Not rugging - am i mean?

abbijay

abbijay

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I've just had text from the my yard asking if they can rug BP tonight. My immediate thought was "why?" but now I'm questioning myself and I'm hoping some lovely HHO'ers will tell me they're even meaner than me!
To give you some context: BP is a pure bred Clydesdale who hasn't been clipped or rugged at all this winter so you can imagine he has a very dense coat that he's using well. I brush the mud off every couple of days with a plastic or rubber curry comb but otherwise he doesn't get regular deep grooming. He goes out for the morning and is stabled in the corner of an old brick built hay barn - although very well ventilated and open it is not at all draughty. He has ad lib haylage as well so the internal heater will be working. He's a weight I'm happy with too, I can easily feel his ribs but he's not 'hippy' or ribby. He runs hot at the best of times so is usually several rugs down on his counterparts even if fully clipped - he's only in very light rehab work at the moment so there is frankly no need to clip him either.
He is the only horse on the yard that's not rugged but most are clipped and I do slightly wonder if every horse needs 2-3 full neck rugs? I checked him last night at 9pm and he was toasty so although I'm expecting it to drop below freezing tonight I still don't think he'll struggle.
 
I have 4 welsh cobs all living out (access to shelters) one of which is in foal and only the 30 year old is rugged! He has had a mediumweight on up until now and I confess I did up it to a heavyweight last night due to the cold snap but this is mostly to ensure he maintains his weight over winter as he has a hard time eating long stem fibre now.

So, I don't think you're being mean at all. Especially as he is stabled at night and out of the wind and rain/snow/hail! I manage to lightly ride all winter without clipping so I've never bothered rugging.
 
Not mean at all I am of the keep the inside full no need for heavy rugs. Saying that mine wear rain sheets as there are very white coloured's and they look awful without some sort of cover on. People will probably post on here that I am cruel as a rain sheet flattens the coat and they will get cold but like you they are both warm horses and mine are over weight but I hate restricting forage so prefer the do not over rug route.
 
Oh goodness no, if he's not used to being rugged this winter and he has a full coat then he will be fine. Ad lib haylage will keep his central heating working just fine. My horse is chaser clipped and the most he has had on in the day this winter is a 40g turnout and overnight he wears a 100g combo liner or a fleece. Not once has he been cold. I can't stand over rugging if it is not needed. I mostly rug to keep clean and dry.
 
None of ours wear rugs in the stable, they do occasionally in very wet weather wear them in the field. The Draft horse has a very thick coat and is bib-clipped and is more than warm enough without a rug overnight. The Appies have finer coats but they are warm enough, too.
I shuld say "no, than you" to your YO
 
Although I am no expert, my initial feeling is that your horse is just being a normal horse! (That is well looked after, cared for, fed and has good shelter).
 
So he isn't thin, cold, clipped, worked hard and he has a huge dense coat.

Don't clip, don't rug :)

I find that here in the UK we can go craaaaaaaaaaazy with rugging horses! My posh Warmblood was naked until December and living out with no hard feed, she wasn't thin either. She is in 200g now and thats the heaviest she will go this year. She was rugged so much when I bought her, first winter to keep her warm (on ad-lib Hayledge and hard feed) I had her in around 800g of rugs. (to be fair she was fully clipped and it was -25 at night) Its taken me 5 years so slowly rough her off! I suspect if I clipped her though I'd be rugging her up to the eyeballs.
 
He will be absolutely as happy as Larry without a rug! I think we've gone rug crazy here in the UK. He has everything he needs to keep warm so let his body do the job it was designed for and keep him toasty. :) It's very easy to feel guilty somehow when everybody else is rugging but you are absolutely not mean! He will be happy and healthy, free to feel the sun on his back and to have a good scratch whenever he likes!

Our Warmblood x ISH, Appaloosa, old Welsh pony and Shettie all live out and are unrugged.
 
abbijay said:
I've just had text from the my yard asking if they can rug BP tonight. My immediate thought was "why?" but now I'm questioning myself and I'm hoping some lovely HHO'ers will tell me they're even meaner than me!
To give you some context: BP is a pure bred Clydesdale who hasn't been clipped or rugged at all this winter so you can imagine he has a very dense coat that he's using well. I brush the mud off every couple of days with a plastic or rubber curry comb but otherwise he doesn't get regular deep grooming. He goes out for the morning and is stabled in the corner of an old brick built hay barn - although very well ventilated and open it is not at all draughty. He has ad lib haylage as well so the internal heater will be working. He's a weight I'm happy with too, I can easily feel his ribs but he's not 'hippy' or ribby. He runs hot at the best of times so is usually several rugs down on his counterparts even if fully clipped - he's only in very light rehab work at the moment so there is frankly no need to clip him either.
He is the only horse on the yard that's not rugged but most are clipped and I do slightly wonder if every horse needs 2-3 full neck rugs? I checked him last night at 9pm and he was toasty so although I'm expecting it to drop below freezing tonight I still don't think he'll struggle.
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Have the yard actually said why they feel he needs a rug, who told you the yard owner or manager?. This is a very personal subject where so much needs consideration. The breed - age - location - if there is sheltered spots in the field - weight and if he is naturally a warm horse etc.

