Rugging to keep clean?

[Brandy]

Just wondering what other people think......

I have a welsh cob (a TB and another small native too) that is the one that I ride most. Although when I say most, at this time of year it is weekends only as I don't have a school. Up until 18 months ago they were kept at livery, stabled at night clipped rugged, ridden regularly, and we had a floodlit school.

So now they live out. Last winter I had only just bought a house, which flooded......so he was turned away for the winter as I didn't have time to do much with him so he lived out unrugged. I put a rug on him on a couple of occasions when it was very cold but he got too hot so I left him naked.

So, this year I have more time to ride although am just hacking at weekends. Problem is, that he is an absolute bog monster. He is caked nose to tail in mud and its just a nightmare, I groom for longer than I ride and get filthy with it too.

So, question is, would it be ridiculous to rug him just to keep clean? I have concerns that he would be too warm though, so the next one is would it be ridiculous to clip him, so I can rug him to keep clean??

He isn't ridden enough to warrant a clip.

Getting a little bored with all mud and no play!!

 

[PonyIAmNotFood]

Could he just wear a rain sheet? Or you could just brush the saddle area before you ride as opposed to all of him?

 

[Orangehorse]

I confess that I rug my horse to keep him clean - but he doesn't grow much winter coat and if I turn him out without a rug, he will roll simply to get coated in mud to keep warm.
In some ways it is simpler to have a clip and rug, rather than having your dilema - when I didn't rug I was always in a dither if he came into the stable wet, etc. Rug or not????

If you horse gets hot with a rug, then does he also get hot when you ride him? Mine doesn't particularly. So why not just get him a bit of a clip, low blanket for instance when you only clip half his neck, chest and girth, and get a rug.

Does he come in at night? If not, you would have to have a cople of rugs incase one got soaked, also it is a good idea to have a couple to change the fit slightly to try to prevent rubs.

I know what you mean about mud though, where we live the mud is like concrete. Having managed to scrape off enough mud to put the saddle on I went for a ride with his neck and quarters still pretty muddy and met a new neighbour on her immaculate horse. "What do you do with your horse?" she asked. I replied "Believe it or not, mostly showing." I don't think she did believe me!

 

[Brandy]

They all live out, and I have LOADS of rugs, as both him and the TB used to be fully clipped and rugged so that isn;t an issue. The TB, although retired, is still fully rugged.

The mud is awful. I do groom him all over as otherwise you couldn;t even see if he had a cut or anythign else and I like to have a good feel over him once a week!

I was always told just a rainsheet will make him cold as it flattens the coat?

I think it will buy a coarse set of blades and so what you say Orange horse, a low blanket then he can have 100g fill full neck rug on and keep clean!!

He does get a bit warm hacking but not too bad.

 

[Brandy]

Orangehorse - I also used to do quite abit of showing with him, and dressage in the winter, and am still struggling to get used to less riding and him looking like a bog monster instead of the sleek black shiny beast he used to be!!

 

[tasteofchristmaschaos]

Yeah, a no-fill might make him colder. Something around the 70g mark would probably be best, will compensate coat flattening whilst not adding extra heat.

 

[Hippona]

I must confess to using a rainsheet on the highland to keep him clean enough to hack in....he doesn't get clipped as he doesnt work hard/long enough to sweat and and if I clipped him then I'd have to worry about him being warm enough, feed him etc.

 

[Ladybird]

Mine only has a full neck on because he has a massively thick mane which attracts mud and turns to dredlocks.

I wouldn't be without it!

 

[Gilbey]

Why cant you keep in him at night and clip him as before? I would always rug to keep clean and warm on those horrid wet, windy winter days! Get a summer weight rug with a neck for him, Amigo do a good range, I always use Bucas but they are pricey. Merry Christmas!

 

[Brandy]

I moved yards as I didn't want them to have to be stabled every night!! I have three that all live out. I used to have much more time available to ride and compete, which I dont; now, I am a happy hacker. I want them to live out, which they do happily and it saves me a fortune inmoney and hours in time! He was fully clipped bfore as he was ridden 5 - 6 times a week. He is now ridden at weekends only.

I think I will do a trace/blanket clip and rug.

 

[Brandy]

How rude of me.....Merry christmas to you too!!

I already have loads of rugs, so thats not a problem.