Majot RANT coming on!

Fairynuff

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I have just read a post where the owner of a cob asked advice regarding a non choke waterproof rug. The cob in question is RUGGED up IN JUNE!!!
WHY!!!
In all of my years, living, eating and shitting horse, why would someone want to rug up ANY animal in JUNE????Horseslove rolling in mud, horses love the feel of rain on their backs.When it rains, there are no flies.When it rains it is a sheer pleasure to feel the rain drops land on your back.When it rains the grass is sweeter. When it rains.....YOU DONT BRAKE MY BALLS COS YOU WILL GET WET:
Please, lets allow the horses to be as nature intended (as much as we can)! Horses were meant to be horses. Mairi.
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I haven't read the thread as I thought if the rug is choking the horse remove it or buy one that fits but...and there's always a but...maybe the horse is prone to a chill, it could be clipped for competition, it could be ill, it could struggle to keep weight on (then again I'm sure it woudln't be called a cob
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) there may be reasons for rugging it...though I admit they are rare and most coblets would do fine without a rug from March to Decemeber...well maybe the whole year but you might feel a bit sorry for them when it snows!
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whispers

My horse was wearing a rug last night
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I think there are lots of reasons why horses would need to be rugged up in June .. not all horses enjoy being horses
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This reminds me of a point I wanted to raise, but kept forgetting
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I will rug my neds in l/w t/o if there's going to be days of rain and I want to ride. I'll also put one on LL if the wind is cold as he's a wimp - I'd rather not, but, and here is the question, do people put saddles (with numnahs) onto wet backs?
 
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Skin is waterproof after all
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I am afraid water may melt my horse ...




She is a witch after all
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My horse certainly loves rolling in mud - which is why he will be put in on sat night for the first time in 3 months before my 8.13 dressage on sunday morning - 1.5 hours away.
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Will have to get to stables very early, so the horse probably won't be in longer than about 7 hours!!
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Horses do not melt in the rain either - wish some of my horses belly would melt off though! And if they have a shiver on a wet summer day - they will not die, shivering is a natural function after all
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Actually the owner qualifies why her horse is rugged - which is at night.

She is on a showing yard and correct turn out for a show cob is fully clipped - would you expect a horse with no coat to be allowed to get wet and chilled?

And for the record - my show horse is also rugged at night and if raining has a waterproof sheet on.

I think your comments are completely unnecessary
 
nature also provides shelter! which my field doesnt - so that is why i put a rain sheet on my horse when heavy rain is forcast! even in June!!!!!!!!!!!
 
One of mine (the white one) was wearing a LW (no-fill) rug last night....he HATES the rain but likes to be out.....I nipped down this morning and took it off.

Personally.....I've got other issues to be worrying about rather than why someone else chooses to rug or not rug their horse...its non of my business....unless its a mahoovis fat hairy cob wearing a HW combo during a heatwave
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I have just read a post where the owner of a cob asked advice regarding a non choke waterproof rug. The cob in question is RUGGED up IN JUNE!!!
WHY!!!
In all of my years, living, eating and shitting horse, why would someone want to rug up ANY animal in JUNE????Horseslove rolling in mud, horses love the feel of rain on their backs.When it rains, there are no flies.When it rains it is a sheer pleasure to feel the rain drops land on your back.When it rains the grass is sweeter. When it rains.....YOU DONT BRAKE MY BALLS COS YOU WILL GET WET:
Please, lets allow the horses to be as nature intended (as much as we can)! Horses were meant to be horses. Mairi.
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Totally agree with you I hate having to put his fly rug on & leave it off as much as I can (its mild for SI but boy he still tries to rub himself raw)
 
With todays beatheable fandy dandy rugs - for example the Bucas sunshower - whats the harm? Barring blazing sun surely it isnt actually that warm in this country to cause heat exhaustion, in which case so long as its an appropriate rug - what harm will it do?

I might add my ISH is not rugged, nor will he be !!
 
Well said! Mine are out naked and have been since about March/April time. Occasionally I will put a rain sheet on the little old lady but it is only a waterproof sheet with no padding and she is 30 ish yrs old!
 
I know plenty of horses that are wearing lightweights at night. Some drop weight easily and it isnt always very warm at night at the moment.
 
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This reminds me of a point I wanted to raise, but kept forgetting
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I will rug my neds in l/w t/o if there's going to be days of rain and I want to ride. I'll also put one on LL if the wind is cold as he's a wimp - I'd rather not, but, and here is the question, do people put saddles (with numnahs) onto wet backs?

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Yes. I will use a sweat scraper first if there is a lot of water, but otherwise bung the numnah straight on. I have never understood people's obsession with horses needing to be dry when the numnah goes on...coz I dunno about everyone else, but my horse tends to sweat under the saddle and guess what? It means his back is wet under the numnah! If he's muddy then I will sponge/hose the mud off first so there is no danger of rubs, but I just don't buy the 'he needs to be clean and dry for me to ride' argument.
 
