Rugging/unrugging in the field

[hayinamanger]

I occasionally unrug in the field, but only on a horse that I'm sure of. I never do up the front straps until the fillet strap and circingles are fastened. I saw a horse pts a few years ago that had got away from the owner mid rugging. The chest straps only were fastened, the horse took off, rug slipped, horse going flat out and fell on gravel, knees shot to bits.

 

[touchstone]

3 horses...and not a leg strap between them for many a year....never had a problem....

I think a lot depends on the fit of the rugs too, I've had well fitting turnout rugs with correctly fitted cross surcingles and a fillet string with no issues, but was recently looking after a neighbours horse who was rugged in a short fitting rug, making the fillet string higher up his backside, with cross surcingles practically dangling. (I'd already adjusted them, but the owner loosened them off again so I left them where they wanted them.)
I arrived one particularly windy morning to find the poor horse with his rug blown over his head and him stood on the front of it. Luckily he hadn't panicked, but I hated to think of an old horse being stood like that all night poor thing.

 

[RunToEarth]

Mine know 'stand' means it, even the youngster. I pick their feet out and do their rugs loose in the field together, only fly repellant needs a headcollar.

that's great if it works for you. Personally anything more than rug changes/spray i usually bring them in. Field time is grazing time and to that end I have never asked them to stand in the field apart from with a headcollar on.

 

[Slightlyconfused]

I do belly straps first as when my mare decided to trot off to see her friend it just fell off her back end and she stepped out of it.

Now though the know the word stand and just wait till I'm done.

It does belly straps, front, legs if they have them

 

[Slightlyconfused]

That includes with fly spray and feet picking out too.

 

[Vindaloo]

I just won't risk it, a horse local to me in the Uk took off, while having rug removed in the field. She had the leg straps still done up (everything else undone) and she lost her hoof, it sheared off literally. Horrible, horrible accident. She was running on three legs and a stump.

So I always would catch, then start at the back for rug removal.

 

[Equilibrium Ireland]

I've never had leg straps. Any rug that requires them I think is iffy. Horseware don't make them with leg straps and never had issues with slipping or getting out of them.

I also don't think this is a thread of how well trained your horse is or isn't. My niece almost died on a bombproof horse belonging to my sister and up to that point he was indeed bombproof. Niece was getting a lead around with correctly fitting helmet and boots. A cat jumped up onto fence. Horse spooked just a bit but my sister had him. My Niece who had lots of these rides on said horse lost her balance for a moment and then horse freaked a little more and Emma went of the side and got stuck on stirrup leather somehow. Horse then lost the plot entirely. Got away and got rid of my niece by throwing her into a gate. 6 brain bleeds and 2 broken arms later she is fine.

So hey maybe horse is spook proof. But sometimes it's not one thing but a chain of reactions to something minor. Since I don't profess to know it all nor think I have it all sussed out, I live be the rules it's fine til it isn't. My youngsters and older horses are very good too but anything can happen. An oddly enough some things that have turned into disasters over the years have happened to people who know what they're doing. But on tiny thing set up a chain reaction to disaster. No this doesn't mean you worry and agonise about things but complacency can be just as bad. Look who started this thread. One of the best horseman on here. She's just asking us to think a little. Not whether our horses are bombproof or have imbecaple manners. It's not a contest.

Terri

 

[mushroom]

I was always taught to do the belly straps first.

I do one belly strap, then the neck straps, then the other belly strap, then leg straps.

 

[Slightlyconfused]

Terri I agree with you. I've have seen a horse ****** off with its rug half done up but this wasn't in a field....he had been tied up outside his stable something spooked him and he just pulled back broke the twine and off he went with rug dangling from his neck. He was lucky and got away with minor cuts and scraps and a tweaked tendon. It's not just the dangers in the field but tied up as well. Anything can happen at any point in time.

 

[turkana]

As a child I was always told when putting a rug on to do up the chest last & then undo it first when unrugging; even for a horse tied up in the stable, just in case it spooks or starts jumping about so the rugs has a chance of coming off.
I have now reached the grand old age of 47 & still do it that way.

