Rain and SI rugs.

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FairyLights

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my horses wear Rambo SI hoodies and fly masks. if it rains i bring them in and unrug them. is it ok to leave them out if it rains all day and leave the rugs on them? what do you do?
 
I have the rambo rug for one of mine who has very severe sweet itch, he lives out 24/7 we do have shelter but ive never seen him in there or under trees (exept to rub on!) so he gets wet if im not around to put a rain sheet on. Weather is so up and down you jst cant predict from one min to the next what its going to do so i wont risk leaving a rain sheet on incase it goes scorching hot while im stuck in work. So far it hasnt killed him getting wet with his fly rug on! i hang it up to dry/air out as much as poss, it dosnt half stink! Lol
 
I put a rain sheet on over the fly sheet. Mine are out at night when it'll not be so hot, and if they are out in wet flysheets they will get chilled.
 
Mine has always worn a SI rug 24/7 from March to October. She's out 24/7 and only has natural shelter - she's fine in all weathers with the rug on. It just dries with her.
 
If it's light rain I leave the sweet itch hoody on, if heavy rain I leave on and swop for a fresh one in the evening. I sometimes put a lightweight turnout on top if really heavy rain. I have found from sad experience that if you leave then un rugged, the rain only has to stop for a bit and the midges get them, resulting in bleeding tails etc. it's really worth having two rugs with a horse that really has sweet itch, even if it's an old second hand one. One can be drying while the other is on...
 
My pony wears his virtually non stop, if heavy rain is forecast I put him in is lightest most 'meshy' SI rug so it dries quicker but beyond that I don't worry, he has little shelter. the only time I would amend the routine would be if it was very cold and windy as well as wet. The pony is a poor do-er and loses weight at the drop of a hat so I am happy that he isn't suffering from being in a wet rug
 
Mine wears a boett and I just leave it on her even when it's raining. If it's really cold, I will put a rug over the top but it has to be very cold to do that as obviously there is then two layers.
 
I do what WelshD does. Put her in the lightest fly rug and neem oil the bits showing. I have left her in the SI rugs though, when raining and she's been fine.
 
Boett and Rambo type rugs have never been a problem in the rain, just leave them on. When I had a Snuggy Hoods one it was a pain because it soaked up the water and got very heavy and then stretched and rubbed. I don't use it any more but my friend uses Snuggy hoods and puts a rain sheet over it iin bad weather. I'd never take a rug off because it was raining. At the end of autumn I change the rug for a full neck turnout rug, which covers most of the pony to stop bites.
 
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