Rugging mares with foal at foot

First Time Mum

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Hi how do you put a rug on a mare with a foal at foot who is still feeding occaisonally.
Mare is a full TB and a complete wimp when it comes to wet weather (has been a competition horse most of her life and pampered) In winter before she has been known to wear 3 rugs (heavy turnout, thick fleece and a middle/heavy stable rug) and still be cold!!!
I am planning on leaving her with the foal until at least christmas as the mare seems happy to wean her off herself.
I was thinking of normal rug but with a fillet string rather than leg straps? but am worries about the rug blowing up.
 

Lgd

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My now retired broodie is very similar to yours - pampered 7/8 TB comp horse who hates being wet or cold plus we are plagued with flys in summer as so close to a water source.

They all manage fine suckling with rugs in or out. Make sure the belly straps are fitted with no real slack. Easiest option is to use leg straps but make break point by putting a small elastic band on each ring and clip to those instead of the ring. Can also use string but needs to be cotton based so it will break easily with a foals weight. I prefer the elastic bands as better breakage.
 

emlybob

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I rug my mare up with a foal at foot, at she is 21 and has become run up with such a big foal. The main problem i have is stopping my cheeky colt trying to remove his mother's pjs!!!!
 

marmalade76

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Theres a TB stud near here, on the top of a windy hill with no shelter, natural or otherwise, yet I have NEVER seen a mare or foal wearing a rug there. They are stabled at night though.
 

pinkypug1

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I need to keep leg straps on my rugs as gets very windy and had a nasty accident earlier in the year when rug blew up over back (even with filet sting attatched) and now mare is left with bad war wounds due to getting rug over head and caught up on fence! Dont want to risk it again & dont think filet strings are good enough in strong winds... will def be trying the elastic bnd trick now little one is here!
 

First Time Mum

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hi thanks guys for all the help will definately be trying the elastic band trick in proper winter and will risk it with the fillet string for now :) xxx
 

luckilotti

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I need to keep leg straps on my rugs as gets very windy and had a nasty accident earlier in the year when rug blew up over back (even with filet sting attatched) and now mare is left with bad war wounds due to getting rug over head and caught up on fence! Dont want to risk it again & dont think filet strings are good enough in strong winds... will def be trying the elastic bnd trick now little one is here!

I sadly had the opposite, i ended up loosing a mare very suddenly due to leg straps so now i wont use them and just use fillet string. I guess freak accidents can happen no matter what.

i'd suggest that when you rug the mare you are around for quite a while so you can check that the foal is managing etc but i dare say thats just common sense :)
 
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