Put my mind at rest (or tell me I'm wrong!)

CarolineJ

CarolineJ

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 April 2011
Messages
350
Location
West of Thurso, east of Tongue
Visit site
As the owner of the only unrugged horse in the village, I'm just after a bit of reassurance that I'm doing the right thing. He's 16, not clipped, and he spent the first 12 years of his life in Hungary, so he's used to horrible winters. He's turned out in 2 acres of good grass with a 3-and-a-half-sided field shelter which has water, a haynet and shavings over rubber matting - though the sheep tend to use it more than he does!

Since deciding to de-rug, his skin, which has historically been prone to dandruffy lumps, has improved 100%. I put a weight tape around him once a fortnight, his weight is stable, and he's always been warm at ears and armpits when I check him morning and evening. Until that changes, he's fine for now isn't he?
 
CarolineJ said:
As the owner of the only unrugged horse in the village, I'm just after a bit of reassurance that I'm doing the right thing. He's 16, not clipped, and he spent the first 12 years of his life in Hungary, so he's used to horrible winters. He's turned out in 2 acres of good grass with a 3-and-a-half-sided field shelter which has water, a haynet and shavings over rubber matting - though the sheep tend to use it more than he does!

Since deciding to de-rug, his skin, which has historically been prone to dandruffy lumps, has improved 100%. I put a weight tape around him once a fortnight, his weight is stable, and he's always been warm at ears and armpits when I check him morning and evening. Until that changes, he's fine for now isn't he?
Click to expand...

Yes, it sounds as though he should be fine. My only concern would be that he has no equine company (if he only has sheep?).
 
If your horse is used to freezing conditions then most likely he will boil in a rug! Not sure what the weather is like where you are now but wouldn't have thought a rug was necessary if your horse is carrying good weight and has a good coat. Don't want to start rugging too much too soon otherwise come winter your horse will be in PJ's and a duvet with a hot water bottle.

As long as you are monitoring him (which it sounds like you are!) then he should be fine.
 
My very fine WB (in siggy pic) was outwintered from last January - rugless. He had been in at night and was rugged 24/7, but rugging became an issue and on my vet's recommendation he was literally chucked out 24/7 in a smallish paddock with a field shelter - 3 fibre feeds a day and adlib hay and we had snow. You can see he had no grass. This winter I shall likely rug him, but he will be out again with a field shelter. This is what he looked like:

IMAG0016.jpg



Let your horse guide you. I am really against overugging horses. If peops are competing then fair enough, clip and rug, but I can honestly say I have never had the need to use anything heavier than a medium weight rug.
 
Thanks everyone :) I shall continue to follow my guts then.

Wagtail said:
Yes, it sounds as though he should be fine. My only concern would be that he has no equine company (if he only has sheep?).
Click to expand...

I know, it's not ideal, but finances won't permit another one at the moment :( He has a few sheep in with him, the neighbours on one side have four horses which are turned out in an adjacent field most days and the field on the other side has two ponies who are out 24/7 same as him. So he's got equine company in touching distance over the fence but I rarely see them interacting. If I'm feeding him in the shelter the ponies will often start bellowing because they can't see him; he looks up, more or less rolls his eyes, stomps out far enough to stick his head around the corner, bellows back and then stomps back to his food with a 'WOMEN!!!' expression on his face!
 
CarolineJ said:
Thanks everyone :) I shall continue to follow my guts then.



I know, it's not ideal, but finances won't permit another one at the moment :( He has a few sheep in with him, the neighbours on one side have four horses which are turned out in an adjacent field most days and the field on the other side has two ponies who are out 24/7 same as him. So he's got equine company in touching distance over the fence but I rarely see them interacting. If I'm feeding him in the shelter the ponies will often start bellowing because they can't see him; he looks up, more or less rolls his eyes, stomps out far enough to stick his head around the corner, bellows back and then stomps back to his food with a 'WOMEN!!!' expression on his face!
Click to expand...

Yes, most horses will settle so long as they have horses in adjacent fields that they can touch occasionally. Sounds like he is well looked after to me.
 
CarolineJ said:
I know, it's not ideal, but finances won't permit another one at the moment :( He has a few sheep in with him, the neighbours on one side have four horses which are turned out in an adjacent field most days and the field on the other side has two ponies who are out 24/7 same as him. So he's got equine company in touching distance over the fence but I rarely see them interacting. If I'm feeding him in the shelter the ponies will often start bellowing because they can't see him; he looks up, more or less rolls his eyes, stomps out far enough to stick his head around the corner, bellows back and then stomps back to his food with a 'WOMEN!!!' expression on his face!
Click to expand...

In that case then I have no concerns whatsoever! He is obviously very content. :)
 
My girl is naked as well...very hairy, and still as fat as a bull so shall remain naked. she gets so grumpy when I rug her when she doesn't need it...she lets me know when she is cold...cant see a rug going on for another month, even then only cos I plan to clip her.
I passed a field full of big hairy draught horses the other day, when it was a bit drizzly, but far from cold, and they all had rugs on....I had to wonder who needed the rug...the horses or the owner.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top