How many rugs for the temperature???

B

bgray1981

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 September 2012
Messages
119
Visit site
I just wondered whether anyone used some sort of guide to how many rugs to put on your horse for the different temperatures? Clipped and unclipped
 
My unclipped poor doer TB is out in the day in a 350 g liner and a 100 g outer rug, at night he wears a heavy weight stable rug with neck a light stable rug with no neck and a thin fleece.

My trace clipped 'normal dooer' tb is out in a 450 g turnout, at night he is wearing a thermatex, heavy stable with neck and light stable over the top

My fully clipped cob lives out in a middle weight combo

My box rest tb is in a medium stable rug plus summer sheet at night.

Looking after a range of horses and ponies that are naked and some in rugs up to heavyweights but would take too long to list them all!
 
Unclipped Welsh D:

Up until yesterday: Lightweight tunout, naked on nights (God forbid!)
Now: Med weight turnout, fleece on nights
When it's below freezing: Rambo heavyweight turnout, medium weight stable rug on nights (he will be clipped by then though, otherwise still just the medium weight)

No neck covers at all.

He was out all last winter with no rug and he was fine. He didn't work then so was fat and well padded, hence the rugs this year now he works.
 
I don't use a guide, I just look at and feel the horses to see how warm they are. Some horses keep hotter than others, and different fields and stables vary as to how sheltered they are. So the only way to do it is to check how your horse is feeling, otherwise you risk over or under-rugging.
 
Completely agree with TGM.

If my horse (TB) is the last one out at the yard, someone brings him into the stable for me, until he and his BFF go back out. On the occasions he's been out during the day in his 200g, he's been sweaty underneath it in the stable. He's still been going out in his 75g during the day. He had his first winter night in last night. I put a full neck 200g stable rug on him (by far the coldest it's been here yet) but by the time he had been in it for 20 mins he was hot, so I swapped to his standard neck 200g, would have gone lower but I don't have one. If I was turning him out in a 450g he would be an absolutely disgusting pile of sweat within an hour. I'm not even planning on getting him a rug that heavy.

Barry is unclipped though going to give him a tracer soon, when his rugs will stay the same, apart from he will have the full neck stable rug.

To those who are already using 400+g, what are you going to do when it actually gets properly cold? The temperature is going to drop a lot more. The most I ever had my 35 y/o in was a 360g TO, and about the equivalent weight in the stable, and that was down to -12.

I always thought I was guilty of overrugging with my old girl, now I'm not so sure! :p
 
TGM said:
I don't use a guide, I just look at and feel the horses to see how warm they are. Some horses keep hotter than others, and different fields and stables vary as to how sheltered they are. So the only way to do it is to check how your horse is feeling, otherwise you risk over or under-rugging.
Click to expand...

I totally agree with this.
 
I think any guide would be wildly inaccurate. I know my horses, I know how warm their stables are and how warm they are, and I rug accordingly. We have three in the same stable block all clipped out and all rugged very differently. Horses are individuals.
 
I have an unclipped welsh and shes in a m/w during the day and a 350g rug and fleece at night as shes decided to be a diva this year and not actually grown a proper winter coat at all! Stables are stone/brick though and its in a valley so gets pretty chilly, but you wouldnt believe she lived out naked all her life up until 4 years ago!
Spoilt wimp of a pony :p
 
RunToEarth said:
I think any guide would be wildly inaccurate. I know my horses, I know how warm their stables are and how warm they are, and I rug accordingly. We have three in the same stable block all clipped out and all rugged very differently. Horses are individuals.
Click to expand...

Amen.

P
 
in this current weather, about 4-5 degrees, they are in the following

unclipped welsh and wb are both in just a rain sheet....if they need it they both have a 100g fill before they get to the mediums but since this is the first winter I am letting them get "native" I am seeing how they go.

full clipped appy, tb and tank are in heavy outdoors, 300g and will stay in them or drop a weight or have a little stable quilt on underneath if it gets colder/warmer......

two rugs is the max any of mine have on at any one time as I really don't like to restrict movement. as it is the tb and appy only had on the second rug last year when temps went below -2 in the day and since they are stabled at night they are warmer anyway.
 
I guess I will just add/take layers as needed. If they end up in a few heavyweights then so be it. Each to their own and every horse is different! I look after a Tb who is the hottest horse ever and has only just gone into. A 150 g rug despite being fully clipped!
They are all individuals
 
Am not a fan of layering rugs - don't think there's much need especially with modern hi-tech rugs. I tend to just use one rug of an appropriate weight especially for turnout - the less surcingles and leg straps the better.

ATM, my ISH is newly and fully clipped so is in a HW turnout with neck cover during the day and a HW Wug at night. My veteran TB is unclipped and wearing a MW rug in the field and a LW stable rug at night as her stable is very warm.

