Ridiculously chilly horse!

[P.forpony]

Ok just checking I'm not completely loosing the plot here.

I'm usually definitely on the less is more side when it comes to rugging, but...
I brought the boys in this evening, one tb, one shetty. Both fully clipped. Shetty is naked and was happy as Larry. Tb was in a 350g with neck and utterly miserable!
I've finally left him in with 2 stable rugs on, adding up to 600g, after lurking for ages, convinced I was about to cook him but after about an hour he had just about relaxed and is still only lukewarmish when you stick a hand in.

Does anyone else have a ridiculously chilly horse?

 

[claret09]

he will be fine. my- boy is well rugged up - clipped out but i am not going to say how many rugs he has on because i don't want to be told by anyone he has too many on. i have had my boy for 17 years and know how to rug him. each horse is individual. if you want to know how he is rugged up please feel free to message me and i will tell you

 

[Squeak]

Have you clipped his legs off too? The one time I had real problems with a horse being cold was when I’d clipped them off. I found the snuggly hoods fleece leg wraps really helpful and then haven’t clipped legs since.

 

[meleeka]

I‘d think twice about a full clip in future if it was mine. I have a native who has always felt the cold. She’s 29 now but has always been this way. She’s rugged far more than she should be, but Im always mindful of being able to add more if the weather is extreme. If yours has already got 600g on now, what will you do if the temperature goes down further? I do find that wrapping the legs is as good as another rug. Mine wears stable chaps when in and turnout boots if it’s particularly cold and windy when out.

 

[TGM]

Ok just checking I'm not completely loosing the plot here.

I'm usually definitely on the less is more side when it comes to rugging, but...
I brought the boys in this evening, one tb, one shetty. Both fully clipped. Shetty is naked and was happy as Larry. Tb was in a 350g with neck and utterly miserable!
I've finally left him in with 2 stable rugs on, adding up to 600g, after lurking for ages, convinced I was about to cook him but after about an hour he had just about relaxed and is still only lukewarmish when you stick a hand in.

Does anyone else have a ridiculously chilly horse?

Is the TB eating lots of hay? The fibre digestion process generates heat that keeps them warm from the inside, so if anything is affecting how much forage he is eating (teeth problems, stress, digestive problems etc.) then that will make him colder than normal.

 

[P.forpony]

Thanks chaps, good thinking on the legs, yes they are clipped too because, mud fever...
I shall order him something nice and cosy today.

I can't get away with clipping any less because it's in full work and a sweaty beast at the best of times. So would just end up staying wetter for longer after every ride.

And yes he has ad lib everything, he even gets a choice of 2 different types of hay

His teeth were done last month as routine and he can be prone to gut issues, but is massively helped by pink mash and all the usual symptoms are non existent right now

 

[Fluffypiglet]

You could also investigate mudrugs which have a belly cover? Mine is a hot horse generally but if clipped out he doesn’t like having any uncovered bits getting chilly! I’ve not bought one myself so no idea if they are any good but something I was think of for mine. (He’s currently stable bound and fluffy so no need for now!)

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I would at least leave his legs on mine are Arab's and get full clips but I leave the legs and they are fine then.

 

[Widgeon]

You could also investigate mudrugs which have a belly cover?

And Snuggy Hoods turnout body suits have a belly.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Dex runs slightly cold, he's unclipped and has a 200g on overnight and some days when it stays chilly. He had ad-lib hay, unclipped and no medical issues. I think some of them just run cold.
However here I would say it's probably because you took his legs off. PE do a good 450g rug, and you can always whack a duvet under it for when it gets colder, but a big difference I think to him would be leg wraps. Well worth looking into. Thermatex do good ones.

 

[I'm Dun]

The amigo vari-layers are brilliant for adding warmth but not too much bulk, and the thing I ound helped the most was the rambo ionic stuff. I dont believe the blurb about magic crystals, but it does definitely keep them warmer than the equivalent

 

[MNMyShiningStars]

We have 2 that are clipped out and living out (legs left on) and they are in heavyweights (450g) overnight, medium 250g daytime, and hoods on if wet (for the mud!). Both happy and warm.

 

[mini-eventer]

I don't think 600gm is extreme for a fine horse that is fully clipped including legs. The temperature was in minus figures last night.

 

[doodle]

I don't think 600grm is extreme either. Mine is currently unclipped on box rest and in 400gr. If he was clipped he would also have a full neck rug on and a 200grm.under. Definitely add leg wraps to your boy.

 

[mini-eventer]

Yes IMO people tend to over rug unclipped, or partially clipped horses because they do not realise how efficient their coat is at keeping them warm.

This means that when they take everything off they are not contemplating how much is needed to add on replace what they have taken away, even before rugging for additional warmth.

Obviously if they have a layer of lard that needs to be taken into consideration

 

[meleeka]

Yes IMO people tend to over rug unclipped, or partially clipped horses because they do not realise how efficient their coat is at keeping them warm.

This means that when they take everything off they are not contemplating how much is needed to add on replace what they have taken away, even before rugging for additional warmth.

Obviously if they have a layer of lard that needs to be taken into consideration

The other thing to remember with unclipped horses is that they don’t feel as warm to the touch, because you are feeling hair, rather than skin. It’s probably obvious to most people, but a friend said her cob was cold the other day as she was feeling under his armpit. When I said to feel between his back legs he was very warm.

 

[Timelyattraction]

Mines got a 400g and 100g on at the moment, shes a lost a little bit of weight so im trying to keep her a bit warmer to try and help x