Mini Shetland people- rug query help please.

G

griffin2727

Active Member
Joined
29 August 2005
Messages
37
Visit site
Hi
Could you help me with a rug query please..I have just purchased a lovely rising 3 mini Shetland mare. She is a little underweight according to my vet and is being treated for a mild eye infection. With this horrible rain and cold weather should I be putting a rug on her at night?. She is out with my other rugged non native horses 24/7. Her breeder said not to rug her but I am worried that I should be given her some protection.The horses have a lovely large warm field shelter which they rarely use except for accessing the ad lib hay which I feed in there. Would you rug her at night?
Thank you for your help
Allison
 
No absolutely not!! Our mini shetland has never had a rug on her - their coats are really designed to keep them warm and dry - in the snow it settles on her and she has icicles in her mane etc but it just proves how effective their coats are. You also do not want her to get to hot and her coat should be starting to shed so a rug will make her both hot and itchy.
 
Thank you for the reply..you have made me feel better!!. That is what her breeder said but I just felt terrible seeing her in the heavy rain and wind with all my big rugged horses!!!. I've never had a mini shetland before but she is an absolute joy.

Allison
 
They maybe small but they are as hard as nails!!:D Our is a huge character and more trouble than the biggest horse when she wants to be!!;):rolleyes::rolleyes: Never forget they are designed to live on the edge of a hillside in howling wind and rain and cheerfully live on fresh air. They will happily be spoilt and pampered if you fall for the cute Thelwell look.......:eek:;):D:D:D
 
As Slinky says, if she has her full coat then, no, don't rug her. I think if you are worried then stable her but nothing else.

Mine have coats about 3" thick, I'd have to burrow down to get to skin. Charley ROLLS in puddles and the water doesn't penetrate. I have had him rugged last year but that was only because I had to clip him in the March because he was full of lice and had a skin disorder that absolutely had to be dealt with. Poor little mite, he really felt the cold, he was stabled at night and had 2 fleeces on.

DSCF0861.jpg
 
Yes..I must remember that and not be taken in by the drenched little woolly teddy bear look!. Having said that my 6'6" son has just come back from walking across the field in the pouring rain with a torch to check that she was warm enough! It looks like she already has the family under her thumb(hoof?).
Bye the way I love the photo of your cob..is she/he a gipsy cob? Beautiful!!!
 
Hi enfys..so that is what they look like with all that hair clipped!!. Charley looks gorgeous and very smart in that fleece! My mare does have a full coat so I think that I'm worrying unnecessarily.

Slinky..she does look gorgeous. I am such a fan of gypsy cobs..I bought one when I retired and we are planning to ride into the sunset together!. I have just moved her from a livery yard and she is relishing the freedom of being out 24/7. (No coat to speak of hence the rug). Perhaps we could start a 'Beware Stroppy Old Women with Gypsy Cobs' clique??
 
I do not rug mine either but because he is fallabella x shettie he does not cope being continously wet so as access to a stable in winter, I did buy him a rug for just incase illness strikes and as used it twice in 6 years.
Agree with slinks that they will get itchy if they over heat if over rugged, mine as cushings so as more of a coat than most and we clip him early spring and mid summer if required.
They are robust little ponies and do not realize they are small and supposed to be cute, my bug is blind in one eye due to neglect as a foal and if we approach him on his blind side we have to let him know so that he knows where we are.
And if my young forrest pony gets too pushy with him he will give him a swift double barrel and then race off around the field as he knows he will lose the fight, he is the most funniest pony and indeed the safest for a toddler to ride.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top