Rug or not to Rug

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Newforestloverxx

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I have a rising 3 year old NF, he lived out last winter and had a field shelter so wasnt rugged at all. He has only ever worn a fly rug tbh. This winter their is no field shelter but is natural shelter (trees) I will rug when the temperature dips around 5 degrees I think 100%. But regards to this non stop rain forecasted for the next week do people reccomend a lightweight? He is VERY fluffy and has a great natural coat which I dont want to ruin, but my mum is very insistent with I must rug him. Thankyou!
 
No. I have a 17 yr old Welsh who is never rugged - he just grows a thicker coat. I'd only start rugging in your shoes if you were needing to ride and didn't want to deal with a wet, dirty horse. If there is natural shelter I wouldn't rug below 5 degrees either, I suspect you just won't need to. The only rug my Welsh has worn in the last 4 years is a fly rug in the summer.
 
You really shouldn't need to rug a healthy, unridden native that has access to plenty of forage and some natural shelter from trees. Even when the temperature goes below freezing. I've kept a warmblood 3yo out with no rug with no field shelter, so a purebred native should do just fine! Obviously, if you the pony shows very clear signs it is struggling with the wet or cold you should rug, but that is unlikely in the circumstances you describe. The natural coat will normally do a much better job than a rug, especially if the pony is unridden and therefore not having natural oils groomed or bathed out of the coat.
 
It is hard not to give in to the pressure, isn't it? I'm not rugging my new native breed mare this winter, she has natural shelter and came to me with bit too much padding on her already! I've actually given her a belly clip to let the weather do some of the weight loss work for me. But, if you were to listen to the others on the yard, who already have theirs in heavyweight rugs, I'm an animal abuser ?
 
I am have a native and not a rugger and at several yards have had snide comments. I just ignore and say I'd rather my horse live naturally and have the opportunity to regulate itself, rather than be stood sweltering with a heavyweight on. My horse is unclipped and always warm. If chilly or raining she stands under a tree. I got her as a 4 year old and she had always been unrugged with her previous owner, even when 6 foot snowdrift blew in over the pennines. Let yours be a baby and leave it unrugged
 
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