Horses being rained on...

Mine go out in full rugs, including hoods and a waterproof balaclava so they are perfectly dry and don't get dirty either.

I'm not in a position to catch in at the first sign of rain so I pack them off with an umbrella too.

I also ensure they go out in wellingtons with matching welly socks and leg warmers. Wouldn't want them to get cold feet or the wind to cause a chill round their legs.
 
I would love to sketch cartoons of some of these posts... Sadly I have no such talent just a vivid imagination!!

Howling with laughter at the thought of horses with brollies...
 
We have to drag my WB out of the stable when it rains!:D she would be quite happy staying in and I get the look of death when I go up eight/nine hours later to get her and old mare in.


My Westphalian frequently tells me that her previous owners (all of them) knew much more about keeping horses than me and let her stay inside in bad weather. She has been know to turn in the gateway and leg it back in.
But I've managed to sicken her off the idea this week. She has been staying in until lunchtime as companion to one on box-rest. Today, she almost set off before I'd got the halter on, when I went to put her out, even though it was drizzling outside. Part of the problem might have been that she has only been having oat straw chaff to nibble on.
 
Horses seem to manage fine with rain..............until they realise that a warm stable with a full rack of haylage is an alternative option :rolleyes:. At our yard they all stand near the gates the minute it rains :cool:
 
I'd love to keep mine out all the time - if I ever move to somewhere with good quality grazing I will - sadly on newish ly reseeded very heavy clay - heavy rain (and the playing around in it) means they have to come in for some time otherwise the field would be ploughed very quickly.
Sometimes it's not the bunny huggers that get them in it's the grass huggers (like me!)
 
If you have a fully clipped horse so now one that is its full summer coat, and there isn't' much to eat now then maybe you would choose to bring in early. In fact it was so torrential today, ours all stayed in, on the basis that all horses would get ridden anyway. Even some of the grass liveries were just brought into the barn for a bit today, just to be able to stuff their faces out of the wind and rain for a bit!

If I had a horse with a full coat, grass out there and adequate shelter then it wouldn't bother me at all about leaving them out but won't as .. guess what.. my horses seem to meet the first criteria I described!
 
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