Please help...my first horse through first winter...when & what to rug?!

[HappyNeds]

I've spent so much time on this forum reading all the great advice, I'm hoping someone will give me the benefit of their experience for my specific situation.

After 30 years of dreaming I've finally got my first horse, a beautiful black 15hh Welsh D gelding.

My wonderful boy is 5 years old, he's not clipped at all as he's not being ridden over the winter. I would say he’s a ‘medium-weight’ horse, he’s not chunky or fine. He is still eating lots of grass (as he’s been moved to a new field about a month ago that hadn’t had animals on it this year and so still loads of grass) and we’ve also been giving him as much hay as he wants, which he does pick over and eat what he wants, he also has some apples and carrots each day.

He has no rugs on at all as someone told me not to rug him yet so as to let his winter coat grow. I’ve read that putting rugs on too early can make him colder if it squashes the hairs that trap the warmth. He’s been warm every day so far this winter, I put my hand on him and within a second I can feel he’s warm.

BUT…the big question is WHEN do I start to rug him? I’m worried about the rainy windy days when he’s wet. And I’ve been reading about rain-scold and worrying about that too! What type of rug do I need for him? I have no stable at the moment, although he has a bit of natural shelter he’s out 24/7.

Please give me some advice…I can’t stop worrying about him, and want to do the right thing!!!
Thank you

 

[davisn]

Mazz, firstly - stop worrying.

There will be more knowledgeable people on here who will answer your question better than me, but here is my view.

He has shelter & access to plenty of fibre (grass & hay), so he's not going to die even if he is a little chilly. While he is living out without rugs try not to over groom him, he needs his oils to keep him waterproof.

Check he isn't cold by feeling the base of his ears, if he is warm here he is warm enough. If he starts feeling cold at the base of his ears, dropping too much weight or looks miserable he may need a rug. I would suggest a medium weight turnout.

Horses are very good at dealing with the cold, it's the wet & wind they struggle with. Just keep an eye on him, but my guess he will let you know if he needs some help.

 

[Emily91]

Hi
I think as he is a welshie he will be pretty tough! And sounds like you have been leaving him to rough off which will keep him warmer.

If you want to keep the wet and rain off him maybe just get him a summer sheet? with no filling. this will stop his back getting wet and keep any wind off him but is less likely to make him sweat.

I would maybe save it till the hard frosts and snow comes. (although some of it is due this week!!! eeek!!! )


hope that helps. And hope yo have lots of fun with your new horsey!!

 

[9tails]

For an unclipped furball, a rainsheet should be fine for the worst weather. Beware of the summer sheets though, as they are sometimes not fully waterproof. Weatherbeeta rugs are good and sturdy, all of mine are weatherbeetas and are on their 6th year.

 

[Supertrooper]

Firstly huge congratulations on getting your boy

I totally agree with davisn's reply, it sounds like you are doing all the right things for him and he is coping well. On those wet and windy days you could pop a light or medium weight rug (i'd prob only go up to 100-170g) on him as in my experience it's this weather that they struggle most with.

Our shirexcob is not clipped, he has a lovely thick coat and isn't rugged when out unless it's pouring and/or windy otherwise he's naked xx

 

[Supertrooper]

And even then it's only a rain sheet as I think he'll just be too hot and itchy xx

 

[posie_honey]

tbh a healthy section D who's living with ad lib hay and not clipped/being ridden.... i'd not bother rugging at all = he's designed for this weather

i'd only rug if he looks like he's loosing some weight (get a weight tape - check weight regularily - they are not accurate to exact kgs but will give you a good idea of if he's gaining or loosing )

oh - and its natural for them to loose some over winter so don't panic too much

*says me with horse rugged to eyesballs but mine lives out 24/7 365 fully clipped if she was roughed off over winter i'd not rug unless i had to*

 

[Sanolly]

My little Welsh C was roughed off the winter before last and wasn't rugged at all - she came out of it fat! I would think that as long as there is natural/man made shelter in the field your Welsh will be fine!

 

[Kat]

He's an unclipped welsh cob so he should be fine all year round without a rug as he will grow a lovely thick coat. He has plenty of food to eat which will help him generate enough heat to keep warm. He also has some shelter.

You shouldn't need to rug him at all unless you find he is loosing weight. Even then he would probably be ok with a rainsheet (not a summersheet as these aren't normally waterproof and will therefore be as much use as a chocolate teapot!).

Horses find it easier to keep themselves warm in the cold than to cool down if they are too hot, so don't be tempted to put warm rugs he doesn't need on him. Only rug him if he feels cold and/or he looses weight. He will keep nice and warm with lots of hay and grass.

 

[HappyNeds]

Thank you everyone so much!! I can feel myself breathing a sigh of relief already that I'm on the right track with my boy. So from your comments I will play it by ear in that when we get into worse winter and I know it's going to be very wet I could put a rain-sheet on him.

