rugging foal

No! I wouldn't rug any foals unless you have to. Especially a hardy gypsy cob type! You will make it soft and ruin it!

As for rugging anything to keep it clean and keep the coat down - firstly its a bit lazy putting a rug on because you can't be bothered brushing it (although lots of people fall into this catagory), and why would you care if a foal got a good coat or not? Its not like its working anyway!

Let him be a horse - he will have years of clipping and rugs later in life. He will be more than fine stabled at night..x
 
Thanks this was my thoughts also didnt want to make him soft and if he gets dirty so what! and i want him to grow a nice winter coat. Just hoped i wasnt being too harsh on him he will be our new babe but am not going to molly coddle him.:)
 
Hi,

I don't think it matters what sort of foal he is, or what anyone else says (including/especially, me) we all have our own opinions.

I would say that what matters most is how the foal himself is coping and take it day by day, if he's cold and miserable then it is negligent not to do something as simple as putting a rug on him if that remedies the situation. Some of mine I rug, some I don't, they all live out, eat the same, have the same shelters etc, just are individuals.

Enjoy your colt.
 
I do agree with you also enfys if i find that he is not happy then of course we will rug. He lived out 24/7 from the day he was born but now has a lovely stable to sleep in at night so we shall see how he gets on.
 
Play it by ear. If hes shivering in the mornings/after rain, rug. But I wouldnt start out the winter with the intention of rugging. And my little one is a gypsy cob!
 
crazykermit said:
I do agree with you also enfys if i find that he is not happy then of course we will rug. He lived out 24/7 from the day he was born but now has a lovely stable to sleep in at night so we shall see how he gets on.
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:) Trouble with foals is that the little blighters grow so fast that rugs for occasional use may hardly be used :( one of mine grew two rug sizes last winter!:mad:

Photos of your boy?
 
I will be rugging my foal over the winter, once we have overcome the "I'm scared of velcro fasteners" issue :rolleyes: :o He's only a tiddler, I got him a 2ft6 rug and it's a bit on the big side :D And he is a later foal, only 8 weeks old now, and I have noticed he does feel the rain/cold. On a nice day he will be off playing with his yearling sister and my 3yo but on a day like today after a short while he just clings to his mum and sulks :( I think foals should be out as much as possible so if he is rugged he will be able to stay out much longer :)
 
I have to admit to buying a £10 2nd hand lightweight for my IDxTBxBelg WBxTrek 4 month old filly foal. She was desperately trying to shelter behind her mum the other day and shivering from head to toe so I took pity. I love Catlips Farm.....

I had a good hard think about it and she is going to a new home in a couple of months but thought it would be better to keep the condition on her than let her "toughen up". However, if she was a native I'd leave her to it.

A lot of people say oh no don't put a rug on but they either have good shelter in the field (I do not) or they bring into a barn/stable at night again, I don't.

Fi
 
petite-girle said:
I rugged my newforest foal throughout last winter and she was stabled aswell. I was advised to by the vet!
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I was talking to an old school vet yesterday (very respected in the Equine world) about rugging up over winter, and he told us not too!!! with a foal unless you really have to for health reasons. He was saying why rug a foal/pony/horse of any bread as the winter coat cannot come though, like the coat should, then laughed and said, now days we have a rug for this day and a rug for that day, we take a nice warm rug off a horse only to pop a cold rug back on... and You no, he's right, we do make more problems for ourselves at times !!!!
 
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