Overkill?? Rugging?

Queenbee

Queenbee

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Hello all *waves*

Please tell me yay or nay on this as I just can't decide for myself at the moment.

Ben is clipped fully, stabled at night and everyday this winter since his clip he has worn a Mark Todd medium weight apart from the very first few days after his clip when he had a thin fleece underneath the rug as well.

I live in cornwall and it has got noticably colder, we are by the looks of it the only part of the UK that wont get snow on friday, but that does not mean it isn't getting really chillsome! So, Im considering putting on a LW Weatherbeeta stable rug the jasper lite style under the MT

Now is this OVERKILL? (his earses are cold:o):p
 
I would, if he's chilly!
Mine is unclipped and wearing a heavyweight stable rug. I don't care if its seen as overkill. He's warm enough, without being too hot in that, and he's not warm enough with anything lighter. I rug according to the horse. If it gets much colder, I'll put another rug underneath!!
 
Can you check on him at an ungodly hour (or realistic hour of chilliness) whether in just MW (to ensure warm enough) or with LW (to ensure not too warm)?

When the horses were cold last year several had cool ears but sweating under rugs where owners had over rugged.
 
Is he cold? If so then yes put another rug on or a thicker/heavier weight rug on. If he isn't cold then no, don't do bother.

What suits one won't suit another. My older horse who has gone off to retire was in a 70g in September with a 100g underneath it by October (unclipped), yet the Connie x is blanket clipped and still only in a 75g with full neck. In at night, out during the day. Two days ago I did put a LW full neck over the top and he was much warmer than I expected underneath it. So depends on the horse. There are horses at our yard in v little and horses with loads of rugs on.
 
OK then, its decided 2nd rug underneath, thanks guys :D I can't check him late at night, as unless its an emergency I dont think its fair trapsing around the yard which backs onto YO's house, but YO does a late night check so will ask her to have a feel for me tonight and go from there :D
 
If you slide your hand under his medium weight in the morning, does he feel warm to the touch, lukewarm or cool ?
Warm would be too much, lukewarm is fine and cool is probably not enough as a rough guide.

However, in addition, is he a good doer, or a hard keeper and does his hay last all through the night ? Does he have rubber matting with a good depth of bed ?
Visually, does he look tucked up and cold ?

If you could award plus or minus points for each factor, you'd probably get a fair idea without checking him at 3am. Which as another poster pointed out, is an option.:D

Oh, forgot to say, slap the lightweight on, it won't kill him and then see how he feels.
 
My TB mare is unclipped and in a HW stable rug. She is in now with access to the school for a few hours a day and lunging/ ridden schooling in the evening but whilst turned out in the school she has been in a MW full neck.

I had assumed, wrongly, that YO was just chucking a lightweight T/O over her stable rug to keep it clean whilst she is out but now i know thats not the case so i will dig her Mark Todd HW full neck turnout rug out so she can have that on instead.

It's my first time in a very long time with a horse for winter so its trying to judge when and what to put on them and being at work all day and only seeing them in the dark apart from the weekend is so frustrating right now! :mad:
 
My unclipped tb was put to bed in 2 heavy weight rugs by YO.. Now that's over kill!! He was soaked with sweat :(
I'd add the rug if I were you, as the temperature has dropped quite a lot.
 
I'd check him first thing in the morning to see how cold he is.

With my mare, she is fully clipped apart from half a head & legs and she's still I'm a medium weight with neck. It's -5 where we are and she is toasty warm on a morning.
 
My unclipped native is in 710g of rug weight as he feels the cold and he is only just warm in that!
Do what is right for your pony/horse x
 
went to visit my horse at dinner time,its -4 here, he is fully clipped in 200g turnout with no neck, with a 100g underrug, and he is pretty warm to touch under rug in field, maybe a little too warm, only clipped him a couple of weeks ago, so he is pretty bald!!
 
As others - How does he feel under his rugs??

My boy had his first full clip this year and he is in a Rhino plus - mediumweight which is 200g and then at the moment has the jasper lite stable rug underneath which is 110g so a total of 310g and is quite warm (he needs to be as he has shivers and gets sore if cold).

I notice the MT mediumweight is slightly heavier at 220g so essentially he would be gaining half again if you put the Jasper lite underneath... does he have a neck cover? Could you put a fleece underneath? might be all he needs?
 
