Rugging to slow or reduce coat growth

twiggy2

twiggy2

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this is in response to many replies on various threads where people state 'over rugging or heavy rugging does not reduce coat growth'

in all my (too many) years of working with horses I have seen what I believe to be coat growth being lessened by rugging, in fact one friend rugs her mare so much all year round she never has had to clip her in over 4yrs as the mare does not grow a winter coat any more (she did arrive with one when she got her).

we started rugging my daughters horse early this year as she tends to grow one winter coat and it is very slow to re-grow (despite under rugging last year) and as she lives out I like her to have regrown some length of coat by the time the real winter arrives.

personally I don't believe coat growth is all down to daylight hours or all down to rugging but a combination of both and it varies for every horse/pony
 
When I worked with show ponies they were always heavily rugged and never grew a winter coat, the owners didn't want to clip before HOYS, and then the BSPS winter shows started so they were rugged all year
 
Yeah, I agree that it does make quite a difference and also, if you rug a clipped horse but leave the neck unrugged the hair grows back thicker than on the rest of the body, weird?
 
I think that you can't stop the winter coat coming in by rugging as the timing is dependent on daylight, however... If you do rug then the winter coat which grows in is much lighter than if the pony is left unrugged. The hair will still be the course/fluffy long winter hair but there is less of it as the pony doesn't need as much.

Hopefully anyway! I'm leaving my old chap without a rug for as long as possible so when I put one on come January he already has a decent one of his own to supplement it, as last year I rugged early and he struggled and lost weight in the really hard weather. The other pony is clipped and will be rugged sooner so I can work him hard, he is a good doer and didn't have any weight issues last year.
 
I agree, esp because of what Elsbells said about necks growing back faster.

I would feel mean rugging with the intention of reducing coat growth though, because surely you'd need to over-rug?

Also, wierdly, out of our three, the oldie is mega hairy and he's always rugged up well because he's creaky and sulks if it rains, and the youngster hasn't been rugged at all this year apart from a sheet on the night before a show, and he has pretty much no winter coat. (both have similar breeding)
 
My pony will be left naked untill january and then I will be over rugging to get his coat into perfect condition for next years show season :)
 
Pigeon said:
I agree, esp because of what Elsbells said about necks growing back faster.

I would feel mean rugging with the intention of reducing coat growth though, because surely you'd need to over-rug?

Also, wierdly, out of our three, the oldie is mega hairy and he's always rugged up well because he's creaky and sulks if it rains, and the youngster hasn't been rugged at all this year apart from a sheet on the night before a show, and he has pretty much no winter coat. (both have similar breeding)
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My youngster hasnt grown a winter coat yet, but is begining to shed his summer coat :)
 
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