Over rugging horses

A normal, healthy horse should not need a rug at this time of year but there are so many variables. Clipped, unclipped, old, sick etc.
I have three in turnouts at the moment....all have sweet Itch and have been in sweet itch rugs all summer. At this time of year it gets tricky because of the weather and I'd rather they werent stood in a sweet itch rug that is sopping wet and cold so they wear 50 gram turnouts until the midges have properly gone and then they're gloriously naked for the winter
 
Girls are naked still, not clipped yet so they will remain naked until they are clipped. Both under 10, out for about 14 hours and looking very well!

We've had storms here the last 2 days, so I went and put a 100g lightweight on the hooligan as he's just put his weight back on and I don't want him dropping any again before winter. This is the first year he's lived out so it's a bit of a trial wth him. If the cold winds drop again, I will whizz it back off for a few more weeks.
 
I did have a moment with my gelding this morning when I got this 'look' that was familiar to him being grumpy (He rarely does grumpy other than when he is cold) so making a note that it was 7/8 degrees at 0640? If its forecast rain over night then I would go as far as putting a no fill rain sheet on because I know him and he would be 'dying' without something on but it would be wipped off the next morning if dry or latest at lunchtime (joys of being at home)

My mare will have a bib or chase clip this weekend and wont be rugged. It really does depend on the horse but I do think there are some terribly over protective owners out there who are making poor decisions! They grow winter coats for a reason ... at least let them grow them now in Autumn before sticking a rug on 24/7!
 
I do think that a lot of people can't separate the idea that if they are cold their horse must be cold.

Some of my friends seriously feel the cold and rug their horses up as if they are cold too, when they aren't!
 
Maybe this is part of the issue, people that leave their horses for extended periods turned out/whatever?

As we are lucky and 'on site' and when on livery I also ended up living on the yard I have always been free to rug change fairly frequently and rug for the highest temperature point for that period. It isn't unusual for me to have one rug on in they day, one in the evening and a late change at 11pm. There is also certainly no stopping and old native's winter coat! :D
 
fourshiresrambler said:
I do think that a lot of people can't separate the idea that if they are cold their horse must be cold.

Some of my friends seriously feel the cold and rug their horses up as if they are cold too, when they aren't!
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Yes I have seen an heard many say this.


I always check my horses at night and change down or up as appropriate, it is wrong to judge others on what they do as we do not know their horse or how it copes. For example one here came over from Spain and does feel the cold more than others born here.
I really don't know why some feel they are the rug police and see it as their god given right to criticise other on what they do. If their horse is sweating and they say they leave it, then yes that is wrong to leave a horse sweating as is leaving a horse shivering.


Just get on and worry about your own instead having a go or sarky comments to others.
 
I've got three. Two are very hardy - one has lived out all year with no rug and it's good for her as it helps regulate her weight. Newbie is more delicate (was fully clipped when I bought her in April) and whilst she's getting hardier with full t/o I will rug her far more thN the others this winter. This may be overkill at times (I'm back to following a guide with her) but it's a getting to know her process. She's currently naked but with temps colder and wet overnight, she'll get a sheet overnight now. I'm constantly having to think about her rugging and will get it wrong but I'm trying!
 
Teehee, first over rugging thread.

I've actually only met one person in the last 5 or so years (that's about as far as my memory extends for random stuff like that), who habitually over-rugged. Other than that I would consider most people to be within the bounds of reasonable rugging.

I see more horses having to cope with being badly ridden or fat.
 
I hate this time of year!
today its 15 degrees, windy and to me it feels chilly.
it will drop to 10 degrees tonight and I was thinking of putting a LW no fill on my boy about 3pm.
He is starting to get this winter coat so is quiet fluffy and has a bib clip.... WWYD?

although he is a cob he isn't a leave me out to freeze type as she gets super grumpy when its cold and wet
xx
 
My YO printed out copies of a rugging guide that's been doing the rounds on FB and pinned them to the notice board inviting us to take copies if we wanted. It provoked much discussion, obv everyone thinks their approach is the right one. We have horses out in full neck rugs and others out clipped & naked, and everything in between. Ho hum!
 
I heard about a friend this morning who has read the latest advice doing the rounds. She has decided not to clip or rug this year. Which would be great if her horses were fed ad-lib hay and had appropriate shelter, which they don’t have. I don’t think it’s occurred to her that she might have to up the hay ration and may not be able to bomb around the countryside with this new natural life they are going to have.
 