Well my clipped thx is now wearing 570g! And she's perfect. My barely clipped but rather fine coated wb is in 360g (or possibly 400g as can't remember what weight that rug was!) so no wouldn't say over lol. But then all horses are different just like us!
 
blimey competition diva, my horse would be having a meltdown in 550g, he hates being too warm and gets in a right tiz, yes they are all different.
 
Our 29yo TB has a full coat and is turned out in a HW wug atm. I try not to worry too much about them overnight or if its horrid, I think sometimes you will get it wrong, but only by a couple of degrees, and I always say its not like he's going to die if he's a little bit too warm or too cold, although he might be grumpy! One night to trial won't do anyone any harm, and you will feel better for it. My sisters hates being too warm, although mine isn't bothered :)
 
I have a clipped TB and he wears a weatherbeeta Taka heavyweight with a jasper lightweight rug underneath and he remains toasty through the -5 we are experiencing in the Midlands :D
 
I would say put the lightweight on tonight and check tomorrow ( might be too late now as you may have already done for the night). My cobx has had for the last week his 200g under rug on under his 100g stable rug. I put my hand under this morning and it was very cosy (he wasn't overly warm though just right). Tonight I put his 200g stable rug on over the underrug as it's meant to get down to -9 here!! He is trace clipped. A couple of weeks ago I moved him back from his m/w stable to his light weight as the temps shot up and I think one night he even had just his fleece on one night its amazing how quick temps change these days!
 
I would check him in the morning, all horses are different my arab is fully clipped except legs he is in a 350g half neck stable rug at night and is toasty in the morning so I have not put anything extra on, I was watching someone the other day put 3 stable rugs on this poor horse it must not be able to move and pointless, I think why not buy one thick one and just put a fleece underneath its more than enough I think.
 
My cob is fully clipped..... It is growing back but nonetheless. She is wearing a jasper light with an amigo heavyweight and a fleece on top (method in my madness, the fleece is too big so slips back if I put it under so it goes on as a little top layer). It is -3 in her stable already tonight, last night it dropped to -5. Having felt her just now she is warm.... ISH. Certainly not 'toasty' but then I don't like 'toasty'.
 
Another small but significant point. People who put lots of rugs on need to remember how heavy they are!!! That's a lot of weight for a horse to lug about.
 
Its all down to invidvdual horses, my fully clipped NF has a medium weight standard neck stable rug, a heavyweight combo and a medium weight combo on tonight and is just about warm to the touch, he's a very cold horse though :p
 
I swapped my lad from one 300g combo to another 300g combo - the second one is a heavier fabric, is a better fit round his rear end and has a more generous tail flap which seems to keep him warmer
 
The best way to find out if a horse is warm enough, is to put your hand behind its elbow and feel the SKIN, ears are likely to feel cold to the touch. When you know just how warm or cold the horse really is, then you can make a decision about its rugs. I'd rather put one heavyweight rug on than 2 lighter ones.
 
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Always tricky depends on the horse

My TB unclipped stabled in a barn is in a HW, a medium weight and a premtex cooler rug. She's snug as a bug lol

Both rugs are necked only one up and a hood on at night

Although hot under saddler she's not in her box
 
guido16 said:
Another small but significant point. People who put lots of rugs on need to remember how heavy they are!!! That's a lot of weight for a horse to lug about.
Click to expand...

This^^

And remember they are animals and not people so generally they don't have to be too wrapped up like us to keep warm, especially if they are not clipped.
 
My unclipped tb who usually doesn't wear more than her l/w stable rug but last night she was wearing fleece combo l/w stable on top of that then her h/w combo stable rug and she was fine no sweat neck pulled down during day or top rug off during day at present whilst its so chilly
 
My 21 year old TB mare who has a high trace clip at the moment is wearing

- 300g turnout rug during the day with a fleece when it's below 3'
- 220g turnout rug when it's over 3'
- 100 - 200g when it's over 6'
- 0g from 9-12'
- anything over 12' she doesn't wear a rug as I don't think it is necessary as they do have fur!

Today it was 0 here and she was a bit chilly so I put her light weight mark todd under neath and she was warm.

tonight i've put her mark todd light weight which is 100g, her 150g light/med and 200g stable rug on and she is nice and warm but it is dropping to -8 here so she needs the layers.
 
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My fully clipped TBx is wearing a 200g half neck stable rug and she is nice and warm under it. She is a very hot horse though, and rarely wears more than this unless she is out at night and its throwing it down and freezing. My sisters ID is wearing about 400g of rugs to keep warm and she is only trace clipped, definitely agree that every horse is different - don't like them toasty warm though, think that's too hot.
 
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