Is Pidge strange?

[Pidgeon]

Ok so he's 17hh ISH with more TB than ID and was out last night in his fly rug and when I got there this morning he was like toast

but it was only 7 degrees

Is he normal or strange?
P.S. He did spend most of last winter in a 200g rug despite the temp dropping to -11.5 and he doesn't exactly have any fat on him to insulate him

fit and healthy

 

[Ziggy_]

Mine is the same - mostly TB with a bit of ID - and she barely grows a winter coat either.

She spends the middle of winter in a MW overnight, and goes out naked on dry days, even in January.

The funny thing is that she never feels toasty warm - if she does, it means she's too hot and the amount of water she drinks triples and she gets all grumpy over her rugs - she seems to like being cool and is comfortable if she feels just warm. The hard part is convincing YOs that I know what I'm doing and aren't trying to give my horse hypothermia!

 

[Pidgeon]

LOL I know what you mean

I always check the base of his ears and they were lovely and warm this morning

Just get odd looks when some of the other horses are already in medium weight rugs and I gave him a full clip last week too!

 

[JosieSmith]

I'm glad someone else pointed out checking their ears, I've been doing this all summer but had a horrible thought it was maybe an old wives tail and I looked like an idiot!

 

[Pidgeon]

No it is the easiest way to see how cold or warm your horse is

I do it all the time, poor Pidge just humours me now

 

[Madam_max]

Corroy is the same, again more TB than ID.

 

[Slinkyunicorn]

Mine are still naked - and warm and toasty

. I do the ear thing too - just get the 'look' when I do

!! Horses find it easier to warm up than to cool down - even my wb was in a mw in the snow last year and perfectly happy - and they are both fully clipped! Still trying to find a rib......

 

[charlie55]

Oh ive never heard about the ear thing. Will give it a go later

 

[Gorgeous George]

Sounds like George, he is 3/4 TB with a 1/4 shire, even when it was -9 here last winter he was only in a 250g turnout!

 

[FigJam]

Not at all- mine is the same. The rest of the yard are rugging up already (some in MW!) and mine is still out naked. However, she does grow a coat like a yak in the winter (getting clipped at the weekend!) and seems to keep warm very easily.

Last winter the heaviest rug she had on was 300g and she was too warm in it. (we had heavy frost, taps frozen etc!) She comes up in a horrid heat rash if she's too warm, so it's kinder for her to be a little on the cool side and move around to warm up than to stand there over rugged and miserable.

 

[alwaysbroke]

Our TB's and warmblood are still out at night unrugged, they havent grown any coats at all, on the other hand the two ponies are starting to look like rugs

 

[Pidgeon]

Ooh glad it's not just Pidge then

 

[Pidgeon]

Ah another ear checker then

and glad another horse out in just a mw rug in the depths of winter and fully clipped

 

[Pidgeon]

Yep feel the base of their ear at the back and that tells you how warm or cold they are

 

[Pidgeon]

These ginger beasties are very alike aren't they

 

[Pidgeon]

agree with you entirely, better to be on the colder side than too hot! And yes our water drinkers in the internal barn froze over too