Is it cruel, to not put a necked rug on a Horse with a clipped neck?

LaurenBay

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Following on from one of the threads on here. And a comment I recieved the other day, about my Horse. Do you think it is cruel to not rug your Horse in a necked rug, if they have clipped necks?

My Horse has a trace clip, I left most of her neck on though and she has a long mane to give her extra warmth too. The bottom of her neck is clipped though. She is currently turned out in a MW non necked rug. She is always toastie warm, when I check. I don't want to put a neck on her for 2 reasons, 1) she is warm enough as it is, 2) might rub her mane off!

A friend commented on lack on neck, and told me she must be cold :rolleyes: She is not cold! she has loads of grass to eat to keep warm and natural shelter.

Your thoughts?
 

sam72431

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I dont think its cruel, the thing is if she is happy then whats the problem, i personally like neck rugs but I also have a few rugs without that are for when its sunny, I think its nice to have a neck on if its raining but its all dependant on the horse, if she is happy and you are then whats the problem?!
 

Jesstickle

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Neck rugs have only existed for about ten years. Was it cruel before that? No, of course not.

It isn't cruel now either.

I do wish people would desist spouting such nonsense (not you OP obviously, the wally you were talking to!)

ETS: There aren't even any organs in the neck to keep warm. Why would you worry about rugging it? I could wear shorts in winter and as long as my core was warm I'd be fine. Why would you assume horses are any different? Unless you live in the arctic I suppose.
 
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Bigginge

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No, not at all. Earlier in the season I had my fully clipped one out with no neck on as it was so mild, he found it a blessed relief to have all the hair removed, he would have been way too hot with a neck on. With a trace, when her head's down grazing she is still going to have some protection from the elements, if she's warm enough and it's not hammering it down with rain or blizzarding it wouldn't bother me one bit to not have a neck on your rug.
 

abbijay

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No!
My horse had a full clip in early Nov and while the weather was warmer he had no neck rug on at all. Only when it got cooler, wetter and windier did we cover his neck up. Last 2 winters he has had trace or chaser clips and i didn't own neck covers at that point.
Let your horse be your guide. If he is warm enough, for his benefit, don't over rug him! [Rant over] x
 

MissMincePie&Brandy

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Like someone else said Neck rugs have only been around for a very short time, and I clearly remember when the only turnout was a canvas NewZealand - certainly very different to the technical (lightweight, insulating, waterproof, breathable) turnouts we have now.

IMO the prime function of a neck rug is for keeping necks cleaner :)
 

Jesstickle

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IMO the prime function of a neck rug is for keeping necks cleaner :)

Quite. I am about to buy a no neck heavy weight for BH as I am sick of him having no mane. Will be selling off all his neck rugs as they are useless things and just leave him bald for 6 months of the year! I'd rather deal with the mud!
 

Naryafluffy

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Like someone else said Neck rugs have only been around for a very short time, and I clearly remember when the only turnout was a canvas NewZealand - certainly very different to the technical (lightweight, insulating, waterproof, breathable) turnouts we have now.

IMO the prime function of a neck rug is for keeping necks cleaner :)

And you only had 2 of them, one for wet, one for dry and you didn't have a horse rug to match the dog rug to match your wellies.
Neck rugs keep them cleaner, but not necessary to keep them warm unless you live in Siberia (AKA Scotland!!!!.....kidding)
 

Mancha

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I personally don't like leaving clipped necks without neck covers in the worst of the winter, so from about December to March time i use neck rugs. IMO if you're clipping the hair off it needs to be replaced with something, if they're in their natural state fair enough but clipping them bald and then expecting them to keep themselves warm and dry seems a little unfair. My horse is also coloured with very pink skin so i would worry about rain scald, plus the obvious factor being thick mud! I also find rain leaks down the neck shoulder area with neckless rugs
 

Spring Feather

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No it's not cruel. I have seen more not too far removed from cruelty cases due to neck rugs. I dislike them intensely and would never buy one. I can't bear seeing sweating horses strapped up in them on days where it might have been cool overnight but is positively warm by lunch time and the owners haven't come to change neck rugs to normal no-neck rugs. They do not allow for natural heat loss so it's like putting a horse in a sauna, whacking water on the coals and locking the door.
 