Mine is rugged and not clipped but that is my choice, but he is yours and you know him better than anyone so I would have words to YO and explain your monitoring is weight and warmth and for the moment he is fine to be kept un-rugged.
 
He will be fine!! he's your horse, do what you want with him. people are too obsessed with over rugging and sticking there nose in to other peoples business.
 
My Clydesdale cross 2 year old is the only horse on our entire yard that doesn't have a rug on (she lives out) and when I watch her she is the happiest of the lot of them. I regularly inspect her and check that she's warm enough and never have a worry. I sometimes feel guilty when the rain is battering down but when I go and properly look at her it's only the outside layer of her lovely thick coat that is wet, the hair next to her skin is bone dry! She's has ad lib hay and round enough without being too big that we'll have problems when the grass comes through in spring.

My thoroughbreds are all rugged accordingly to their needs. One is unclipped and just wears a lightweight when it's vile, another has a medium turnout with an under rug as isn't naturally a very warm horse.

I wish people would listen to their horses, just like you are!
 
No you're right! don't let anyone ever think that you mean!

My horse is clipped, only a large bib, going from the girth line and up his neck! it was done about 7 weeks ago, so does need re-doing! he is currently only in a light weigh rug, I keep checking thinking surely he's going to be cold but he really isnt!! he has quite a thick connie coat and is only really rugged because of the mud!! he's worn a 100g rug about 6 times when the rain has been heavy and the medium 200g rug for 1 day before i bought the 100g rug!
 
TYSSANDI said:
Have the yard actually said why they feel he needs a rug, who told you the yard owner or manager?. This is a very personal subject where so much needs consideration. The breed - age - location - if there is sheltered spots in the field - weight and if he is naturally a warm horse etc.
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The text came from head girl/boy and the explanation was "it's going to be below freezing tonight." They're used to nesh horses and even nesher owners!
 
If hes warm leave him unrugged - if he's cold pop a fleece on. I suspect he will be fine naked though.

People are really in to over rugging imo! We have some on my yard that when I put my hand under rugs are like radiators , they are that hot. Some even sticky as they are too warm :-(

Mine are unclipped but in full neck med turnouts by day and at night when in the stable. I check them when they come in and sometimes I fold the neck back or leave it up if its cold. I like them to feel warmish when I put my hand under the rug but always leave my hand on for about 20 secs and by that time I can feel their actual body temp if you know what I mean!

If one of them felt 'hot' then rug would come off and a light fleece would go on.
 
Leave him be!
I'm very surprised at how well my mare is coping this winter - she is used to being clipped and well rugged, and is generally rather diva like.
Now in foal and I've deliberately had to be mentally tough and rough her off, she is stabled overnight, but still rugless and doing remarkably well.

No shivery diva act like she would be fully clipped!
 
abbijay said:
The text came from head girl/boy and the explanation was "it's going to be below freezing tonight." They're used to nesh horses and even nesher owners!
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I am another one that would say no, he if he needed rugging do to it being dry and below freezing he would have needed it more when it was wet and 2 degrees. My vet always says anyhorse can live in or out in any weather unrugged as long as we supply a constant supply good fuel for them and don't interfere with their natural coat and its oils.
What is 'nesh'
 
No, you're right. Over rugging is more of a welfare issue than under rugging (at least shoirt term). My rug services lady is seeing lots of rugs this year with signs of serious sweating and damage caused by excessive rolling to try and get them off and relieve the uncomfort caused by the sweating.
 
If he isn't cold and doesn't need a rug then No, not mean.

I am the first one to say sling a blanket on if a horse needs one, I have one mare with two blankets on, and another naked, same breed, just different requirements.
If a horse is healthy and is coping with the climate, and you don't need to rug, don't.

Your yard would probably have hysterics at this then ... our daytime temperatures are averaging -8C at the moment.

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Two of mine are in LWs the other out naked through the day and remains so at night when he's in, it's currently hovering around 1 degree C here, you're horse will be fine :)
 
If you're mean then so am I as my two year old warmblood is not rugged either. He has a really thick coat, has ad lib hay, and is not showing any signs of feeling the cold, so that is the way he will stay unless anything changes. Our clipped horses, however, are now in heavyweights.
 
As long as he has enough hay, he will be toasty and warm. I assume he isn't in heavy work or you would have clipped him? Don't clip or rug unless you need to, by the sounds of it you don't need to :)
 
Definitely not mean. I bit the bullet this year and have 2 out unclipped and unrugged. They are in at night just now in an effort to spare the field. Both have magnificent coats and the wb has never looked better. Had a ball rolling in the snow.
 
My hairies are on their third bib clip as they have been overheating just stood in the field - mine are doing well despite the clip and nakedness.
 
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