 

[Spring Feather]

I change all rugs in the field as I have 50 horses here so not taking them out and tying each one up just to change/take off/put on rugs.

I do front catches first, then pull fillet straps under tail (I don't use leg straps) and then do surcingles when putting rug on. When taking rug off, I undo surcingles, then front catches and then slide rug off bottom. Never had any problems doing it this way. If it's an ansty/young horse then I attach a lead rope to its halter and hold the horse while doing its rug but most of the horses here will just stand quietly without being caught up.

 

[Happy H]

The BHS teaches that horses' rugs should be done up front first, then surcingles, then leg straps. And for removal, release legs straps first, then surcingles, then front straps! The BHS DOES say that horses should be cauht and held while this is done.

When I did my BHS exams, it was surcingles first, then front, then leg - that way if horse spooks it will move less, or if it gets free, it will be able to get out of rug.

Not sure where you got your info from??

Re doing it in field - if horse is not tied up or held, it is kind of at your own risk I think - you know your horse/pony. BHS say don't do it, but they are advocating the best, safest way to care for all horses whether you know them or not.

 

[JanetGeorge]

When I did my BHS exams, it was surcingles first, then front, then leg - that way if horse spooks it will move less, or if it gets free, it will be able to get out of rug.

Not sure where you got your info from??

Re doing it in field - if horse is not tied up or held, it is kind of at your own risk I think - you know your horse/pony. BHS say don't do it, but they are advocating the best, safest way to care for all horses whether you know them or not.

Tell that to the person who responds for the BHS on their FB page:

The British Horse Society - The order we teach is to fasten at the front, then middle, then back - then unfasten first at the back, then middle, then front. This applies regardless of the brand of rug or type of fastening. The key part is that the horse should be secured, especially if the handler is unfamiliar with it.

I e-mailed the BHS Exams department on Thursday morning for clarification - no reply yet.

 

[JanetGeorge]

I just won't risk it, a horse local to me in the Uk took off, while having rug removed in the field. She had the leg straps still done up (everything else undone) and she lost her hoof, it sheared off literally. Horrible, horrible accident. She was running on three legs and a stump.

There MUST have been another factor involved. If the rug was trailing behind, no WAY could the leg straps do that unless (possibly) the rug got anchored in a gate and the horse kept going.

 

[PolarSkye]

For those that don't believe it matters what order you do things - creating a HABIT ensures that you do all parts of an action.

If you ALWAYS do up back straps first, front, belly then neck - you are unlikely to miss a step.

The cause of the accident I wrote about in an earlier post was because the person who put that rug on tended to do things any how - in no particular order and he screwed up!

This is an excellent point Tnavas.

Like you, I do back, front, middle and then neck . . . but if I'm rugging or unrugging in the field I always sling on a headcollar - even with my own horse (who is a saint to rug). I just don't feel the risk of a loose horse being panicked by a flapping rug and bolting in a blind panic is worth it . . .

P

 

[diamonddogs]

I rarely rug/unrug in the field but when I do it's no different to in the stable - front, back, middle, but it has to be done loose as Sham just scoots about if she's wearing a headcollar. She tends to stand much better loose. Though all that said, I'd normally take someone with me to hold her if I was doing a rug.

I would NEVER attempt to rug in the field with leg straps though. Too much potential for danger, so I'd bring out if it was a rug with leg straps and tie to the fence. My L/Ws and M/Ws all have fillet strings, luckily. If it was cold enough for a heavyweight she'd be coming in anyway.

 

[Lego]

I have changed rugs completely free range in the field, but generally pop a headcollar on, or he has a muzzle or mask on in the summer to grab hold of if needed.

I voted for the closest to what I actually do - as with all my rugs, I do up one buckle of front, tuck tail into fillet string, then surcingles, then other front strap and check keepers etc. My theory being that at least if he spooks at anything, the front and back is on, and in the unlikely event that I couldn't catch him before the rug slipped, it would come off fairly easily.

I would only change my horses rug free range though, and if he was either by himself, or with calm field mate I know. My lad is very good at 'park' mode though!