I do also sometimes think that people believe because they're cold, the horse will be cold. Which isn't always true.

Though, like another person said, I can't think of anyone I know that overrugs really. At least not to an extent I would think it would be welfare issue. Some people have full rug w/ neck on their horses at the moment which mine doesn't but their horses don't seem distressed or sweating buckets so I go with the owners know their horses and horses all have different requirements.

J has a big winter coat atm and is only rugged in a no fill if it's going to absolutely bucket it down while he's out. Otherwise he's in nothing. I personally don't think no fills give much warmth, so I wouldn't put him it in if it dropped overnight as it'll do no more for him than his natural fluffy coat. He's only in it for protection from rain and wind.

He has started to sweat lots in work so he'll be getting clipped soon and then he will be rugged. He still probably doesn't get rugged as much as some of the other horses. He's in a M/W most of winter and barely see's his H/W, some people would probably think he's under-rugged sometimes but I know he's a warm boy so I cater for that.
 
FfionWinnie said:
I’m so sick of reading what other people think about rugging horses that are nothing to do with them.
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Hear hear! Every year we get the same old boring threads start.

luckyoldme said:
some people look after their own horses, and other people go round telling anyone who will listen how other people should be looking after theirs.
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Hear hear to this too.

Antw23uk said:
I love the defensive posts on this thread .. I guess we know who the over ruggers are, lol ;)
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I doubt it, it's more obvious who the people without anything else interesting going on in their lives are! I am usually the last to rug at our yard, am well known for it, but who really gives a toss about how other people choose to rug their own horses. If you really care, speak to the person that you believe is over-rugging their horse; don't come on here spouting off about how wonderfully well you [think you] look after your horse and how other people don't.
 
I've been in both camps.

My old TB/ISH had issues which meant that on veterinary advice, he had to be rugged so that he was always warm to touch.

The amount of stick I got for over rugging was a nightmare as when well meaning liveries felt under his neck or his shoulder, he'd feel 'too warm' for most horses.

I now own a native, who is a complete thug when it comes to trashing rugs. Any type of turn out rug - be it a very expensive £250 kind of rug or a cheap and cheerful £40 turn out rug. I've now largely given up and he's currently living out with an Irish clip - he's got shelter and enough grass.

He'll be in at nights from the end of next month & if he's gotten very wet he'll have a cooler on at night. If it gets very cold he'll go up to a Thermatex. Only if it is very cold and very wet - or I need to keep him cleaner - will he be turned out with a turn out rug on (literally a handful of times each winter). If he could treat rugs a bit better, I'd probably rug routinely in winter using a no-fill or 50g turn out rug to keep him cleaner.

Of course, now people often think I'm mean for not rugging enough ...! You can't win with all of the people all of the time. Both of mine did or are thriving though, so that's good enough for me :)
 
I've just been reading this article online, as I have to admit I am very guilty of rugging for my own satisfaction rather than my horses

It keeps him cleaner, it keeps him dry and I don't feel guilty for leaving him out in the cold and rain when he is rugged (in a no fill turnout)

Also, when stabled at night and I could see my breath, it was very cold, he had his stable rug on for one night but then the temperature started to rise again so I haven't put one on since then.

Our horses will be coming in for the winter this weekend, the fields are knackered, the earliest we have come in for 4 or 5 years! we have limited winter turnout, daylight only (rubbish for us who work full time) and only whilst we are physically at the yard so he will be stabled all week and turned out at the weekends. Luckily he is super laid back and doesn't really care where he is. He will just be exercised daily in the sand paddock

Reasons to rug your horse:
While it’s true that horses have evolved for thousands of years to grow thick winter coats to help them survive the coldest seasons, everything about how we keep horses today is unnatural, and in many circumstances it is now necessary to rug a horse, just as it is to clip a horse. Wild horses would have moved about more and been able to find their own shelters and windshields compared to the small fields with sometimes little or no shelter that horses are often kept in today.
Particularly old and underweight horses find it harder to regulate their body temperatures as they move around and forage less, so will benefit from having a rug to keep them warm on the coldest days. In winter, horses burn up to 30% more calories keeping warm, which is why poor-doers need extra protection.
You can clip your horse! If you don't clip your horse then he is likely to get hot and sweaty when you ride or exercise him, meaning that he may catch a chill if he is not dried off properly.
If you want to ride regularly during the winter, a rug can help to keep your horse clean, saving you hours spent grooming before riding, which when time is in short supply can be a huge advantage!
Rugs are now a lot more technical than they ever used to be and the materials they use can help in a variety of ways, with rugs that can help dry a wet horse, or fly rugs that can help prevent sunburn - you name it there is probably a rug for it!
On a cold winter’s morning when there is frost on the ground and an icy chill in the air, putting a rug on your horse before turning him out can give you a real sense of satisfaction, especially if he is going into a field where there is little shelter or forage to keep him warm.

