Putting away a wet horse?

[DonskiWA]

This has never been an issue for me as I lived in a hot part of Australia. A horse got hosed off after work and turned out. But I’ve moved to a cold area and winter is approaching. One horse has an Irish clip and one horse isn’t clipped. Both turned out and rugged. So after a workout, when it’s late arvo, how do you best deal with this, so they are most comfortable overnight? Who better to ask than you Brits I figure!

 

[milliepops]

Modern rugs are pretty breathable, i just chuck a decent rug on and leave them to it. If the unclipped one gets particularly hairy i would reconsider whether a clip might be more appropriate.

 

[Sossigpoker]

My horse got rainscald after I sponged his back and put a turnout rug on. That's the perfect breeding ground for fungus and bacteria. So I would only turn a wet horse out if it was warm enough for them to be naked or in a fly sheet , never in a turnout rug.

 

[paddy555]

Rambo outdoor rug and either turn out or leave in. They dry under the rug and are warm.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

A solarium helps ?

If I don't use the solarium, then I just toss the wool cooler on (with attached neck) and by the time I'm done faffing about (putting my gear away, wiping down bridle, making sure feed is sorted, etc.) my horse is not quite so wet, and it's reasonable enough to toss a rug on him and send him on his way. He is clipped, but not a full clip (hair under saddle and over back left), and I've never had an issue.

ETA: all my turnouts are Rambos.

 

[milliepops]

Rambo outdoor rug and either turn out or leave in. They dry under the rug and are warm.

yup all my turnouts are Rambos.

 

[ycbm]

My horse got rainscald after I sponged his back and put a turnout rug on. That's the perfect breeding ground for fungus and bacteria. So I would only turn a wet horse out if it was warm enough for them to be naked or in a fly sheet , never in a turnout rug.

Mild hibiscrub or dilute Dettol in the water solves that one. I had a horse who I had to do that with every time, rug or not.
.

 

[Tiddlypom]

The Rambo airmax liner is brilliant to put on a wet horse under your choice of Rambo turnout from 0g filling upwards .

 

[Sossigpoker]

Mild hibiscrub or dilute Dettol in the water solves that one. I had a horse who I had to do that with every time, rug or not.
.

I just won't put a wet horse out unless warm enough to go in a fly sheet

 

[Sir barnaby]

I use one of those old fashion holey sweat rug under a light rug then change after couple hours or so I do the same after he’s been bathed as he always finds a dirty patch to roll in if he’s not got a rug on at this time of year. As soon as he’s dry and temperature reasonably warm I take everything off. I do this in winter too as he’s not clipped and gets a little sweaty when ridden.

 

[irishdraft]

I always get horse dry before turning out x

 

[SBJT]

I would dry too. If you have the means and can get them comfortable (which is possible we do this all the time), then get a dog hairdryer and use that to help dry sweat or water.

 

[ponynutz]

Probably best to dry especially in winter if they're wearing a rug overnight. But summer you can get away with it a bit more. That being said if you wanted to you could just dry off with a towel and then put a breathable wicking/cooler rug on overnight.

 

[maya2008]

With appropriate clipping I have rarely had a horse very sweaty in the winter. A little bit is fine to just chuck a decent make of rug on top.

 

[paddy555]

can I ask the people who dry their horses off why? My horse is partially clipped in winter. The rest is hairy and he comes back from riding at about 10,30am sweating and despite an exercise sheet, wet from the rain in parts.

If I put a sweat rug on and keep him in until he is dry it will be around 4pm and he would be standing in the stable and miss most of his time out.

If I put a turnout rambo on him he comes in at just after 4 dry underneath it. I don't understand the point of keeping him in until he is dry

 

[GinaGeo]

I fully clip in winter so they’re never really wet.

But I would towel off as much as possible. And then whack a Rambo Turnout on and chuck out. The good quality modern Rugs are very breathable. They dry just as well with them on and the rugs don’t hold the moisture. Better than using a fleece imo. Which just holds the damp onto them.

If I had time I would stand under the lights and get fully dry. But not always practical.

 

[poiuytrewq]

The Rambo airmax liner is brilliant to put on a wet horse under your choice of Rambo turnout from 0g filling upwards .

This was going to be my reply. Brilliant little rug

 

[milliepops]

can I ask the people who dry their horses off why? My horse is partially clipped in winter. The rest is hairy and he comes back from riding at about 10,30am sweating and despite an exercise sheet, wet from the rain in parts.

