Rugging Mares and Foals

[pansymouse]

I visited a yard yesterday and saw a beautiful mare with a very young foal and both were rugged. I don't know much about raising foals but was always been under the impression that rugging wasn't safe - too many straps for a baby to get caught up in. Am I wrong/out of touch with modern thinking on the matter?

I don't want to get into the rights and wrongs of summer rugging that debate has been done to death!

 

[ihatework]

No you aren’t wrong.
It’s an utterly daft thing to do unless the foal is very ill

 

[Goldenstar]

It’s mad you do have to rug foals sometimes but it’s extremely dangerous to rug mares

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I wouldn't rug a mare with foal at foot in a million years! Its just not safe!

If the foal really needed a rug dog rugs wuth velco work best when theybare very young. They fit snug so not really any chance of getting legs stuck. Saying that we breed shetlands so wouldnt need a rug 😂

 

[windand rain]

Would never rug a mare with a foal and have only rugged a foal once when it was seriously ill (sadly didnt make it) but it was already on the floor by then. Did see a foal caught in the leg straps of its mums rug once so wouldnt be something I would ever do.

 

[pansymouse]

I've messaged the person I was visiting to see how well they know the owner. I don't feel comfortable not trying to do something to prevent a potentially tragic accident.

 

[spoo]

I wouldnt rug the mare, but if my foals have needed a rug for various reasons, they always wear a big dog rug. Minimal straps, just at the chest and under the belly, and they fasten with Velcro.