Rugging show ponies

Cop-Pop

Cop-Pop

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I've just bought a Section A pony that I want to show in hand this summer. I've been told I'll have to rug her to stop her coat getting to thick/long but she's never been rugged before.

I've got two very lightweight rugs and have started putting one on her at night when she's out but that's it. Do you think I could get away ith sticking a full fly sheet on her? Obviously if we get the summer we had last year she'll be stabled but if she's out I don't want to suddenly stick a rug on her and have her getting too hot...
 
Hiya, i would suggest you start rugging her just now if you want her coat to be in showing condition for the summer. If you have one i'd put a rain sheet on during the day and maybe a medium weight at night depending on how cold it gets where you are. It will help her cast her winter coat and i imagine she's quite hairy if she hasn't been rugged before. Failing that i'd bring her in at night and put a fleece or summer sheet on her. Soya oil would also be a good idea to add to the feed as this will also help her coat condition. Hope this helps a bit
 
Thanks - she gets quite hot coz shes still getting used to the rugs. The yard is half way up a hill and very exposed so shes in at night anyway.
 
to be honest, if she has the winter coat already then there is very little point in rugging her to the eyeballs ruggin heavily only helps stop the winter coat arriving. It is light that causes them to drop thier coats so if your keeping her in get some daylight bulbs for your stables and leave them on untill about 11pm.
Maybe stick a medium weight turnout on her to keep her warm.
 
Absolutely agree with conniegirl. Rugging is not a major factor in coat growth, but light is.
 
what level as you wanting to show her? alot of mine our unrugged at the mo, the rest are only in lightwieghts and 90% are loosing winter coats.

if you want to show early in the season just use a lightweight turnout and a summer sheet, not a fleece rug will keep her to warm if she isnt used to being rugged. it wont make her loose her coat much quicker but will flatten it to make her look less wolly.

we feed everything soya oil gives fantastic coat, tart now for a nice summer coat. we show our as natural as poss, we find fly rugs do the job well of keeping summer coats nice
 
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