More clip or less rugs ??

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Polos Mum

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Big horse is crossed with a polar bear - he has a chaser/irish clip even though he's only in light work and in 'show' condition on no hard feed.

Last night was cold - mild frost and down to 4 degrees + wind + rain so I put him in a medium weight no neck rug. This morning it had only got up to 7/8 degrees but he was really sweaty when I swapped his rug over.

Do I man up and stop worrying about clipped horse being out in light weight rug or clip him more so he can cope with medium weight rug? Having written that the answer is obvious but welcome your views
 
Less rug

my mare is a fluff ball too! she's 28, was re clipped last week, blanket clip, has a small feed with supplements and only has a light weight on!

unless you find him sweaty when you ride, then do more clip! but if he's hot now you don't want him to get used to a warm rug when now, he wont feel the benefit when it gets colder!
 
Less rug.

FLF is a warm wooly mammoth & altho has a chaser clip (outgrowing as was done nearly 4 weeks ago).
Last night she was in a 40g PE rug & same tonight,

She is sweating buckets when being ridden over the past 2 weeks, so is having a blanket clip (or poss a hunter clip) this fri.
She might then poss go into a 100g rug...........or might not, depending on weather temps :)
 
Sounds like he's being mollycoddled!! Considering he's got some weight on him I would agree with cutting down to the light weight rug. Horses are not supposed to be rugged up and warm 24/7, they have to use some energy to keep warm, and that will get his weight down too.
 
My ISH is fully clipped and still only in a 100g TO and living out 24/7 so I would say man up!

ETA - I don't agree that clipping = rugs providing adequate shelter is available. I know of a pony that had a trace clip and lived out on a very bleak hillside with no rug all winter. She came out of winter looking a damn sight better then she did going into it! If they're carrying access weight and only have a small clip then I really don't think they need rugging, and if they do it should only be minimal at this time of year *prepares to be shot down in flames*
 
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My cob is also cross polar bear, and is chaser clipped.

He's still out naked and quite happy, he's plenty warm enough. He'll be upped to 100g when the weather really turns.
 
For the sake of an easier spring ;) I would do a full clip, possibly decrease the rugging, too, but it would depend on how he was when fully clipped. And all you need to keep him clean is wipe him with a duster cloth then :D
 
My 16.3 ISH used to be fully clipped and in a lw most of the winter, he went into a mw when it was really cold. I lost him last winter. I have recently sold the heavy weights I had for him for 6 years, one had been worn once and one still had the labels on ! He never worse more than one mw stable rug and spent most of the winter in at night in a thermatex. Have just repeated my mistake with my pony as bought 2x 200g mw and now think he will not need them as has turned into a fur ball and isn't clipped !
 
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