RUGGING UP - don't shoot me yet!

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Where I live, the winters are dry and mild. Lowest temp I've recorded is +4 degrees. Yet almost everyone I know who rides for leisure or competition possesses a variety of rugs (preferably emblazoned with famous names!) which I find staggering.

For a number of reasons, most of us tend to keep our horses in at night. Mine are stabled, but I turn them out through the full daylight hours unless it's pouring with rain. They are unclipped.

I have rugs, very seldom use them, but would appreciate advice on this point: an unclipped horse, in well-insulated stable, does not need to be rugged when temps are 4 degrees. Surely? It's a puzzlement to see so many horses in my area wrapped to the gills, but I do wonder if I'm missing something?

All advice and strong views appreciated!
 
I have loads of rugs for every weather condition going but if mine were clipped I would say a lite weight turnout maybe if it got cold but it all depends on if your horse feels the cold or not I think it's your choice to be honest and no one knows your horses better than you
 
I have loads of rugs - and enjoy using them. I find it very hard not to put a rug on my horse - even when unclipped.

I agree that people can go over the top. However, part of the enjoyment of having your horse is to feel that you are doing the best for them - so if that means chucking a rug on when they may possibly not need it, so be it. Providing the horse isn't suffering for it I see no problem.
 
Thanks, Topclass - I worry more about over-heating here, but I have been known to go out to the stables in my pyjamas at 3.00 a.m. to check weather, windchill etc. Of course you can see straight away if your horses are feeling the chill - well, I think so, but have never seen them cold yet so maybe wouldn't recognise it.:D Seen plenty of sweaty ones all blanketed up to protect them against the vicious elements in their stables though....

I've been known to put on a light rig in the stables if there's a very cold wind, but generally don't see the need, at least over here. If I lived with snow (delicious!) i would have a different view, I'm sure.

Edit: no tigs in my stable, but very few rUgs.
 
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both of mine live out 24/7 (by their own choice!) my anglo arab is rugged with medium in anything below 10 degrees and fleece plus heavy weight in minus temperatures (though im sure im over doing it he feels VERY warm under hs rug!) and hes the only horse ive eva owned that ive actually rugged because hes the only one that ive ever felt needed it! my 32 yr old shetland i wouldnt dream of rugging up since the only time i ever tried he looked awfully sorry for himself and ripped it off within minutes!! if a horse isnt clipped and isnt cold it dosnt need rugging! its not natural and whos ever heard of any wild horse/pony freezing to death!?
 
Arrrgggghhhhh my biggest pet hate :D I have loads of rugs, just folded up collecting dust! hate them, hate them, hate them. All three of mine are natives, unclipped live out with only hedges/trees for shelter, no hay ( plenty of grass still ) just a handfull of feed;

They all look fab and fit, one is 11 years old the other two are 19 and 21, you can easily feel their ribs, just how it should be.

I don't have a problem with anyone else rugging their horses unless they are fat and or hot. If your horse doesn't need one then refrain from rugging!
 
I know rugs are a slightly:rolleyes: contentious issue. I'm trying to understand why people where I live will put rugs on unclipped, stables horses the minute they themselves have to pop on a cardi to step outside!

Does anyone out there have some sort of rule of thumb e.g. ambient temperature at a certain minimum, icicles hanging from nostrils, etc? It's a bit alarming for me to see everyone rush for the rugs at the hint of a fresh bit of wind and my poor neglected ponies seldom see theirs.

One riding friend uses the "cardigan guide":eek:
 
Hmmmm, what sort of drop in temperature is there from day to night temps?

It was -14C here last night, it is 1C now. I have left blankets on the horses that have them because the wind is coming up and it is snowing again, but if it had been sunny (and not horribly cold) I would have whipped everything off for a while.

As always, it so depends on the individual horse.
 
Am reading this chuckling with a cup of tea as I have just taken 2 rugs each off my two and left them with haynets to give thir coats a bit of an air - but am going out to put the lightweight turnouts back on before tonight's turnout - but it has been VERY cold - rule of thumb here, if the base of their ears are cold then they are!
 
