Rugging question

I_A_P

I_A_P

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hello

just wondering what you think really.
I have a 23/24 year old boy, hes been kept very slim over summer, but hes normally fine keeping weight on over winter so will just be fed up!
hes a really real hairy boy with a thick coat, he currently just has a think turnout on atm and is living out 24/7

normally he has a small trace clip but we probably wont bother this year as hes hardly ridden. Normally i put a stable rug and then a full turnout on during the day but he does get a bit hot.....do you think it would be worth getting a thin stable rug for him..but i dont want him geting cold..

im not sure what to do this year-i never really know with him how cold or warm to keep him!!
 
i'd say a medium turnout when it's really cold (proper winter), and the lightweight one the rest of the time, if he's really hairy, and isn't going to be clipped, you can use the lightweight one as a windcheater and to keep him dry, not for warmth. i think it's much better if they're very slightly cool than hot in a rug, they can always eat or run around to get warm, whereas if they're sweaty they can't do anything about it.
frown.gif
 
Thanks, thing is hes happy enough during the day in a full rug with neck which isnt a really really heavy one.
and we normally check them at night and hes never boilign hot..its come morning when you switch rugs again he seems a little warm. He also tends to stand v still in the stable so isnt moving much; especially as hes arthritic, and threre isnt always much to eat during the day out in the field....i think i wil keep his rugs thinner this year as then i can always rug him upma bit more if hes not getting on very well.
 
yep i think thats what we will do, they do normally get some hayalge in the field, but at times so much gets wasted as its such a quagmire out there! although they can have it in the shelter if they are on the wetter part.
His weight hopefully wont be a problem..he looks slightly thin now...but hes having 2 feeds a day as well as some grass- albeit not very much-now being let onto some longer grass for a few hours a day...i think with him i will ahve to take it as it comes!
 
two tractor tyres stacked up makes a good hay holder, or i use close-mesh fencing doubled over and wired into a big circle, lashed to stakes. lasts for a whole winter before they squash it dead! otherwise they waste tons, which is so annoying.
 
Thanks, Dad will have plenty of tractor tyres lying around i think we do have a hay holder somewhere so i could use that if needed..worst thing is getting the mud around it-our field gets seriously nasty- and then theres the problem of the mare in my sig-who doesnt need that much food during the day as she(althought a tb) gets a bit porky! espeically due to limited exercise--i will have to see how it goes and play it by ear...no winter is exactly the same circumstances as the previous!
luckily we do seem to have grass on 2/3 of our paddocks atm..so at least we have some for the next few months!
thanks for you help!
 
If its any help - I use a standard neck Weatherbeeta Landa on my veteran who is a fuzzy native! Nothing on just now though, but will have it on when it gets colder / wetter. For proper blizzards etc. then I use an Orican. But always a standard neck as I find he does get hot with a neck part.
 
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