Putting rug on in field

[Irishcobs]

How many of you can put a rug on your horse in a field?
I do it to mine all the time, no headcoller or anything they are used to it.
But I had to rug one up at work today in the field. Put his food down and he wouldn't come near me and this 'horse eating monster'. Put rug down and caught him, spent a couple of minutes getting horse near 'horse eating monster' on the floor, he gave it a sniff, I put it on and spent another few minutes spinning in circles trying to do the leg straps. In the stable he is as good as gold to rug up, obviously he has never been rugged up in the field.

 

[xapplex]

Yes i sometimes put their rugs on in the feild if im in a rush, dont need food though they just stand still

 

[Blizzard]

I can do it but choose not to do it often, same with removing them, because Ive seen what can happen when horses spook while wearing a half done up rug.

I always put a headcollar on though because if the horse did spook, espec if its not mine, I dont want someones rugs getting trashed!

 

[Tia]

Yes all of mine are used to me putting on and taking off rugs in the field. I know you are not supposed to do this without putting a headcollar on, but because I have so many horses, I simply don't have the time to catch them all up just to put rugs on.

 

[sleepingdragon10]

I can with Luke, but not Jelly oddly enough. So long as he's occupied, (ie eating!) he'll stand perfectly still while I do it. It's not somehting I do all the time, but I can if needs be.

 

[Sprout]

Yes, do it with all of mine, and never had a problem.

 

[Annie&Amy]

I can with my mare + my friends but i trust them. The only thing i do is if it's a windy day or they're being spooky i tie them up just to be on the safe side xx

 

[the watcher]

[ QUOTE ]
Yes, do it with all of mine, and never had a problem.

[/ QUOTE ]
Likewise, but always do them up in an order that would cause least problem if they did spook

 

[Jellicle]

Tried this with a friend's horse this week and he ran off with the rug half done up. I won't do that again - thankfully he stepped straight out of the leg straps. He had a headcollar on and lead rope, which I was holding, but he will barge off when in the mood!

 

[Chex]

I do it everyday, don't bother with a headcollar. I do put a headcollar on other peoples horses though, one in particular runs off as soon as you get the surcingles undone everytime.

 

[kerilli]

i do it all the time. only occasionally had one run off with rug half on... great fun.

 

[snurse]

I do it a lot with no problems except for one horse, whose rug (being taken off) got caught in his tail. He went off like a lunatic until he went head over heels over a gate and landed in the road upside down. Very cut about but OK. Not keen on rugs now, though I can, with great care, rug him in the field. (He's not mine BTW and neither was the accident.)

 

[RachelB]

I have done it with mine and with my YO's while they were out 24/7 while she was on holiday. Never had a problem, mostly they wander off with the rug half done up and I just toddle off after them! I always do the belly straps up first though just in case they hoon off, so they can step out of the rug, and then the front straps. Even most of them at work will stand to let me do up an un-done strap. Actually when we take them off the horse walker and chuck them straight out, I stand the horse in the middle of the yard and chuck the lead rope over the neck, then put the rug on. Only one I wouldn't trust like that is the stallion

but then he'll happily stand and let me put his rug on in the middle of the yard while I'm still holding the rope.

 

[sallyellis]

I can do it with my TB and my childrens pony but my mare has to be tied up as she had an incident with a rug, where she tried to dump in overnight and it got caught between her hoof and shoe so every time she moved it "chased" her she ended up galloping round the field and it was hitting her on the bum so now she is petrified of rugs when they are off of her but ok when she is tied up she just stands there and lets you put them on......!

 

[_Libby_]

yip i usually put rugs on and take off in the field, usually put a rope round her neck but she would stand still anyway

 

[Christmas_Kate]

yes, with ease.

I'd consider it basic manners for a horse to stand still in the field whilst their rug was changed or adjusted.

 

[checkmate1]

Yep I take on and off rugs whilst in the field without food/headcollar. If i'm doing someone elses horse on the yard I might use headcollar as dont want to end up getting kicked or horse running off!

 

[rema]

Yes to both of mine.No headcollar,But i do make sure breast straps then legs straps are done in that order.

When me and my hubby first got together i took him up to meet my Flint,hubby had never met a horse before,I said to him "i just need to throw a rug on Flint",He pipes up "oh i will do it",So he picks up Flints rug and stands back and literally throws it at FlintOf Course by the time the rug hit the floor Flint was down the other side of the field snorting.It took a while to stop laughing and for Flint to go near my hubby again.

 

[__Annie__]

Yes, she's used to it so hopefully ! not a problem

 

[dwi]

yes I can do when I have to but its not something I would choose to do. Even the most well mannered horse can be caught by surprise if a freak gust of wind blows the rug round their ears. I don't like the idea of how easily she could hurt herself if she was running around the field with the rug over her head or caught in some way

 

[Halfpass]

I can do it with all of mine but NEVER do. Did it all the time with my old horse including the day before I sold him. Had the rug done up at the front but nowhere else and horse spooked. He ended up galloping across the field and went head over heals 2 or 3 times. Lots of cuts and bruises and luckily nothing more. Would never do it again now.

 

[GinaGem]

Yep do it all the time with ours. xxx

 

[TGM]

All mine would be happy to let me put rugs on in the field, but I choose not to having heard of the many accidents that have happened in this way.

 

[muddy_grey]

I look after my friends very old pony sometimes (37 years old) and he will stand lke an angel while I rug him, but I can't get anywhere near hime to catch him.

 

[Shilasdair]

Yes, I rug and unrug, (including putting vests over heads) my 2yo, 3yo and 18yo, in all weathers - wind, snow, thunder...
I don't put headcollars on them, and they've never been stupid enough to run away half rugged. I also groom them, pick out feet etc whilst they are loose in the field.
Basic manners.
S

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

yep no probs, my girl will just stand still for hours, bless her cottons, she is generally so chilled out, i change rugs, pick feet and all sorts without a headcollar

 

[MagicMelon]

Yeah, I do it all the time. Although with one of them I tend to close him off into the yard while he's eating his supper so he doesn't have too far to go in case he got spooked. Otherwise, I generally always change rugs etc. whilst they're eating feeds as they dont move! (although wouldnt with a kicker!).

 

[lilpinkso]

yes, if it's more convenient.
if it was a new horse i would have a headcollar and leadrope on it though!

during round pen training i get horses accustomed to things falling off them / being attached to them / round their legs etc, it prevents panick situations later and generally makes a horse braver in all respects... the horses i work with become donkeys i'm afraid