Introducing yearlings to rugs

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Switchthehorse

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As per the title, any ideas how to get this done painlessly, quickly and easily?

mine has never seen a rug but lives out 24/7 and is going to need one soon judging by this weather! She is handled daily, leads, picks feet up etc but wouldn't say she is immaculately trained and I dont have a stable to wedge her in when i attempt it!

Any help gratefully received! Thanks!
 
Two people head collar and just let them smell it slowly put it on then keep taking it on and off then start throwing it on a bit more do this everyday for a few weeks and you will be fine
 
I've got the same problem, managed fine with the two fillies once they'd turned two as both were very laid back in nature but Jimmy is a permanent coiled spring! He will stand in the crossties to be brushed, will lead and can be touched all over his body although we havent picked his feet up yet. Am starting to get a bit anxious about getting a rug on him...let me know how you get on!
 
Start with a numnah, rub it over her and progress to moving it around her body, swinging it under her tummy and round her legs, and over her back. Whne she is fine with this move onto the rug
 
As Starbar says.

Really, all this "it will take weeks" sorry but that is nonsense. It doesn't. Not if you are starting with a halter broken baby that is used to being brushed, handled, restrained etc, you have to work with the horse you have in front of you and go at a speed he is comfortable with, it still doesn't take weeks though ;)

As with everything, ask 12 people the same question and you'll get 12 different answers, it doesn't really matter how it is done as long as the end result is the same - a youngster that isn't going to climb the walls everytime he sees a rug approaching.

Start with a towel or saddlecloth, preferably with a young foal (but I do appreciate that not everybody has the advantage of having their youngster from birth) rub it all over, put it on, take it off, put it on, take it off etc. Leave it draped on, the length of time differs depending how the horse reacts.

I prefer to use a large towel because that way I can drape it over the entire body. Use a bandage around the belly to simulate a roller or surcingles, similarly one around the bum, often horses are fine with blankets and flip when the straps go on because they aren't used to that.

Fasten your blanket up (start with a wool or fleece one that isn't going to rustle) and leave it on, some have a bit of a hissy fit, others stand stock still and don't move for a while, others just carry on as normal.

With outdoor blankets, leave them over the door for the youngster to examine, then carry it around, or leave it on the floor, make a noise with it but don't attempt to put it on until they wear the soft one first.

This foal was a day old, maybe two, when he first had a blanket on.
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Well in NZ we just used to throw then on when I worked at a stud. 20+ yearlings all were rugged up on one day - it was a very interesting experience and obviously some much easier than others! They were proper old fashioned NZ rugs as well none of this mamby pamby lightweight rugs we have over here.

On a personal note I got my own yearling used to towels being thrown over him at a very young age and it was easy from there on. Good advise from Enfys above.
 
dixie said:
Well in NZ we just used to throw then on when I worked at a stud. 20+ yearlings all were rugged up on one day - it was a very interesting experience and obviously some much easier than others! They were proper old fashioned NZ rugs as well none of this mamby pamby lightweight rugs we have over here.

On a personal note I got my own yearling used to towels being thrown over him at a very young age and it was easy from there on. Good advise from Enfys above.
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Dixie, re your NZ yearlings, yep, we used to do that too with yearlings, stud owner would decide that 'today is the day' and that was that. Just sling them on and let them get on with it, needs must and all that, it is luxury to have time to go a bit slower. :) It still doesn't take me more than an hour at most, and that's with coffee breaks, for even the scattiest baby. I am afraid I am a "here's what we are going to do. No negotiations" type person, not an "Oh dear, you don't want to? Never mind we'll leave it for today then" sort.

It goes hand in hand with my "Bugger you then, if you don't want to come in, get wet" train of thought.
 
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Ive had to rug all mine.. and I dont namby pamby either, I just chuck it on, some have a silly and danced round on the leadrope, others just take it all in their stride.. though they have all been handled from day one (home bred foals) the last foal would follow me round while I poo picked the paddock (straight into feed sacks) so I would chuck the feed sacks over her.. she never bothered at all..

I think sometimes the more careful and quiet you are the more nervous they get, hence me just getting on with the job..

the only one I had problems with was Freckles, (my big appy mare) had her from a foal and I did pander round her, she was terrified of it, so I did all the hanging it up in the stable, let her sniff it.. trying to touch her gently with it... took about a week to get it near her.. (this was 14 years ago) ...

Think Ive had to rug 8 foals in the past 6 years, and they have been fine, though they would of been about 6 months old when they needed a rug... I take them on and off repeatedly until its not big deal and have been able to do them all loose in the paddock. (well most of the time)
 
Personally, it took us 5 minutes to get the yearling, the 2 yr old and a 4yr old 'rug-broken' we get a lot of breakers who have barely been touched, let alone wearing a rug and works (so far every time and in hours rather than weeks). 2 people, one to hold, one to rug, a lunge line and an enclosed space, preferably neither a small stable or a large field!! We just let babies sniff rug, paw it, roll on it, fold it in half, lay it across its his back, walk around, let him sniff it, feel it, move it etc. We then always just get them used to it flapping a bit over his back, again let him walk if he wants, even run if he finds it necessary but try to keep him close-ish and the rug still 'flapping'. Pop it on as you normally would but don't do anything up, if he's going to disappear, the last thing you want is him tied up in a flapping monster that is obviously going to eat him with a talking lunge line for good measure. Do up straps when he's ready, probably tighter than is necessary for an older horse and trot him about still on the lead. Biggest mistake you can do is turn him out until he is completely at ease with it, else, he trots off. Rug flaps, baby panics, runs into fence, damages itself. (seen it done, not pleasant at all). Just don't rush anything with him, do it in his own time. A saddle pad is a good idea if he is genuinely petrified but they come off very easy.
 
with my yearling i just chucked a rug on her and let her get on with it ! :o

she just stood there like a donkey and let me d up the straps etc... :)

the "get on with it" attitude is what i normally adopt
 
When getting my 2 babies used to rugs I found a nice light fleece and rubbed it all over them before laying it (scrunched up) on their backs, and slowly opening it up to its full length. Then I'd take it off and repeat it a few more times, each time throwing the rug about a bit more until they got bored of it. Neither of them worried at all and both were done on a headcollar in a field. Once they were used to a fleece waving above their backs (it was a v windy day!) then no other rug worried them.
Just a note, I find they get more stressed about it being a 'big deal' if you actually go up to them and go 'look, a rug' whereas I just walk up and do it and they accept it as the norm. I did my crazy welshie as a 3yo (only got him at 2 1/2) and the shetland as a yearling- although he didn't need to wear a rug, I felt it was an important part of his education.
 
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