I've just whipped my horses rug off today - 23 and lives out 24/7 but is unclipped. I only put one on when we went past -5 and stayed there (and he should thank his lucky stars I felt kind then :D)

Horses and pony in field next to me are still rugged and have been since end of autumn. :)
 
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It was -12 here one night last week, mine still didn't have one on. I will put a lightweight one on if we have driving rain and high winds, even then they protest and tend to run off!
 
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Well, my Shetland pony is rugged when its wet, windy and cold.
He's kept in the same routine as the horses, so is stabled at night all year round (plus it gets him off the grass overnight)

I believe this routine has softened him up, and at 25yrs of age, he definitely gets cold.
If we have torrential rain and wind, my pony will graze happily in the middle of the field when rugged, but will be found huddled up under a wall, and miserable if we're caught out and he's rugless. He has got a chill in the past due to this too.
He doesn't wear a rug once inside though - although does have a stable rug just in case :D

I don't believe there is a right or wrong answer as every horse is different - as is every owner, and it's up to the individual how they want to manage their own equines.
 
Enfys said:
Hmmmm, what sort of drop in temperature is there from day to night temps?

It was -14C here last night, it is 1C now. I have left blankets on the horses that have them because the wind is coming up and it is snowing again, but if it had been sunny (and not horribly cold) I would have whipped everything off for a while.

As always, it so depends on the individual horse.
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Enfys, in winter we probably go up to 20 degrees on a sunny day, then back down to anything from +4C to +10C at night (very roughly). Hellish hot in summer though.

On the forum I see gorgeous pictures of horses romping in snow in the UK etc, stark naked but happy and well, and it just gets me wondering why we even bother with rugs in this neck of the woods. I must say that when I was a kid, looooong ago, no-one I knew even had rugs.
 
Irishbabygirl said:
What horses do you have OP?
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I have TBs, one of which seems to have the finest, shortest hair imaginable so I have been known to rug him up in "severe" weather. But in winter I see all manner of horses, hairy ponies etc rugged up like they're readyf or Alaska.

I know it's all about personal choice, and the best interests of individual horses but I just don't get all this rugging up in a hot climate! (In fact I keep wondering if I'm missing something, some special mystery about rugs that no-one has yet shared with me! :confused:)
 
I have a little Welsh Sec C and I brought him underweight - so he's currently out in minus temp in a mw combo.

Hopefully next winter once he's back up to weight he can again go out in the nude :D
 
millimoo said:
Well, my Shetland pony is rugged when its wet, windy and cold.
He's kept in the same routine as the horses, so is stabled at night all year round (plus it gets him off the grass overnight)

I believe this routine has softened him up, and at 25yrs of age, he definitely gets cold.
If we have torrential rain and wind, my pony will graze happily in the middle of the field when rugged, but will be found huddled up under a wall, and miserable if we're caught out and he's rugless. He has got a chill in the past due to this too.
He doesn't wear a rug once inside though - although does have a stable rug just in case :D

I don't believe there is a right or wrong answer as every horse is different - as is every owner, and it's up to the individual how they want to manage their own equines.
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Have you any idea what the weather is like on the Shetland Isle?!! What on earth makes you feel the need to rug a Shetland?! The fact that you find him huddled up if he's not rugged is a horse's normal behaviour in bad weather. Does not mean we have to go and remove the need for them to exhibit this behaviour. I agree that it's up to each owner to manage their own equines but not when it's to the point of being ridiculous!
 
I too think rugging is a personal thing. My 21 year old Shetland is stabled at night, out through the day, has been all his life and is naked with a bib clip. He sweats if it's above freezing and has a coat like a bear :) At my yard atm there are 2 unclipped hairy natives, both are wearing heavyweight combo rugs and have had them on since October regardless of the weather (they do get removed btw ;)) My own blanket clipped native has not seen her hw this year it's not been cold enough
 
Moomin1 said:
Have you any idea what the weather is like on the Shetland Isle?!! What on earth makes you feel the need to rug a Shetland?! The fact that you find him huddled up if he's not rugged is a horse's normal behaviour in bad weather. Does not mean we have to go and remove the need for them to exhibit this behaviour. I agree that it's up to each owner to manage their own equines but not when it's to the point of being ridiculous!
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Completely unnecessary.
 
