Reassurance please - out naked

BlueSkye

Active Member
Joined
8 November 2015
Messages
35
Visit site
Hi everyone, I am a long time lurker on this forum but could now do with some reassurance or advice.

My horse is a slightly overweight hairy cob who lives out in a field with a shelter. Horse gets exercised very little due to certain health issues (horse not me). I have a fantastic sharer for my other horse and she does whatever she likes with 'her' horse. The problem is that she keeps rugging the hairy one, and doesn't agree that some horses can live out naked in the winter.

Don't want to get rid of sharer who is amazing and helps out so much but I do feel like I keep getting told off for keeping 'my' horse how I want to.

Hot buttered crumpets with strawberry jam for any reassurance, or indeed for any thoughts at all.
 

Kezzabell2

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 April 2014
Messages
2,975
Location
Basingstoke
Visit site
Leave the poor thing naked! if he is hairy and has shelter there is no need to rug him!! in fact it's mean to rug him if he doesn't need it!

Baring in mind its 16 degrees were I am today, far too hot for a rug!

mine are rugged, because one is clipped, he only has a light weight on and the other is 30 and gets cold if its rains! but this is the first year I've had to worry about her getting cold, bless her!

my friends 19yr old new forest is out naked, my mini shetland, whos 14 is out naked they all share the shetler! the once frosty day we had, I felt under their coats and they were totally warm!

they don't need rugs
 

_GG_

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 August 2012
Messages
9,037
Location
Gloucester
Visit site
Okay, best course of action as the horse is actually yours, is to set ground rules, one being NO RUGS.

There are many reasons behind naked being best for a horse that is healthy and unclipped, regardless of breed....this article will explain it far better than I can. I have 15 horses on the farm here, the only one rugged is rugged because he is fully clipped as he's in work, the others range from warmbloods, to cobs, to thoroughbreds and all are naked and still gaining weight off the grass...all have beautiful shiny, gleaming coats and healthy skin under the mud. All are perfectly happy and can regulate their temperatures to cope.

http://thesoulofahorse.com/blog/no-more-blankets-an-amazing-article/
 

milliepops

Wears headscarf aggressively
Joined
26 July 2008
Messages
27,538
Visit site
He's fine without a rug. Do you think she's rugging him so he doesn't get dirty?? Just a thought, I know there are some people like that.

Unseasonably warm here too. My clipped-out horses are out in rainsheets. In December. Not so long ago they were up to their knees in snow this time of year, and wearing layers of rugs!

I have a thermometer on my stable wall so I can tell what rug if any is honestly needed - sometimes my internal thermometer goes haywire esp if I've been working, so it's really handy to have something objective ;)
 

Pinkvboots

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 August 2010
Messages
21,358
Location
Hertfordshire
Visit site
I would take all his rugs home so there is no temptation for the sharer to put them on, but at the end of the day it's your horse so your rules so I would have a chat and make it clear you want them left off, my mare lived out all last winter without a rug and was fine she too was overweight and she grew a lovely thick coat and was never cold and she did drop some weight before the summer.
 

ester

Not slacking multitasking
Joined
31 December 2008
Messages
60,197
Location
Cambridge
Visit site
It's not even cold at the moment, tell she is great but not to rug unless you have specifically asked/take his rugs home ;).
 

HorseMad91

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 June 2015
Messages
277
Visit site
If you don't want him rugged explain to her that she is doing a brilliant job but you prefer him unrugged. My three horses have lived out for the last 2 years completely naked and thoroughly enjoyed being covered in mud, this year I'm at a livery yard so their in at night and out during the day and their still naked and getting quite warm in their stables at night.
 

littletrotter

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 October 2015
Messages
73
Visit site
I would take all his rugs home so there is no temptation for the sharer to put them on, but at the end of the day it's your horse so your rules so I would have a chat and make it clear you want them left off, my mare lived out all last winter without a rug and was fine she too was overweight and she grew a lovely thick coat and was never cold and she did drop some weight before the summer.

