Rug Leg Straps

What do you do with leg straps?

  • Total voters
    0
  • Poll closed .
M

mcnaughty

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 August 2009
Messages
2,296
Visit site
Guys - rugs never come with instructions. Obviously, throw on horse and do up buckles but, what do you do with leg straps? Do you cross them, loop them or leave separate?
 
Loop.

All my horses have a rug with legstraps (even if their normal rug has a fillet string) because I found that the fillet stringed rugs (done up correctly) blew off in high winds! It sometimes gets pretty windy up the top of the hill and that's where they like to go - they appreciate the good view I suppose.
 
I have elasticated leg straps, loop through each other and do up on same side, I'd love to just put a fillet string on, but with high winds and an Arab with a high tail carriage when having a hoon, I would hate to see the wind take the rug over his head, more risky than the leg straps I think .....:confused:

Edit: Straps checked twice daily to check they haven't streched!
 
Another vote for removing them and using one as a fillet string.

I went to get my boy in from the field the other day, and to my horror, he hobbled across the field looking like he had done himself a serious mischief. I took his rug off to see what was going on, only to discover that the person who had turned him out that morning had crossed his leg straps, and done them up to the opposite ring. It was a new rug (hence still having leg straps attached!!) and the leg straps were on their shortest setting - so the poor sod had essentially had his legs tied together all day! Stopped him f*rtar"ing around on his dodgy hind legs though!! I lolled...
 
Always remove them and use a fillet string. If they stay on our bunch on the top of our hill (pennines) then I can't see that they would come off any anywhere!
 
YorksG said:
Always remove them and use a fillet string. If they stay on our bunch on the top of our hill (pennines) then I can't see that they would come off any anywhere!
Click to expand...

I think you glue them on. ;) :p

Seriously though - I watched in horror as a Rhino Wug was lifted by the wind, up over my mare's back. The next gust pulled it forwards over he head and she luckily didn't get tangled up in the surcingles as she sensibly stepped backwards out of it. It has happened with another rug too, so in high winds, they wear the rugs with leg straps.

I often wonder if the weird cases of rugs found off horses with all the straps done up, were pulled off by the wind.
 
Faracat said:
I think you glue them on. ;) :p

Seriously though - I watched in horror as a Rhino Wug was lifted by the wind, up over my mare's back. The next gust pulled it forwards over he head and she luckily didn't get tangled up in the surcingles as she sensibly stepped backwards out of it. It has happened with another rug too, so in high winds, they wear the rugs with leg straps.

I often wonder if the weird cases of rugs found off horses with all the straps done up, were pulled off by the wind.
Click to expand...

That happened to my friends oldie last year, i went to bring her in, found her in field all muddy with no rug on, called friend to ask whether she was supposed to have rug on, got told yes, so went on a rug hunt around the field, found the rug nicely displayed on top of 6ft hedge with all straps still done up (it had a fillet string), i found it really strange as horse is 32 so not bendy enough to wiggle out of it without undoing any straps, so we think it was wind :)
 
PingPongPony said:
That happened to my friends oldie last year, i went to bring her in, found her in field all muddy with no rug on, called friend to ask whether she was supposed to have rug on, got told yes, so went on a rug hunt around the field, found the rug nicely displayed on top of 6ft hedge with all straps still done up (it had a fillet string), i found it really strange as horse is 32 so not bendy enough to wiggle out of it without undoing any straps, so we think it was wind :)
Click to expand...

Happened to one of mine. Rug found all straps still done up, fillet string style, no rips or damage but the rug was on the grass, not on the horse.
 
Interestingly both the Old Appy and the Current Appy have both had rugs off with no unfastening, but knowing them I am convinced that they took their own off! They were/are both with others, who have never had a rug come off in the same way, and they were all in the same weather conditions, with none with leg straps :)
 
We received a distressed telephone call about 5.00 this evening from a good friend and neighbour. She had gone out to bring the horses in and found her gorgeous 3yr old seemingly stuck in a ditch. Needless to say we went straight down.
To cut a long story short, after hours of trying with the help of the fire service and vet the horse was pulled from the ditch. It turns out that his leg strap had become entangled on the fence, he must have slipped trying to free himself, the ditch was of his own making in his frantic attempts to get up. Unfortunately, the horse was put to sleep due to the severity of his injuries.

A promising young horse has lost it's life and my friend is devastated all because of a stupid bloody strap. PLease people cut the damn things off !

Please excuse spelling and grammar, it has been a difficult night.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top