How often do you remove horses rugs if they are not ridden???

M

merlinsquest

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 November 2005
Messages
8,922
Location
Surrey/hants
Visit site
ie, if they are in the field all the time.... or wear the turnouts for stable rugs.

Just reading a previous post about going to bed in turnouts and wondered really.

Obviously the ideal is everyday, but what is the reality???

I remember someone saying something along the lines of a horse being rugged up for winter and let loose on the moor
shocked.gif
or did I dream it??? I cant imagine that horses rug getting changed or checked each day
grin.gif
 
I haven't read about the horse being rugged and turned out on the moor for winter but I have seen it on the mountains.......knew people that did it, if the horse came home the rug would be checked, if it didn't it wouldn't.

I don't remove my lots rugs everyday, probably every couple of days but they are checked/straightened/felt under several times a day whenever I am in the fields. If it is a good sunny day then the rugs come off completely for a few hours.
 
Could have been mountains
grin.gif
or the New Forest
grin.gif
cant really remember, just thought it was a bit odd that they wouldnt be able to check them each day..... I do check to see if wet or twisted (rambo duo never is) but dont always have time to actually remove it each day.
 
My horse is living out 24/7 and he has his rugs changed twice a day (has HW on at night & MW in the day).

My friends who I share with has the same arrangement but MW night and LW in the day - until the end of last week this was LW night & naked in the day. We take it in turns to do mornings or evenings. Due to yard moving / stable building neither of us have ridden for over a month now!
 
if mine have their Fal or Rambo's on, sometimes i leave them on for weeks. i check them at least twice a day, pull them forward, check for rubs (never any), don't use leg straps, and touch wood they're fine. *goes straight to hell*
 
Jig is groomed and ridden everyday at the local college so rugs are removed and then put back on
smile.gif

Check under Alisha's once a day too.
My previous horse got an abcess on her chest from a vaccination, didn't change her rugs or check her for 3 or so days and felt really guilty when I finally changed the rugs and found the abcess which looked pretty sore and as if it had been there a few days already! Now I am paranoid and even if i don't have time to groom i make sure I check under the rugs!
 
I am such a bad mother, sometimes I don't take off his under rugs for a feel days unless it has slipped but then I don't see what the point is in my current circumstances as I only see my horse in the dark during the week unless it is my day off during the week. I check his rugs but as he is frightened of the one eyed torch monster I have to go on feel alone for body condition assessment during the week. I feel so bad sometimes that he only see his mum in the dark all week but he gets lots of love anyway and I'll probably burn in hell for not dragging him across the busy main road to look at him in the light every night.
 
mine have theirs changed twice a day, but they live in at night so its easier for me. When they were living out, they'd be checked everyday but only taken off every couple of days
 
Once my ridden lot are rugged up for the winter, they only come off on either mild days or when they are being ridden.

The old horses do have their rugs taken off every couple of weeks just to make sure they haven't dropped weight.

I only ever use Fals or Rambos and these don't rub or drop so don't really need checking underneath.
 
[ QUOTE ]
my horse has the same rug on but I undo all the straps and refit it twice a day

[/ QUOTE ]

Ditto. Ours always get groomed either morning or evening as well, whether they have been ridden or not.
 
Mine are out 24/7 but I bring them in daily to feed, take their rugs off then and brush them off - and that also gives them a chance to indulge in a bit of mutual grooming over the partition.
 
erm... the rug is removed when I decide to change it for a thicker or lighter one
blush.gif
The horses get fed in the field every evening and the rugs are straightened if needed but otherwise they only come off if the horse is brought down to the yard to be shod or something. I'm feeling guilty now...
blush.gif
 
Ralph is now in his turn out all day due to no one to change it in the mornings, however, I make sure it comes off every day for him to have a scratch and to groom him. We would not stay in out clothes 24hrs a day would we
crazy.gif
 
We are humans - they are horses and in fact they DO stay in their "clothes" for the whole of their lives.
wink.gif
 
That makes me feel better.... I have always struggled to remove it every couple of days.....

BUT he is not going to be ridden much at all and the weather is now foul, so would be nice to know that I dont have to get plastered in mud all the time.

He has a Rambo Duo and it hasnt rubbed so far, and I have three liners so can keep them washed and grease free which should help.

I can now look forward to just checking them everyday and taking them off for a good groom just one or two times a week
grin.gif
and at least if I go to hell I wont be alone
grin.gif
 
I take it off every few days to make sure he's not dropping any weight (year right!) or has any cuts. But its rare for him to have the same rug on few days at a time, the weather is so blooming changeable!
 
Well, I took merlins rug off today!!! Its been on a week and not been taken fully off since last thursday.

I was a bit dubious and expecting rubs and abcesses etc..... paranoid or what?? and found.........................nothing, except a lovely shiney horse.
grin.gif


I had put a new liner in the rambo duo and it had collected all the grease that was lying on the top of his coat and been making it dull.

Previously he only had the outer on and it was a bit greasy which was transfering back to his coat.... but with the clean liner he looked fab. I changed it for another clean liner today and bought the first one back to wash, and will rotate these weekly to keep him fresh... Lucky boy.

And I rode him
grin.gif
for the first time in 10 days
grin.gif
He was a star
grin.gif
 
i take the rug off my retired mare when i go up in the evenings to let the air at her coat. usually do this while i am riding the other horse or grooming. she has a full coat and is stabled at night. i think its good for their coat if its possible to do this.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top