roughing off

[siennamiller]

Can anyone give me advice on roughing off.
My TB mare has been without a rug for a while and has grown a reasonable coat ( and has an extra layer of mud for insulation-lol)

As it has been so mild and is suddenly going to drop tonight and more so tomorrow night I am not sure she will be warm enough? She is in at night with hay but it is quite windy in her box.
Any advice please

a xx

 

[AmyMay]

I'm sure she'll be fine. As long as she has a reasonable coat like you say. Just make sure she's got plenty of hay.

 

[samp]

She'll be fine, my horse is still unrugged and unclipped and I refuse to put rug on until I clip her out

 

[gailt]

You know your horse better than anyone...if you think she might get chilly try putting a light blanket on just for a layer but that she wont get too hot...It depends on wether she is used to being with rugs too..If they are used to rugging then sometimes coat thickness is stunted and she may never get thick enough to be ruggless totally...

 

[Maesfen]

As Amy says plus don't take any of her mudpack off, that's like armour plating! Also, you could make sure her hay is out of the wind/draught so she has her backside to the wind, that will help too. as they don't mind wind up their backside but usually object to it in their face.

 

[siennamiller]

bless her, I haven't touched her with a brush since she was roughed off so I don't take any valuable grease out of her coat.
I don't want to start rugging her now cos I want her to go without all winter so I will leave her to it (and try not to worry too much!!)
Maesfenhorse it is best if she goes without rugs altogether isn't it?
thankies
xx

 

[Maesfen]

A muddy hippo, just how they should be IMO!!

Providing she's hale and hearty with enough to eat then I prefer not to rug if they can take it. Saying which, if they have been out all day and it's been wet with a bitterly wind so they are shivering like mad when you bring them in, then I'd throw on a Thermatex to the oldies until they are dry then it would be off again, but the younger ones shouldn't need it to my mind as they've come in from the wet, out of the wind and are happily munching away which will get the body warm in no time. Mine usually roll straightaway then as well which warms them up too.
I do try not to mollycoddle as you're making a rod for your own back then and would probably have to keep on rugging but each horse and situation must be taken on its merits, you can't generalise, each horse is different. If one of mine was to come down south it would probably roast if you were to rug it; but if yours was to come up here, then it might need a rug as we are that bit colder and more exposed up here.

Does that help?

 

[siennamiller]

it does help thanks
She has ad lib hay and her coat is pretty good considering how mild its been.
Right am going to be hard. She will be fine !! (gulp)
thanks
a
xx

 

[Maesfen]

Just take the weather as it comes, don't not rug if she needs it!

As an example, it was only last year that I rugged Irish, the elder of the mares although I don't think she appreciated it! Jenny was rugged after January when she came down from the top fields and in at night as it went very wet and cold and it seemed to go right through them last year; far worse than other years when I hadn't rugged anything at all, even the TBs.

Hope for a dry winter,they don't mind that at all!

 

[siennamiller]

trouble is I have only ever roughed off once and that was this ones mum. She looked absolutely fab and grew the most amazing coat for a TB.
She always seems to be warm enough when I think she may be getting cold. I think she is alot tougher than I think ( I am a total wimp-lol)

 

[valentine]

im also having the same problem i have a mare with a 4mth foal at foot so have concerns rugging mum her coat is coming through but normally she would be clipped and rugged up!!!! i have come to the conclusion that natural is best try and stick with it. i think its us that worries more goodluck

 

[siennamiller]

LOL
I think you are right. Good luck to you to