If I put a sweat rug on and keep him in until he is dry it will be around 4pm and he would be standing in the stable and miss most of his time out.

If I put a turnout rambo on him he comes in at just after 4 dry underneath it. I don't understand the point of keeping him in until he is dry

agreed. if my field potatoes get wet and cold (not often as they all grow mega coats, but does happen occasionally) i have no stables to bring them in to dry, so they get a rug lobbed on and they are soon comfortable. when rugs were heavy horrible things i can understand the concern but a good modern turnout is a great bit of tech!

 

[Horseysheepy]

I've definitely put a turnout on a wet horse if Ive really had too. As long as the rug is not soaked through itself, then it will absorb and evaporate the wet, and the horse will be happy, dry and warm fairly quickly.
A sodden wet rug on a sodden wet horse is a very miserable affair and again that is when I'd happily whack a replacement dry turnout on a wet horse.

I have, in the past put a simple waffle rug under a turnout on a wet horse, but then I'm not convinced that the horse is very comfortable with that arrangement as waffles and coolers have a habit of slipping back and digging into the withers.

 

[spotty_pony]

If it’s too cold to wash and he’s sweaty, I rug up and turnout and then brush them off the next day. I’ve even done this after hunting when he was living out at night - would be unfair to turn him out wet, and he hates being washed with a passion anyway! I sometimes leave his fleece rug under his turnout too if he is still drying off.

 

[Lois Lame]

I've never had one of these modern rugs that apparently breath and let a wet horse dry from underneath one. I find it hard to imagine.

If you want to put a rug on a wet horse and the rug will not allow the wettness to escape, laying some wheat straw between the horse and the rug will allow the moisture to evaporate. The straw will fall out as the horse moves around.

 

[ycbm]

I've never had one of these modern rugs that apparently breath and let a wet horse dry from underneath one. I find it hard to imagine.

Don't you buy breathable coats for yourself?
.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

This has never been an issue for me as I lived in a hot part of Australia. A horse got hosed off after work and turned out. But I’ve moved to a cold area and winter is approaching. One horse has an Irish clip and one horse isn’t clipped. Both turned out and rugged. So after a workout, when it’s late arvo, how do you best deal with this, so they are most comfortable overnight? Who better to ask than you Brits I figure!

I use a Thermalux rug then come out later and change once the horse dries

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I've never had one of these modern rugs that apparently breath and let a wet horse dry from underneath one. I find it hard to imagine.

If you want to put a rug on a wet horse and the rug will not allow the wettness to escape, laying some wheat straw between the horse and the rug will allow the moisture to evaporate. The straw will fall out as the horse moves around.

Really?? theses have been around for years and you come out and the water is on the outside of the rug and the horse is dry. .Here you go >https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/294940376444?hash=item44abd0fd7c:g:BkEAAOSw4QliYcuG



2* NO the straw stays on. I should no this is what we did through the 80's and 90's it is a good way to thatch a horse dry.

 

[Kaylum]

Full clip if the horse is getting sweaty. Walk off to cool off at the end of a ride.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I would just clip I hate having to worry about hairy wet horses it can't be very comfortable for them either.

 

[scruffyponies]

Ideally I don't rug, so they can go out as sweaty or wet as they please. They simply roll in the muddiest place they can find and get on with life.

If I have a rugged pony I will try to hang around long enough to get it dry. If really pushed, and I simply must rug a wet horse I 'thatch' his back with wads of straw before turning him out. The straw will fall out, of course, but hopefully not right away, giving him chance to dry off a bit.

 

[Annagain]

I don't wash off as such, I hot cloth so they don't get too wet. I also avoid working them too hard in autumn before I clip. But I just chuck a decent turnout on them while they're still damp and put them out. Unless there's a really strong, cold wind, I always think they're better off moving about to get warm an dry rather than standing still in a stable.

 

[Lois Lame]

Don't you buy breathable coats for yourself?
.

Good question! I didn't know they existed. I do have a lovely* blue coat that my partner made me buy for a hiking expedition in the Blue Mountains some years ago, which was meant to be showerproof and breathable but wasn't. Shopping for clothing is not something I enjoy unfortunately.

* colourwise

 

[BeansNsausages]

There's wet and then there's wet.

A horse who is a bit damp on the neck and chest I wouldn't think twice about just dumping any old rug on.

If horse is wet, wet, then IMO unless you have a good hour to let them stand in under a sweat rug before putting their turn out on, then you should be clipping accordingly.