How do you decide what rug for what weather?

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Christmas Crumpet

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Random musing here - it was -4C when I was riding this morning. The weather was cold but with no wind or rain predicted so turned horse out in a 200g MW PE rug with neck. He is clipped with a very small blanket clip.

It made me realise that in weather like today, I generally put less layers on the horse than I would if it were a bit warmer with a biting wind and/or rain. Even though its really chilly, the sun is shining and I'm sure its actually warmer than if it were nasty weather.

Just wondering whether I've got that right or not?!! What's everyone else's turned out in?
 
Definitely as you do, but we only really have the one rug, a Rambo Duo with the layers, so neck on neck off and all the different combinations of layers is so flexible, plus a plain rain sheet and that's it other than a stable rug (200g), a fleece (because it was only £10) and a travel rug. Like the fact I can wash the parts in my machine.
 
I've gone up a weight in rug to a heavy weight standard neck.
I have a 'thing' about neck rugs as I think they can stop the horse regulating their own temperature themselves. I use them far less these days, only really in really cold wet conditions or on the odd occasion where I need a clean horse and don't have time to groom
 
Still depends on the horse for me ;)

It's very cold (-4 this morning) but still and sunny here.

Old girl has gone out with an extra layer as she will still feel the cold and benefits from being kept warm - she will be happy to sun herself when the sun get up and will be warm enough until then.
On a windy rainy warmer day she would have been OK without the extra layer as all her rugs are Rambos and give plenty of protection.

Cob STILL has the same 150g on that she's worn all winter. She's got a tum full of hay and will overheat in anything more. Yesterday she just wore a rainsheet. I'd be more inclined to add to her layers on a windy wet day, as she's a wimp in poor weather.

Both fully clipped.

You have to know your horses :wink3:
 
Depends on the horse.

I have one in a heavy that would probably like a liner as well :o which she will be allowed it if it gets windy :p

I just assess day to day, I am very lucky however that I am at home all the time so I can always change rugs if necessary.
 
My TB is fully clipped and living out and has been nice and warm in just a 200g with neck most of the winter! If it drops especially cold, like yesterday or if its chucking down with rain/really windy, i've popped a 100g liner under it. As much as i've needed so far. Hubby's ISH is the same, although oddly the TB is generally a tad warmer than him!!
 
I check the forecast regularly! If is in the minus or wet and windy my cob has a 50g rug on, standard neck if cold but still, neck on if wind and rain. Anything above 4 and she has a no fill on. She is fully clipped but is a very warm horse! My friends mare is unclipped with a 100g combo and there are 2 horses on the yard that wear 200-300g rugs (both unclipped). I do the rug changes in the morning and i rug appropriately for that horse on that day. i know when i check them at bring in time that they have not been cold!
 
One is naked, one is hunter clipped but only ever wears a 100g in winter. I've yet to own a horse in 30+ years who needed a 200g apart from one of the TBs. Depends on the horse, the environment and what they are used to, as much as the weather. I don't go by the thermometer; the horses tell me and anyway, it can be below zero yet comfortable like today, or 10 degrees with a howling gale.
 
I've tried to buy a couple of weights of the same (removable neck) rug so the neck can be put on either rug.
The only time I've found my mare cold is when she has had a wet neck on a windy day so I try to keep her neck covered if it's raining.
If it's cool weather but not cold enough for her MW rug with MW neck, then I put the no-fill neck on the MW rug to keep the rain off without her getting too warm.
 
The one with the muscle problem has been in a heavy weight with neck for the past few nights as she lives out. Her Ardennes companion stays unrugged unless it is going to be v wet in the day and then freeze at night. He can do either rain or cold but is a wee bit too creaky these days to manage both. I usually just pop his rain sheet on.

He came in this morning with an iced over bottom and inhaled 2 haynets before melting, so his home grown insulation is doing fine.
 
My two at home , a cob and a Clydesdale are in a med weight rugs, mio turn outs, no neck. Both are fully clipped. They stay in those unless it gets warm and then they have a light weight on. The only time I get worried is if it's really pissed down but so far my fears have been ungrounded, as they have been fine.
My pony who is out on loan seems to spend most days naked, as he is tubby it doesn't seem to have bothered him, although how she is keeping him as white as he is I have no idea. I will have to ask when I pop in. He is rugged at night. :)
 
Abby-Lou said:
Loving my new Rambo Optimo where I can choose 100g, 200g, 300g, 400g liners
Click to expand...

I have the old Rambo Duo's and use them with PE Liners, 1 x 100g and 2 x 200g. It makes life so easy because I can alter the weights just by adding or removing one rug. Would never go back to lots of different weight turnouts now.
 
Oh goodness I am feeling like a bad owner. My horse has a blanket clip and is in at night, depending on temperature I switch him between a 200g and 340g, today I had him in the 340g- seems like I've gone too heavy!
 
My 2 are both in at night both wearing 200g 1 fully clipped and the other has a trace but feel nice early in the morning, I just go by the horse
 
My mare has hunter clip and is in a 200g combo if cold during day and has a 50g stable rug on top at night if really cold such as -5. If mild then she has a 100g combo on. I do have a HW combo turnout but only used it a few years back when it was snowing/ cold for several weeks.
 
My cob is in a big thick old fal rug and is not grumpy any more, he was in a mw rug but was actually shivering ...

My mare is layered up in a med weight with another mw over the top she gets really nasty if she's cold. The Shetland was in a fleece last night and the section a 'doesn't wear rugs' cos he removes them if you put them on (it's quite impressive he gets out of them with no damage and no buckles undone in about 10 minutes I've really thought about cctv to see how he does it)
 
Mines still naked :o she resembles a hairy yak and when I buy my fingers in all the hair she's nice and toasty. She gets a 100g on when it's rainy though and seems to be just right under it (would just get cold and damp under a rainsheet even if it hadn't leaked)
My old boy would be rugged more though. Just depends on the horse. Like you I'd be likely to have less layers on on a 'cold' day that is still and dry than a wet and windy day.
 
Mine are both in heavyweights and in at night - pony is blanket clipped and gets absolutely miserable when cold and seems to feel the cold more than any other pony I've owned, unclipped 4yr old in work in heavyweight as wasn't quite warm enough in her 250g Weatherbeeta tonight - neither would wear those rugs during the day especially if sunny. Both happy in the rugs they have on and change twice a day according to their temperature.
 
The one recently full clipped is in a half neck 250g the one with the grown out clip is in a 200g no neck but will be clipped again so will go in a 250g if it remains this cold, both always feel warm and are holding weight well.
 
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