Layering up your horse

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mulledwhine

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What do you use to build up the layers on your horses rugs?

I am just wondering as it is already soo cold , my boy will not stable ( he gets very stressed), he is already in a MW, if it gets any colder then I will put his full neck rug on, then I have a HW, but if the weather carries on like this I will have to start layering.

Last year I used ( admittantly very old) fleece, but it cut into his neck, so I was thinking of getting a more heavy fleece to put under, Ihave an under rug, but it is soo tatty.

A friend said to use his LW under, but I am worried that it will not breath.

I am just a little concerned, as he is a year older, a 20 something TB, and I could do with a winter without drama :)

Ideas geatefully recieved
 
I have put a lighter weight with neck TO and MW TO without neck on top this morning as it was 1degree this morning and my thin skinned TB drops weight easily.

I also put a fleece under MW. saving the heavyweight for later!

Layering is a good way to help keep warmth in imo.
 
I prefer using a liner rug than a fleece if I need to make the rug warmer as a fleece always seems to slip about. Not a fan of using another turnout for layers. I know they are supposed to be breathable but I just don't think two layers of waterproof material can be breathable enough. They are also rather heavy and I don't like a big weight of rugs on their backs. Something like this works well for me if I need to add warmth:
http://www.farmway.co.uk/equine-2/f...8/horseware-underblanket-combo-horse-6939.htm
You can get them with and without necks and in different weights. Weatherbeta, shires and premier equine all do them as well.
 
Only problem I always find with layering is the slipping. So I tend to use max 2 layers. My live out mare who is coming up 20 is now in her 400g heavyweight with neck! It was -2 this morning. If it goes milder again she can go back into mw 200g. Beyond that she has an underrug, but won't do multiple layers as her rugs always end up slipping/rubbing.
 
if you use a fleece make sure its one with a 'satin' type liner on the shoulders and outside front - like this: http://www.cybercheckout.co.uk/prod...g-navysilver-69.html?commCamId=88&commConId=2 then it wont pull back as badly ;)

bossy's bibs are a god send as they stop shoulder rubs :)

in the cold patch here last winter (-16 over night -12 during day for more than a week :eek:) my full hunter clipped mare who lives out 24/7 had on: bossy bib, the fleece about i put a link to, a full neck weatherbeeta under duvet, a MW half neck and a HW full neck - she was tasy and happy :)
 
ETA - the HW last year was an old 350gm weatherbeeta so prob considered a MW nowdays lol this winter i have 450gm PE HW combo so should be able to layer less - esp as the elasticated neack def keeps them warmer :)
 
Best way to layer up your horse is using the Rambo Duo Liners. They come in 100g, 200, 300, and 400gram weights and are fab. You can wash them at home and they dont cost a fortune. They do up on the horses chest with velcro and have clips at the back corners to clip onto your leg/fillet rings, keep your horses coat nice and shiny and do not cut into the neck like fleeces. No belly straps to get tangled up and generally very good. I use them under stable and turnout rugs (the Rambo Duo). They are so versatile and I cant praise them enough. Hope that helps.!
 
i would never use a fleece under a rug - they always pull back on the shoulders/down on the withers. If you think a HW full neck isnt enough, then either an under rug (with or without neck) or a duvet to go underneath. :)
 
bigboyrocky said:
i would never use a fleece under a rug - they always pull back on the shoulders/down on the withers. If you think a HW full neck isnt enough, then either an under rug (with or without neck) or a duvet to go underneath. :)
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I agree with the duvet!

Harry's been in a fleece, duvet and then HW on top, he's so nesh! :)
 
bigboyrocky said:
i would never use a fleece under a rug - they always pull back on the shoulders/down on the withers. If you think a HW full neck isnt enough, then either an under rug (with or without neck) or a duvet to go underneath. :)
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Ditto this. I never use anything stretchy as an under rug. So I wouldnt use anything like a thermatex either.
Use a proper under rug or a stable rug instead.
Personally I occasionally turnout in 2 turnout rugs, I dont have a problem with this. And horse seems more comfortable.
 