Reasons not to rug your horse:
Horses are much better at conserving body heat in extreme cold than they are at dissipating it in warmer climates. When the coat has been left to grow ahead of winter, it traps a layer of heat close to the body, creating an insulating effect. This is actually a more effective defence than most winter rugs. Therefore if you don't need to clip your horse then he may be fine with no rug at all and just a long coat; even a thoroughbred will grow a long coat if left without a rug.
If you do rug your horse, you need to ensure it is thick enough to compensate for this natural effect, as thin rugs flatten the hair and can make a horse colder than it would be without one.
A well-fed, unclipped horse with shelters available to it can survive in temperatures as low as -40 degrees Celsius, provided there is no wind or rain.
It is not uncommon for rugged horses to encounter problems, especially when a rug is ill-fitting or is too thin/thick for the weather. Pressure sores and rubbing are often seen on the withers, shoulders and hips where a rug doesn't fit properly and slips down, causing a number of other problems as it twists around the horse's legs.
If your horse isn't clipped and you aren't too worried about him growing a long thick coat then it is perfectly fine not to rug your horse. Nowadays many of us choose to rug our horses, which is also perfectly fine, and rug design has come such a long way over the years that you can find a rug to suit every horse and every situation. If you do rug your horse, it is vital that it fits and is a suitable thickness for the time of year.
 
JennBags said:
Hear hear! Every year we get the same old boring threads start.



Hear hear to this too.



I doubt it, it's more obvious who the people without anything else interesting going on in their lives are! I am usually the last to rug at our yard, am well known for it, but who really gives a toss about how other people choose to rug their own horses. If you really care, speak to the person that you believe is over-rugging their horse; don't come on here spouting off about how wonderfully well you [think you] look after your horse and how other people don't.
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i really do agree Jennbags, there are about 15 horses in fields around mine, they all look healthy and all the owners look after them. I would say we all have different views on rugging but i do what i feel is right for mine. Not getting wrapped up in everyone elses horsey goings on is an art..but personally i think its necessary for a bitch free environment to enjoy the horses. Like you im a relatively late in the year rugger compared to others.
 
JennBags said:
I doubt it, it's more obvious who the people without anything else interesting going on in their lives are! I am usually the last to rug at our yard, am well known for it, but who really gives a toss about how other people choose to rug their own horses. If you really care, speak to the person that you believe is over-rugging their horse; don't come on here spouting off about how wonderfully well you [think you] look after your horse and how other people don't.
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Over rugging can be a real welfare issue, hence people's concern and frustration. And if we can't for whatever reason speak to the owner, why not come on here and "spout off", at least it means we are talking about it. There is no excuse whatsoever for fat hairy natives and cobs in heavyweights in September - but we've all seen them. Maybe "spouting" might just get someone to question their own actions...
 
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fourshiresrambler said:
I do think that a lot of people can't separate the idea that if they are cold their horse must be cold.

Some of my friends seriously feel the cold and rug their horses up as if they are cold too, when they aren't!
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I'm always hot, maybe thats why I tend to under rug rather than over rug. I stay out of what other people do unless its a welfare issue. Mines out today in a 100gm rug. Hes a HW cob who while not fat definitely isnt thin. But hes fully clipped, mane, legs the lot and its cold, damp and theres an icy breeze. If it wasnt for the wind he would be in a no fill.
 
on a slightly different note, it has been interesting how much my lad and his fieldmate have developed their fluff over the last couple of weeks, despite the fact that last week was unseasonably warm. Mine is now positively hairy, even though he's still shedding summer coat like there's no tomorrow. I'm now waiting for the annual Daily Express story that says we are entering the next Ice Age ;)
 
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