables around 6 tonight and around 2 feet of mist lurking at ground level. Car was beginning to think about getting icy........
I'm Scotland
wink.gif
 
You are quite right "rug to suit the horse" but many people still over rug because they think they are being kind. They can forget a horse is not a person and doesn't have the same needs. I'm certainly not anti-rug, just use good sense with rugging.
 
We have a Belgium Warmblood mare who is out in a rug due to getting older and she drops weight very quickly. She has a bib but only a lightweight on at the moment and is perfectly toasty. My pony who is a Irish Cob X Connie has a low trace is out in a lightweight/occasional medium weight and is very warm. Other ISH who is 17 is out with a bib, no rug and she's fine. The others which include a standardbred X, connemara and a miniature shetland are all unrugged at the moment. The shetland even has little clipped patches to let OUT the heat as he is so warm! (Sweats really bad at the moment)
As long as you rug sensibly its fine. I personally wouldn't dare put any of ours in heavyweights even if fully clipped at this time of year, as come January/February when there is no grass growth, mud and freezing cold snow/wind/rain they will be frozen solid. They will come in as late as possible, hopefully after Christmas but the main thing is that they are happy and they sure seem to be at the moment!
laugh.gif
 
My mare is rugged, my yearling is not - unless its really nasty rain. Only reason for rugging her in the rain is shes foul tempered when wet!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top