Personally I find it extraordinary why people put so many rugs on their horses, TB, old or otherwise. The whole point of having different weight rugs is so that you don't have to put a ridiculous amount on. I fail to see how a 350 or 400 tog rug is not sufficient enough for a horse even with minus temperatures.
 
TicTac said:
Personally I find it extraordinary why people put so many rugs on their horses, TB, old or otherwise. The whole point of having different weight rugs is so that you don't have to put a ridiculous amount on. I fail to see how a 350 or 400 tog rug is not sufficient enough for a horse even with minus temperatures.
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Totally agree with this.....how do people think horses survived years ago when there was just bog standard new zealands!!!
My girls didnt go out in anything heavier than a mw last winter, even in the minus'i tried a HW for one hour and they both sweated buckets!...They were warm all day in mw`s, if they got cold then they`d move about, they didnt drop weight and were happy!
My arab x TB is out in a lightweight and thats it...... my CB doesnt grow much of a winter coat but she is still warm and toasty....
 
TicTac said:
Personally I find it extraordinary why people put so many rugs on their horses, TB, old or otherwise. The whole point of having different weight rugs is so that you don't have to put a ridiculous amount on. I fail to see how a 350 or 400 tog rug is not sufficient enough for a horse even with minus temperatures.
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Many old horses cannot generate enough heat to keep themselves warm. That is why my 39 year old needs to have an extra rug under his hw turnout (he lives out year round). The only problem is that under rugs slip back and rub on his high wither, especialy fleece. I've found a wool one which doesn't seem too bad, but it still needs monitoring, does keep him toasty though. May well try the 'cotton sheet with a duvet' suggestion.
 
I use liners. I put two under my horse's stable rug last night - they didn't slip at all, stayed just where I left them :). They're the bees knees, as it gives me tonnes of flexibility to choose the weight of rug that I put on. Could layer right up to 750g with 3 light layers if I thought I needed it! :eek:;)
 
bigboyrocky said:
i would never use a fleece under a rug - they always pull back on the shoulders/down on the withers. If you think a HW full neck isnt enough, then either an under rug (with or without neck) or a duvet to go underneath. :)
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My pet hate - fleeces and coolers put on and left on - aaaaghh. They ALWAYS slip back - horrible horrible horrible


and





breathe





rant over
 
It's horses for courses. I don't think that my horse would do very well at all in only 450g in minus temps. She would drop weight dramatically.
She is in 500g at night already and is not even near too warm, in fact when the temp drops later in the week I will probably add a layer. She is not clipped or old.

You can't generalise. I put on what I feel she needs to be kept warm.
 
kirstie said:
It's horses for courses. I don't think that my horse would do very well at all in only 450g in minus temps. She would drop weight dramatically.
She is in 500g at night already and is not even near too warm, in fact when the temp drops later in the week I will probably add a layer. She is not clipped or old.

You can't generalise. I put on what I feel she needs to be kept warm.
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Well said!!

For outdoors, you are better layering turnouts as non-waterproof rugs soak up the rain from the back end. Not very nice! Two middleweights are warmer and more waterproof than one heavyweight as the wind seems to blow between them instead of under the bottom one.
 
Mine for layering has a wool rug/LW stable rug/MWstable rug depending on temps, When its v cold he has all indoor rugs on and HW T/O thrown on top!! I didnt see his belly for 2weeks last year except for quick grooms!! This year if it is as cold/colder then he is going to have my old duvet on instead as its lighter!! but much warmer thats what he had when fully clipped with astable rug ontop! He is now 20+ and in his HW T/O with wool rug under and at night wool rug under with MW stable rug soon to be HW half neck!!
 
Is he clipped? How long has he been a living out horse? With my oldie, who was used to being rugged up to his ears before I got him, I never need to go above a heavyweight rug. He'll be in his medium weight for now, probably even if it snows. Modern rugs are so efficient, and the good ones don't let in the wet, I think that there is less need for layering to be honest.
 
I know some horses feel the cold more than others, but the most ridiculous rugging I've seen was 6 rugs -one of which was a duvet, for a stabled horse standing on a two foot high straw bed.
Poor thing couldn't lie down, it was like humpty dumpty on legs. The weight of all those rugs must have been quite something. She also became bald because of the heat and lack of air.
 
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