Walrus

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My fell has a huge mane, he's always toasty warm under it and I think if I put a neck rug on him he would melt! Even with his clipped neck. Plus I've spent the last year nurturing his mane after he rubbed it so no
 

NoltonSeaShell

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My tb has a heavy weight with a neck cover, she must be the coldest horse i know, Always got plenty of food to eat to keep her warm. Its not cruel at all, as long as your horse is happy and warm its all that matters. Don't listen to other peoples snide comments, you know whats best for your horse!

I have a saxon turnout and it doesn't rub her mane at all!
 

scarymare

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God I hope not.

I've got mine out fully clipped but have taken the neck off (and its baltic here). Reason is he's out with my foal who boxes with him and that's asking for trouble with a neck cover. So whilst I would love to have him in a neck cover as it tames his unruly mane, not an option atm. TB x ID.....
 

AmyMay

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Following on from one of the threads on here. And a comment I recieved the other day, about my Horse. Do you think it is cruel to not rug your Horse in a necked rug, if they have clipped necks?

My Horse has a trace clip, I left most of her neck on though and she has a long mane to give her extra warmth too. The bottom of her neck is clipped though. She is currently turned out in a MW non necked rug. She is always toastie warm, when I check. I don't want to put a neck on her for 2 reasons, 1) she is warm enough as it is, 2) might rub her mane off!

A friend commented on lack on neck, and told me she must be cold :rolleyes: She is not cold! she has loads of grass to eat to keep warm and natural shelter.

Your thoughts?

It doesn't sound as if she needs a neck cover at all. If the horse were fully clipped it would be a different story.

Ignore your friend, would be my advice.
 

skydancer

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My horse has a chaser clip and has no neck fur at all i do not rug her with the neck simply because i dont think she needs it. My theory is that at least if she has some part of her open to the elements when i get on to ride the temp wont be such a shock
 

Wagtail

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No it's not cruel at all. In fact I hate neck rugs and only use them if it is blizzard like conditions and the horse is newly fully clipped. I think they restrict the horse's gullet and rub the mane as well as caus the rug to put pressure on the withers.
 

fidleyspromise

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I personally don't like leaving clipped necks without neck covers in the worst of the winter, so from about December to March time i use neck rugs. IMO if you're clipping the hair off it needs to be replaced with something, if they're in their natural state fair enough but clipping them bald and then expecting them to keep themselves warm and dry seems a little unfair. My horse is also coloured with very pink skin so i would worry about rain scald, plus the obvious factor being thick mud! I also find rain leaks down the neck shoulder area with neckless rugs

I disagree as it depends on the horse.

I choose to clip my horses neck in winter as she gets hot and itchy so to then rug would defeat this purpose.
IF she's cold, I pop a rug on (in the worst blizzarding conditions) but generally she's toasty and a lot happier than with her neck unclipped.
 

skint1

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I agree it depends on the horse. Basil is like a little furnace so although he is clipped he doesn't always have a neck rug on in the stable and has never seemed cold in the morning, he does out in the field but only because our mw/hw rugs all happen to be combos, he'd be fine without though I think
 

Umbongo

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No, it is not cruel...but again it depends on the horse.

My Welsh x Arab was fully clipped a couple of winters ago. He was out in a middle weight with no neck all winter in the snow and it got to about -10 degrees at the time. I did try to put on a bigger rug with a neck but he always seemed too hot, would sweat up and become slightly itchy. He was a hot horse. He had ad lib hay and lots of grass, he kept weight on a bit too well too!

As people have said, turnouts with necks are a relatively new thing. It wasn't cruel to have a clipped horse with no neck back then, but all horses are different, and necks keep them cleaner :)
 
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Mancha

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I disagree as it depends on the horse.

I choose to clip my horses neck in winter as she gets hot and itchy so to then rug would defeat this purpose.
IF she's cold, I pop a rug on (in the worst blizzarding conditions) but generally she's toasty and a lot happier than with her neck unclipped.

Well as i've stated in my post it's a personal opinion, with the reasons that it suits my horse stated. I haven't exactly said everyone HAS to do the same!:p
 
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