Please can I ask, if one day in the morning he is already wet from the rain, but it's going to be a wet/windy day, is it still ok to put a rain-sheet on him then? Or does he need to be dry before I put it on?

I've had him since May and still haven't stopped smiling - there's something about just chillin' out with him in the field that's good for me!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Congratulations on your horse, he sounds lovely!
TBH I would let the horse tell you if he needs a rug. Horses like yours are bred to live out, with minimal shelter - you don't get many trees on Welsh mountains and moors.
I would be really wary of putting a thin rug on, as these can make matters worse rather than better, as they flatten the hair and stop it behaving naturally (standing up) to keep the horse warm.
To feel if the horse is warm enough, the best place to feel is inside the elbow, where the horse is most likely to be dry, ears can be deceiving.
We have a 28 yr old native who copes better with the wet weather than the younger finer bred horses as she has such a thick coat. Remember that a native coat might stay wet on top for hours while the horse is dry and warm enough underneath, it's just that the heat isn't getting through the insulation to dry the topcoat.

 

[Supertrooper]

I know what you mean, I love spending time with our two just doing all the stable chores. They make me laugh every day, like you after years and years of dreaming I got my first horse and I appreciate it every single day.

Best not to put a rug on if already wet I'm afraid although in the past I have put a fleece rug under a lightweight to dry them off, not the done thing but mine survived!! Xx

 

[HappyNeds]

Thanks for all the great advice, feeling much happier. So basically, what you are telling me is - he'll be fine!!
I think I will buy a light-weight waterproof turnout rug now so I've got it ready just in case it's terrible rain. So far (& I know it's not hard winter yet) he's always seemed very happy.
Thanks again everyone, I'm really touched you've all taken the time to help. And appologies in advance, but I'm sure I'll have many more questions over the coming months...!

 

[Taffyhorse]

Ditto Pearlsasinger.

He will tell you if he's cold and I prefer sticking my hand in his 'armpit' as it were to check if he's warm or not.

I also have a 15hh Sec D and I find Mark Todd rugs fit him really well. Ditto the rainsheet too - so if you are going to get a rug, I would go for something with a bit of fill - maybe 150g-200g or something. MT's are breathable too so he shouldn't get hot.

For what its worth, my Sec D is a total princess and can be very 'precious' - I'm sure he would winter out quite happily but the mere suggestion would probably induce minor hysteria - he likes his creature comforts

If this helps as a guage in any way, currently mine is blanket clipped and in at night. He wears a 250g stable rug and currently feels 'lukewarm' under it which is what I like. Daytime I have just switched him to his Mark Todd H/W with combo neck which is 350g as he was starting to feel chilly in his M/W - again he feels lukewarm under this and the advantage of it being breathable is that it seems to regulate to the temperature and he's never felt too hot or too cold. He won't get anything heavier than this unless he feels really cold and then he *may* have a cooler underneath. Our yard is a bit exposed in winter hence upping his rug - if we were more sheltered he would still be in his MW T/O.

Good luck

 

[Nat_in_Kent]

yes agree with the Rainsheet advice.

If hes having adlib hay, then that will keep him warm!

But a light rainsheet will keep him dry without added heat, and dont worry he'll be fine and dont panic when the frost sets in etc and be tempted to rug him up to the eyeballs! he sounds like hes made of sturdy stuff

 

[Fellewell]

Horses shouldn't need rugging unless they're elderly or clipped. You can put a dry rug on a wet horse but you shouldn't put a wet rug on a horse. You mentioned rainscald and I'm sure you're aware of mud fever but it's worth getting clued up as it can be missed on the feathered types and if he stands in boggy areas thrush can also be a problem if he's out 24/7. It's all part of the fun that is bonding with your horse

 

[pottamus]

My Welsh D...who is a bit of a wimp has grown a long coat this winter and I have hardened myself up to leaving him un-rugged to keep his weight stable. I tend to put a no fill rain sheet on him if it is due to rain as he gets very grumpy and un-happy if wet and cool. But he will be rugless all winter on dry days in and out. It was minus 3 this morning and he was warm enough in his stable before I let him out. They are all different and you know your horse, just see how they fair and make adjustments as and when needed.
Bare in mind we all make mistakes with the weather...but they live through it to see another day and dont tend to melt! It is us owners that fret!

 

[Groom42]

I had a welshie as a child. The only rug he had was the one he grew, or the one he rolled in! My father took away my body brush as his winter coat started to come through, and I was only allowed to use a dandy brush to get the mud off the bits where the leather went! Dad told me he needed the oils in his coat to keep warm, and it would be cruel to groom him! The pony would back up to the hedge, and he got a few sandwiches of hay, and a small feed of pony nuts, bran (!), carrots and molasses when it was really cold. Any work he did was from the field, and he went back into the field to re-roll afterwards, and put his muddy rug back on!
Have lots of fun with your boy, he will be fine!