Rugging in summer

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... inspired by another post... am I the only one who feels in the minority for not having a rug on my horse at the moment?

I live in the south east and until monday have barely had a drop of rain since february... night time temperatures have been a little chilly on the odd night but litterally just that... my horse has been rugless since... erm... can't remember but March at the absolute latest, yet his 6 fieldmates (most of whom are young and relatively fit - and have ample fat deposits! lol) are still rugged - certainly most nights, if not during the day too! Even when temperatures are in the teens!! seems mad to me but am I the only one?
 
My boy is unrugged and has been for at least two months. Admittedly he wasn't clipped over winter but he has been losing his coat for ages. I don't see a need to rug him as he is one that does too well considering he's a WB and has too much weight on him still so out he goes with the hope of a nice coat and weight loss.....excluding the grass belly!
 
My two aren't rugged and are always toasty even in the early morning no sticky up hairs on the back think they would both pass out if i put rugs on them ones a little cobby the others a sports and both live out and are fine! :) Even after the rain when i check them they are both snoozing and warm !
 
No you're not the only one. Of the 30ish horses on my livery yard all of about 4 have rugs on! Now I do admit that half of these rugged horses belong to me *whistles*. They have no fills if it rains because I don't want to have to bring them in to dry them in order to ride and fly rugs the rest of the time. Just personal preference really :)
 
I haven't put a rug on mine for 2 years and they've managed just fine. I've often driven past my horse which is out on loan and whilst he has no rug on (on a sunny still day) most of his field mates are rugged up- some even with neck covers. I'm probably not the right person to comment because neither of mine are rugged unless absolutely necessary but I'm with you on summer rugging- I don't get it either.
 
my lad is living out now and after the warm weather we had a few months ago i had started leaving his rug off - however he actually caught a chill and has been unwell for the last week, so he has his lightweight rug back in and i feel awful for leaving it off him.
 
I have to admit, if I have a working/competing horse then I tend to rug the majority of the year, even if very lightly. I really do believe it helps to keep the coat really good and does stop their muscles stiffening after work.

My horse is stabled unrugged during the day but gets turned out rugged overnight religiously. I have a really good rainsheet (Bucus sunshower) or if high teens + he gets a cotton sheet. Part of it is vanity though, he is black and I don't want his coat bleaching!
 
I have a retired TB, who is the ultimate wuss. He's living out now during the summer, but I pop up to his field at 9pm to put a rug on him overnight, and I think he apreciates it :D He also wears his rain sheet on wet days.

My kwpn is also now living out, but I'm competing him regularly. He's fit and in quite a lot work. Although he's much hardier than my TB, I'm also putting a sheet on him when it rains, and again rugging at night time for same reasons as ihatework does.
 
It is still very cold here. Rugs went back on 2 weeks ago as they were shivering in the fields; hopefully the temperature swing this week will be an end to them.
 
I dont understand rugging in summer if it is dry and sunny. However up here it has up until today been raining very heavy storms everyday for a few weeks. so my oldie has been in a no fill rain sheet thats breathable, if it goes nice YO takes off for few hours but its been quite cold in all honesty iv even been wearing a coat!! He has had a LW (100g) on a few nights when its been cold,,wet,windy as he is a wimp and was found shivering! My TB ex racer is in one fo those waterproof top fly rugs so i can ride even if he has been out in the rain. When the lovely sunshine returns oldie will be naked again, TB will go into normal flyrug.
 
I am most definitely NOT an over-rugger, but mine have had LWs on overnight over the past few nights - one morning it was 4deg when I got to the yard - I think that's too cold to go unrugged, especially for my 28yo.

I take each night at it comes - if the forecast says it's going to be lower than 10deg I tend to rug, if higher I tend not to.

I don't rug just because it's raining either - I'm sure my boys would rather be cool & damp than hot & dry.
 
I tend to rely on the weather forecasts and if it's going to be cold and wet, then they wear a thin sheet with no fill as they shiver if left wet and cold. Otherwise they come in for a rest if it's sunny and warm to get out of the heat and go out overnight naked!