The rug situation is re-assessed on a daily basis.
 
My boy's always been a warm horse but seems to be feeling the cold this year. He's fully-clipped, hunting fit and in much more work than last year though when he was carrying a bit of extra weight so that probably helped him to keep warm then.

He's in a medium/heavy weight (not quite a heavy weight) TO rug with a neck and a fleece underneath to go out. Their field is a real wind tunnel though and it always feels freezing up there. At night when he comes in he has a HW stable rug with a neck and a fleece underneath. He stays warm moving about in the field but seems to feel the cold when he's in, even though the stables are stone, and well-protected from draughts. He can be a messy horse anyway but I've found he absolutely destroys his bed and is a nightmare to muck out the next day if he's been cold, not sure why, I presume because he's moving about trying to stay warm or something, because it's certainly not a health issue or anything like that. Whatever the reason, popping a slightly warmer rug on him seems to have helped a bit.
 
Really depends on the horse tbh. Both my IDs have the same clip (blanket) but my gelding has a 100g under rug on and a medium weight turnout on top (both with necks). Whilst my mare is a very warm horse and only has a 250g medium weight turnout on without a neck. There isn't really a guide you can apply, just common sense.
 
Let's see, my own natives, unclipped and naked, out 24/7, 365 days a year. Tb stud, unclipped and naked, out 24/7. Hunt yard, full clipped and 3 stable rugs at night when in, 2 turnout rugs (med weight and light weight) during day when out. So it's upto you, but most horses can survive with less rugs providing good shelter and plenty of forage is provided.
 
Fat little cob naked
ID in lightweight turnout due to rain scald
Shire X poor doer and not up to weight in middleweight turnout

All unclipped out 24/7
 
At the moment my two stabled fully clipped warmbloods are in two under rugs and a heavyweight mark todd stable rug( no neck)and now its getting colder, once clipped again i add a double duvet, it might sound a bit excessive to alot of you but keeps my boys nice and warm as they are both wimps!! When turned out they are in a heavyweight turnout with neck with one of there liners :)
My retired boy is in a medium turnout no neck and a medium stable rug when in :)

But as it has been said, i totally agree there is no guide it just goes by common sense!
 
Horse made it very clear when it was time for his light weight rug ...... He then made it very clear when it was time for his medium weight .... he doesnt do the cold, he is like me so we both get grumpy when cold so he will tell me when we need to go up a rug again, lol :p

He is a TB with a tummy but he still needs pampering :o
 
TGM said:
I don't use a guide, I just look at and feel the horses to see how warm they are. Some horses keep hotter than others, and different fields and stables vary as to how sheltered they are. So the only way to do it is to check how your horse is feeling, otherwise you risk over or under-rugging.
Click to expand...

This.

My native has only worn a turn out rug for the first time this winter today - and only as it's cold & we have had torrential rain, hail & the odd bit of sleet today.

I'd happily turn out rugless on a colder, dry day though. Equally he's turned out naked on a warmer day when rain is likely.

He's been in a fleece at night this last week when he's stabled, as he obviously can't warm himself up by moving around in his stable.
 
Every horse is individual and you have to rug for the horse.
My old loan would have been clipped by now and would have had at least a hw on by now, but he was the biggest wimp I've ever met.

My mare is not so wimpish is clipped and in a mw living out. She's perfectly happy and would let me know if she wasn't.
 
Well when it was minus 2 yesterday my Connemara was in a heavyweight combo, and my welsh was in a heavyweight combo with a fleece rug and neck underneath. My welsh boy feels the cold more, both are fully clipped and wear leg wraps.
It's supposed to get to minus 10 or so soon, in which case I will add a 100g liner to my Connemara, and probably a 200g under rug to my welsh.
 
Last edited:
TGM said:
I don't use a guide, I just look at and feel the horses to see how warm they are. Some horses keep hotter than others, and different fields and stables vary as to how sheltered they are. So the only way to do it is to check how your horse is feeling, otherwise you risk over or under-rugging.
Click to expand...

This all the way. Stick your hand in the neck, shoulder and bottom under the rug, and if your horse feels snug and warm then leave them, if they are not warm then add another layer or go up a weight, and if they are sweaty or too hot, go down a rug or remove a layer.
 
Gentlegiant88 said:
Every horse is individual and you have to rug for the horse.
Click to expand...

^^ This ^^

All of the horses on the yard I'm on have different rugs on ATM. They are all different types, are warmer or colder, fatter, thinner, etc etc... I was surprised to find that mine tonight, 15hh hunter clipped connie type, was on the cool side in his stable, with plenty to eat, in a 200g rug. No need for a guide to tell me what rug to have him in.
 
Sorry not read replies but depends on horse/location/coat/weight/forage/work/type stable . its like how big is pice string. all different and a good owner would read thier horse to needs :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top