Yes, this. Just remove all the rugs that fit him "for cleaning" and don't bring them back. If she comments just tell her, "Well he's out of work and getting fat so he isn't to be rugged just now." If it drops to -10C or something you can always bring his rug back for a few weeks.
 

picolenicole

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 July 2009
Messages
1,106
Location
Wadshelf, Chesterfield
Visit site
I would talk to her, and remove the rugs from the yard. Mine is out nude and he is a 10 year old cob unclipped and he much prefers to be nude :) The other is a 22 year old and he has a rain sheet on, only when it's none stop rain. He's a loan pony and his owner came yesterday to see him and couldn't believe how think his coat was and how good he looks :) he's also unclipped.
 

Orca

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 November 2015
Messages
994
Visit site
My hairy cob is so warm that she occasionally sweats, unrugged, while standing still! I'm not sure she even knows what a rug is. I'm considering giving her some kind of bib clip to keep her comfortable.

Remind your sharer that causing a horse to overheat has potentially serious health implications. Unnecessary sweating causes the unnecessary loss of valuable minerals and can lead to dehydration, dehydration can lead to colic, etc.

It's your horse - no-one should be allowed to adjust his care without your permission. How have things got to the stage where your sharer thinks it's ok to tell you off?! It sounds like you really are going to have to put your foot down.
 

stencilface

High upon a hillside
Joined
28 February 2008
Messages
21,079
Location
Leeds
Visit site
He's fine without a rug. Do you think she's rugging him so he doesn't get dirty?? Just a thought, I know there are some people like that.

Yep, meee!!! If you had my field and my grey horse you'd understand - its only a sheet atm to keep the worse off, but he's a hippo and I refuse to let him go out unrugged until spring - unless its snowy or completely frosty. He's not fat but he could live without the rug, its me that can't :p
 

epeters91

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 May 2015
Messages
450
Location
North Wales
Visit site
I feel for you I have someone helping bringing in my mare Monday-Friday while I'm in work so she's not left out alone, they've started bringing her in on the weekends too which is annoying because I don't want her in so early and I want to bring her in myself when I can... its hard to tell someone who is helping you when they're going too far but you need to do it for the sake of your pony. It dosn't need to be said nastily just say you appreciate all that she does for you but she has to appreciate he is your horse and not her responsibility. If you have decided he's not to be rugged then she has to accept that. Make sure you tell her if she can't accept that then you will have to consider looking for a new sharer.

Good luck and hugs!
 

milliepops

Wears headscarf aggressively
Joined
26 July 2008
Messages
27,538
Visit site
Yep, meee!!! If you had my field and my grey horse you'd understand - its only a sheet atm to keep the worse off, but he's a hippo and I refuse to let him go out unrugged until spring - unless its snowy or completely frosty. He's not fat but he could live without the rug, its me that can't :p

but it's your horse so it's your call.... ;)

I have a hippo living in a clay bog patch but I've clipped her ;) less hair = colder horse = wears a rug = less dirt going all over me when I groom her!
 

stencilface

High upon a hillside
Joined
28 February 2008
Messages
21,079
Location
Leeds
Visit site
but it's your horse so it's your call.... ;)

I have a hippo living in a clay bog patch but I've clipped her ;) less hair = colder horse = wears a rug = less dirt going all over me when I groom her!

He would be clipped, but as we're on box/restricted rest for yet another injury I'm not clipping this year.
 

milliepops

Wears headscarf aggressively
Joined
26 July 2008
Messages
27,538
Visit site
Bum :( how frustrating. I'm hoping I get more than 5 months before going back on the sick list this time - thought it's not Millie in the clay bog, perhaps it should be :lol:
 

Annagain

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 December 2008
Messages
15,506
Visit site
We have 3 naked ones at our yard. All in their early 20s, retired, unclipped, filthy, very happy and a bit too fat! My two are clipped out fully and only wearing 100g rugs and the littlun is in a lightweight with a trace. Of the others at the yard, two aren't clipped and are wearing lightweights for cleanliness purposes and the other two are clipped and rugged to varying degrees.
 

