Numpty question of the day..

[emfen1305]

How do you check if your horse is warm enough?

I clipped my cob with covercote blades about 2 weeks ago as he was getting itchy in his winter woolies but prefers to prefer being unrugged! He is out in the day and in at night and I like him to have his rug off for a couple of hours before changing so he can have a good itch and get some air! I have been leaving him naked if it's closer to 10 but it was around -2 when I went to the yard last night to put a rug on him but he was happy enough naked and eating his hay. I felt under his armpits and he felt warm so I left him. He was still fine this morning but popped a no fill on as it forecasted rain. So now I don't know whether to just leave him naked at night and rug during the day if we are due rain. I don't want him to shiver weight off by any means but he could do with not putting any more on and seems happier without a rug but feels wrong leaving him unrugged in the minuses with basically a summer coat.

What's the best way to check he is warm? Is it still armpits and base of the ears or is this a myth?

 

[Annagain]

Armpits and ears and inside of back legs are good if unrugged. If they're rugged I just stick my arm under their rug and have a good feel around the shoulder and back. If it's warm under the rug, you can pretty sure the horse is warm enough. I used to think it would always feel fairly warm under a rug so it was pointless putting an arm in - until one day when it didn't. Upped the weigh of the rug and within an hour he was warm again.

 

[hopscotch bandit]

If the horse feels cool to the touch the rug isn't warm enough.

Any rug with a neck will keep them warmer particuarly if they are roaming around in a field.

General rule of thumb - mines a fine coated elderly horse and is turned out in the day in a 200g rug when its around 2-5C and if its above 6 she's turned out in a 100g rug again with a neck. No shelter in the field, quite open.

At night whilst stabled if it's minus 1 or 2c she has a medium weight neck less rug over and lightweight with a neck.

Whilst IMHO there is nothing worse than seeing an over rugged horse I'd rather she was slightly warm than too cold.

 

[milliepops]

I think as he's got some coat and is stabled, I would go by the horse in front of you and not overthink it.
Has he got enough hay to last him all or most of the night? if so, he will have his central heating running full time
If he feels warm, he is warm, regardless of whether the others have rugs on etc.
I think adding a rainsheet on wet days is fair since you've taken some of his natural protection away and I'd do the same. But I wouldn't be putting a stable rug on until such time that you find he is actually not warm enough. One of mine is a very warm person and if I over rug her she gets itchy, uncomfortable and pretty cross, she's better kept on the cool side with enough to eat.

 

[emfen1305]

Fab - he's definitely warm in his armpits and between his back legs which is what made me leave him. I put him in a 100g the other night when it first hit the minuses and he was very warm in the morning and was desperate to scratch and he rolled 3 times in the field which made me think he was too warm - the alternative is a no fill but can't imagine that offers him much more in the stable than being naked! Just baffles me that he can be clipped and warm whilst naked in -2 when everything is frozen but then again I was mucking out in a tshirt this morning!

He has ad lib hay and there's plenty left in the morning as we have just moved to the winter fields and there is quite a good covering of grass so he's filling up in the day! Just wanted to make sure I wasn't totally off by my armpit and leg checking!

 

[SEL]

Armpits. You need to get under the hair because they should feel cool on the outside of their coats - it's insulation working

 

[ester]

Ditto what SEL says, I expect the outside of my horse to be cool where his coat is unless it's faulty so aim for bits with less hair!

 

[emfen1305]

Ah even better as he was cool (not cold) to touch across his neck and face but warm right in his armpits and up the top near his man hood!