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nature also provides shelter! which my field doesnt - so that is why i put a rain sheet on my horse when heavy rain is forcast! even in June!!!!!!!!!!!

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FFS, they get wet, they dry out! Whst do you think the horses born and bred on the Mongolian steppes do/did. There aint no trees there, nor on the Shetland Isles! Im sorry. I am becoming increasingly disgusted by the 'modern' treatment of the horse. The horse is not a bloody greenhouse plant,. The horse is 500 Ks of blood and muscle who has had the ability to survive and evolve over hundreds of thousands of years. WE DID NOT INVENT THE HORSE. So lets stop destroying what nature has created (as much as is possible). Mairi.
 
If its going to be dry then my boy goes out naked. But...If i know it is going to rain hard i WILL put a rain sheet on him. (unless its really warm) He is a sensitive WB which has a very sensitive back, if he has rain on his back he is a nightmare, especially when its dried and i try to groom him.

Far easier to rug up and he is far happier! Maybe this 'cob' has a similar problem.
 
Personally, the only way Genie will be rugged at night in the summer is if she's in the night before a show, where she will have the thinnest rug possibly on to keep her clean, or if there is absolutely TORRENTIAL rain. She has yet to wear her rainsheet this summer! I'm not a fan of seeing horses out with rugs on this time of year, but understand people have their own reasons for it and I do not know the particular case.

In answer to MrsM - I HATE putting a saddle and numnah onto a wet back, fortunately Genie comes in for a few hours pretty much every day, so it's not a problem as she's dry by the time I ride.
 
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Yes. I will use a sweat scraper first if there is a lot of water, but otherwise bung the numnah straight on. I have never understood people's obsession with horses needing to be dry when the numnah goes on...coz I dunno about everyone else, but my horse tends to sweat under the saddle and guess what? It means his back is wet under the numnah! If he's muddy then I will sponge/hose the mud off first so there is no danger of rubs, but I just don't buy the 'he needs to be clean and dry for me to ride' argument.

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Glad I'm not the only one that does that!! Always feel bad for doing it, but as yet never had a rub once so can't be all that bad
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I can understand putting a lightweight rug on overnight or if its raining, but then take the bloody thing off when its a lovely sunny day like today. I've seen countless horses rugged up in the day and just because their owners don't want them to get dirty.
 
Mine are both rugged at night in and out, one is clipped and one just gets cold in the rain plus i want them to stay cleaner so they don't need constant bathing for shows. It might be ok for native types to go without but one of my horses didn't get turned out till he came to england at 8 so how is he supposed to naturally cope with the rain when he is bred like a robot. I also have a section A who never wears a rug winter or summer but you can't judge all horses by your own standards because people have reasons for rugging up their horses.
 
He is in the southern hemisphere?
It is 5C and raining here tonight =)

Erm I read the other post, and I would reserve judgement.
I don't know the current temp in England but the poster did say that he had just started being out at night after having been in. I am sure there is a good reason, may be he is prone to colds? Im sure there is an explanation.

The poor fitting rug thing is something we constantly fight (see my other post), some horse are just not built for normal rugs, like I struggle to find jeans...

Having said that I do agree that mid-summer most horses should / can go 'naked' at night.
I hate people who over rug and have reported people to the RSPCA over it before now (2 rugs, fleece leg boots, tail bag and a lycra fly mask on a 38C day... my boy had a light cotton because of the flies) sadly they can't take any actual action till the horse shows signs of heat stress. =(
 
Mairi while I agree with your sentinment surely we should focus on people deliberately neglecting their animals and not those who are trying to look after them to the best of their abilities? Yes they may be overdoing it in a lot of cases but jeez, mind the pun, but don't sweat the small stuff.

It may well offend you but with in reason arent horses able to thermo-regulate?
 
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WE DID NOT INVENT THE HORSE. So lets stop destroying what nature has created (as much as is possible). Mairi.

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Quite .
But seeing as I ride it (in modern tack) , stable it at night , clip it . shoe it , and rug it in the winter .. I see no difference in just rugging it in the summer too
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Mairi I totally agree with you. I go down the yard in the afternoon and most of the horses are in by 6! Horses are meant to be horses - I can understand if you want to stable your horse in winter (I never would as I believe it creates all sorts of problems by putting animals in unnatural environments, hence stable vices and digestion problems, but I can see the argument for it) but it is summer for pitties sakes! And it's not even a tb - most of the cobs I know live out all year round rugless! I appreciate it is clipped but then why not just stick a really light rain sheet on if it is the woosy type - not a blinking NZ!
 
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- for example the Bucas sunshower - whats the harm?

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why would you do this to me...I can't afford another rug and I have been managing with just my cheap Amigo rainsheet but now I really NEED to buy a Bucas Sunshower because you told me it existed!

I'm telling my bank manager on you
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