I do hate seeing horses rugged in very warm weather, just to keep them clean etc, horses really cant cope with being too hot!
 
My boys are naked and they both relish a darn good muddy roll when it rains. More hassle for me to get all that mud off but their happy. Both are slightly podgy, despite dreadful grass growth and hate being over hot.

One is a 30yr old Welsh C and the other is a 13 yr old ISH. Bit of rain and windy won't kill them and they have plenty of shelter around the field. I also leave their stables pinned open so they will stand in there together if it's either too hot or too cold/wet.

They are both happier when left out naked to "man up" a bit :)
 
No I'm not rugging either can't be bothered with watching the weather and panicking if a cloud appears in the sky! My pony is fatter than I would like so the odd cold night won't hurt her. Some are still rugged at my yard too!
 
Mine wear snuggy bodies with sheath/udder covers - they get mild SI and react badly to flies and are so much happier with them on - no kicking and stamping all the time.

I did put a no fill t/o on Friday night - our field has little shelter and it was finally raining and windy and rather nippy.

They are now back to just the bodies and unless it go very wet and windy/cold again, nothing else will be worn unless night before a show when the no fill goes on to keep them clean. I won't be using any filled rugs until October/November as a rule.
 
Chance is unrugged in the day as long as its warm/dry etc, he has a summer turnout sheet on if its not so nice. Our fields are completely open with no protection/cover. He is currently coming in at nite and has a thin stabe sheet on but when the warm nites come along he'l be naked ;)
 
My TB is rugged as she is not used to 24 hour turnout and we are at the top of a windy valley even in summer. Also I am trying to get her to put weight on so want her as warm as poss. I think I will rug her well this year then start weaning her off them next year. My cob is naked and happy although he is part heavy so always warm.
 
Fly rug with a waterproof liner if heavy rain expected. If it's hot the liner comes out. It's been changable here but we are expecting it to warm up so the liner will come off tonight or tomorrow. Mare is 4 so heats herself well. Her lightweight NZ came off in March because she was hot. Daytime only at first though.

Had an older horse who started to feel the cold more as he got older....he would have a lightweight NZ on in this weather if he were still here. Flyrug when hot.
 
Those who suffer from sweet-itch or just get badly bitten need fly rugs on in the summer. Oldies and rescues also need rugging more too. I think it depends hugely on the horse, just as with humans. Anyone who works in an office will tell you how much discussion goes on over the temperature in winter/ the air conditioning setting in the summer!
 
Our 30 yr old is out 24/7 without a rug and has been since the end of March, as has the clipped out mare we bought at the end of Jan. We did bring them all back in for a couple of nights when it was exceptionally windy and cold and the extra forage was blowing away. We live in the Pennines on a very exposed hill (above the tree line) and they DO NOT need rugs. The three we bought most recently brought extensive wardrobes with them but only wear them in the very worst weather. It is just a fashion thing IMO. Horses which we bought over 10 years ago brought tack but not a rug between them. They just weren't considered necessary. The rug manufacturers, supported by the equine press for some reason, have created a market for themselves with some very clever advertising.
 
We've had alot of rain so the new one is rugged, just with a rain sheet, and the other hardy irish bred is un rugged. No its been a beautiful few days so the new one has a fly rug and mask on and again irish is naked! I mainly only put the sheet on him as hes worked everyday so dont want to have to wait for him to dry before i can tack him up and it keeps him clean!!
 
Rug came off begining of April on the clipped pony, just a fly rug on now. If I think (or hope) its really gonna chuck it down I will put a lightweight on if he's to be ridden just to keep dry but tbh that's only happened once!!
 
my tb is a dressgae horse, if left in the slightest bit of wet weather will lose all his topline. he is not a thin tb but he is very sensitive. His rountine is to come in during the day as he gets eaten alive by flys he is unrugged in stable unless chilly then he wears a stable sheet, in the night at the moment as warm he is in a full fly rug with mask. However if weather feels chilly he wear a sheet which is more a rain proof than thick filled rugs he wont wear untill august. Over the yrs i have found this works for him but if i had another tb that would cope without i would. like what has been said before its what works best for the horse some cope some dont.
 
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