Not rugging - am i mean?

My retired mare hasn't had a rug on for three years! She is now out 24/7 and perfectly fine! I would be mean if I put a rug on her and she was too warm! I rug our ridden pony as she has a hunter clip otherwise she would be rugless too! I don't get rugging a horse which isn't clipped unless they have a very fine coat or are a poor doer!
 
Regandal said:
My vet told me that the base of the ears is not a reliable indicator of core temp. The horse's body can pull the blood away from the peripheries, including the skin. The armpit is good, I hold my hand in for a good 20 - 30 seconds. Great handwarmer.
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I've always use the armpit to check temperature; it's good to know it's right thing to do.
 
NO not mean ^ ^

Temperatures here so far this week have been between -12C to -20C and my native is unrugged with a trace clip. She feels great and is as warm as toaster and maintaining her weight. If they have enough forage and adequate shelter and have been allowed to grow in their winter coats, they can withstand almost anything.
 
Two highlands and a dartmoor the old girl is 20 her daughter 7 the dartmoor pony is dangerous so is here to stay. Has been here all his life since he was 4 months old so has had a wonderful life he is just temperamentally unsound and lethal if you dont know him so he will stay here til one of us gives up this mortal coil
 
I have a sec d who is always without a rug overnight in his stable. And in the field I only lightweight rug him if it's going to rain. Drives me mad when someone else has turned him out for me and they have 'lent' him one of their thick winter rugs as they think he will get cold! I try and explain that if they do this a) my head will explode b) he will feel the cold more at nigh t when he is naked and c) he will be in trouble come the summer as he needs to lose some weight over winter.
 
My French Trotter and IDXTB both have good shelters. FT is rugged in a highneck thing as she looses weigh quick, the IDX is unrugged and both have pretty much adlib haylage. The ID does not need haylage but my FT has it so to save it going off i feed them both the haylage. I counteract the excess calories by not rugging the ID. Our yard gets all horses weighed on a weighbridge going in and out of winter. Its -2 in mild old NORFOLK and to be honest, the only times ive noticed the ID a bit colder and hungrier is when its wet and windy. When its frosty and icy but dry shes warm as anything. I very much believe in leaving them as natural as possible. There is recent research highlighting a positive effect on the horses body RE laminitis and not rugging therefore im all for it if its possible!

Its how nature intended and if your Clyde comes out of winter a bit underweight then winter has done its job, following this, sprng and summer will do their jobs and put the weight back on :) Its the natural seasonal circle.
 
I have a Shetland and a Falabella fully clipped who are living out rugl less. I'm waiting for people around my yard to tell me I'm cruel for this.

They've both been rugged with lightweights, the Falabella was getting hot and rubbing himself along fences and trashing his rugs and the Shetland was getting hot so I've turned them out naked for past few weeks and they've been fine. They have a field shelter when straw and hay in and are fine.

So your most certainly not cruel not wanting a rug on yours.
 
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