Rugging question

[HashRouge]

I've always been super confident on rugging my two horses, but I'm dithering a bit atm! I've moving my two from their current set up on the south coast, back up to the Peak District, to a yard they have been at before. They will be going from living out 24/7 in winter in a sheltered field, to being stabled overnight in the winter, with daytime turnout in a very exposed field (1000 ft up, right on the edge of the hill, with dry stone walls being the only shelter from the wind). They know this set up and were very happy on this yard, despite the, ahem, extremes of weather we experienced in winter. However, the difference is that my Welsh gelding has gone from being a slightly pampered prince who was clipped and rugged in winter, to complete retirement and living out without a rug, whatever the weather. I just can't decide what, if any rugs, he is going to need. Do I just think, well, he'll be stabled overnight so he can rough it during the day even if the weather is horrendous? Or will he need sometime to keep the wind off when the weather is horrendous (anyone who has been on a high hill top in a winter gale will know what I'm talking about!). If I rug, do I just go for a no-fill turnout to keep the wind off, as he's got a very thick coat, or will he need something with a bit of fill as he'll only be wearing it in the absolute worst of weather? I want him to stay unrugged as much as possible, I just don't know how fair that is on a field with so little shelter. My other horse is an elderly Arab and will be wearing plenty of rugs, so that does make me feel quite mean in comparison!

 

[Wishfilly]

I think with that little shelter, he will need something? For me, I would probably go for a 50g, as I find no fill/rain sheets can leak a little when it's the driving wind/rain type weather we have seen recently. And I think that might actually be worse than no rug, because then they get cold underneath.

For me, I would rather buy a rug and then not need it than it be horrible weather one day and wish I had something to chuck on him. You could probably buy something relatively cheaply second hand?

 

[Highmileagecob]

My old piebald cob lives a bit further north than you. I have a couple of no-fill waterproofs, one with a neck one without, a lightweight fill turnout and a mediumweight turnout, all reproofed as necessary. If his ears feel cold when he comes in for his daily check then I swap his rug for the higher fill. We have a good hedge round all sides of the field, yet old Dobbin is usually stood in the middle with his bum to the prevailing wind. See how your horses cope, if you can keep them wind and waterproof they do a pretty good job of keeping themselves warm as a rule. Hope it works out OK.

 

[SEL]

For my old boy who was Ardennes with a double coat I had a 50g with a decent tail guard for horrible weather. He didn't get hot under it but stopped any grumps or weight loss

 

[HashRouge]

For my old boy who was Ardennes with a double coat I had a 50g with a decent tail guard for horrible weather. He didn't get hot under it but stopped any grumps or weight loss

I think the bit I put in bold is probably key for this chap! He gets very indignant if he thinks he's being hard done by. I'm leaning towards starting with a 50g and then seeing how we go. He has actually got a middleweight with a detachable neck that he hasn't worn in years, so I can always trot that out if it turns out he's not warm enough. I was thinking that the sort of weather where a no fill would do is probably the sort of weather where he really wouldn't need a rug. When they were at this yard before they actually managed to live out most of the year, and just came in when the weather was especially bad. It's under new management now so I don't think I'll have the same flexibility and hopefully in the longer term I'll be moving them somewhere they can stay out overnight in winter, weather permitting. But it's a good option for now - at least I know the turnout is good!

Thanks all

 

[Tiddlypom]

Now sold out apart from sizes 5'6" or 6'9", but this was a very good offer that some of us HHOers have pounced on, me included . These would do your job really well.

https://www.tackshop.co.uk/shop/for...-50g-turnout-rug-with-100g-and-airmax-liners/

 

[HashRouge]

Now sold out apart from sizes 5'6" or 6'9", but this was a very good offer that some of us HHOers have pounced on, me included . These would do your job really well.

https://www.tackshop.co.uk/shop/for...-50g-turnout-rug-with-100g-and-airmax-liners/

Sadly he is 6'3" as that looks lovely! Although in fairness, he's such a scruff he probably doesn't need such a nice rug. I'd have loved one for my mare though!