ThePiebaldMoomin

Active Member
Joined
27 August 2015
Messages
35
Visit site
My Mare is naked at the moment because she has shredded 1 rug in 2 weeks and ripped off her rain sheet in 2 days it has been pissing it down but isn't very cold so think she has been too hot and trying to get them off but I have a feeling she got stuck and only way out was to rip the rain sheet. I fee bad her being naked in the rain but she seems very happy with herself haha
 

TGM

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 April 2003
Messages
16,465
Location
South East
Visit site
I've got a warmblood youngster out unrugged, although if the weather is really foul he has the odd night in the stable, so a healthy, hairy cob with a field shelter should be fine. In fact he might be more uncomfortable if he is rugged and gets sweaty. I'd definitely make it very clear your cob is not to be rugged, and if you don't want to take his rugs home then perhaps have a locked chest at the yard with them in (and only you have access to the key).

Your OP says she is sharing your OTHER horse, so there is no need for her to rug your cob even if it is to keep him clean, as she is not riding him!
 

Tiarella

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 October 2007
Messages
9,415
Location
warwickshire
www.myspace.com
Is she the only one to ride the horse? So she is the only one that has to groom all the mud/wet off first before she rides? She is probably rugging to keep him cleaner so she doesn't have to spend an hour brushing him before she rides. As being as you like the sharer and she looks after your horse well instead of the 'MY HORSE, MY RULES' commences maybe find out if she is using a rug to keep him clean or try and understand from her perspective. As far as I see it the horse isn't being ill treated or put in danger so a nice calm approach would be much better.
 

TGM

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 April 2003
Messages
16,465
Location
South East
Visit site
Is she the only one to ride the horse? So she is the only one that has to groom all the mud/wet off first before she rides? She is probably rugging to keep him cleaner so she doesn't have to spend an hour brushing him before she rides. As being as you like the sharer and she looks after your horse well instead of the 'MY HORSE, MY RULES' commences maybe find out if she is using a rug to keep him clean or try and understand from her perspective. As far as I see it the horse isn't being ill treated or put in danger so a nice calm approach would be much better.

The OP says the sharer is sharing (and presumably riding) her OTHER HORSE not the hairy cob! So she is rugging a horse she is not actually sharing or riding, hence the OP understandably being a little disgruntled!
 

Count Oggy

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 November 2011
Messages
308
Location
South East Ireland
Visit site
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/rise-in-equine-obesity-518388

Interesting article in H&H recently, maybe shoehorn this into a conversation. Particularly the paragraph discussing how peer pressure makes it hard for owners to leave their horses unrugged even when that's best for their health, copied below.

“If all horses on a yard are grazing on a lush field of grass, in thick rugs — it makes it very difficult for one owner to strip graze their horse or leave it unrugged.”

Good luck. It's difficult when people mean well but do the wrong thing.
 

Woolly Hat n Wellies

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 April 2014
Messages
482
Visit site
My hairy native mare and her even hairier, even cobbier 8 month old colt are out naked 24/7 and toasty warm. Graham the colt is still sweating. He sweated to the point that I was seriously considering trying to clip a stripe off the underside of his neck just to cool him off a bit! Thankfully it's come a bit colder now and I haven't had to resort to drastic haircuts but I can only imagine the state of him if I attempted to rug him.
 

BlueSkye

Active Member
Joined
8 November 2015
Messages
35
Visit site
Wow thanks so much for the replies, I feel so much better.

And yes, to clarify, sharer shares other horse, not Fat Hairy Cob.

She has agreed on four occasions now not to rug FHC, but every time finds a new reason. Will be having a chat - using info from the articles posted here (thanks) - and taking rugs home.

Responses very much appreciated!
 

Pedantic

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 November 2007
Messages
7,545
Location
Derbyshire
Visit site
Poor thing must be roasting FFS in this temperature, bordering on neglect and cruelty over rugging, we have in modern Britain today what they call a "weather forecast", I check it at least twice a day to know what do for our boys.
 
Top