Surely each horse is different? I have a Falabelax Shetland who need sto be rugged more than the WBs. I wouldn't leave him unrugged just because of his breed, I look to see who is cold and rug them.

It also depends on whether the horses are aclimatised to the weather or not. We moved to the south of France in autumn and the horse thought this was the best English summer they had seen! They were clipped, rug-less and living out in November. Since we've had some cold including a bit of snow but it's still not cold enough for the heavy weight rugs they wore in the UK.
 
amymay said:
I agree that people can go over the top. However, part of the enjoyment of having your horse is to feel that you are doing the best for them - so if that means chucking a rug on when they may possibly not need it, so be it. Providing the horse isn't suffering for it I see no problem.
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Agreed!

4x4 said:
- rule of thumb here, if the base of their ears are cold then they are!
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Yep, this is how I check too.

I think it depends on the horse, my unclipped warmblood mare feels the cold terribly, so she is turned out with two rugs and a liner in cold weather (3 degrees or less) and an extra rug on top of these if it is raining too. If she gets cold she turns into a complete nut job! Her companion (a Welsh Sec A) has a lovely thick coat and is always warm, so doesn't wear a rug (he is sheltered at night though, so does at least get a chance to dry off.
 
Moomin1... Stop behaving like a 'troll'
Personally, I couldn't give a stuff what you think.
There is no place for posts like yours... if you can't be nice, don't say anything at all, or at least behave like an adult and moderate your comments if you're capable.
This is a great forum, that is spoilt by one or two bad eggs. This post isn't about me, but for the next person who may not be used to gob****e posters like you

And to add, on the subject of the post.
My shettie used to be naked 24/7 in his youth, but as he's got older he's rugged up when the weathers bad, attributed to his stabling.
My pony, my choice....... doesn't make me a numpty - just because my Shetlands origins are the Isles, it doesn't make him a toughy
 
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millimoo said:
Moomin1... Stop behaving like a 'troll'
Personally, I couldn't give a stuff what you think.
There is no place for posts like yours... if you can't be nice, don't say anything at all, or at least behave like an adult and moderate your comments if you're capable.
This is a great forum, that is spoilt by one or two bad eggs. This post isn't about me, but for the next person who may not be used to gob****e posters like you

And to add, on the subject of the post.
My shettie used to be naked 24/7 in his youth, but as he's got older he's rugged up when the weathers bad, attributed to his stabling.
My pony, my choice....... doesn't make me a numpty - just because my Shetlands origins are the Isles, it doesn't make him a toughy
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Lol, why is it that every time someone disagrees with something on HHO they get called a troll?!! Could it just possibly be that some people have the guts to say what they think. And no, I will not moderate my comments because there was nothing in my comment that was nasty or unnecessary - merely my opinion. Is that not what forums are about?!!! :confused: What is unnecessary is to be so personal back and call me a 'gobshite'. Now who needs to grow up? :rolleyes:

I know of someone who had a visit from WHW because they had their shetland rugged up - they got a good few words said to them by the officer and the rug was removed promptly. But then again, if your shetland is ill or extremely thin then I would rug too.
 
Moomin1 you are entitled to your opinion, and I have no objection to that
What makes you a troll is the backhanded comments, and undertones in your posts.
And, no, my pony is not ill or thin - he is extremely well thankyou very much ... and WHW would have no issues with his management????? Totally irrelevant comment, but an example of one of your many back handers.
 
Think what you like Millimoo, if being outspoken makes me a troll then so be it!!! I'M A TROLL!!!!! Happy?. Still think rugging a shetland is wrong! Anyway, each to their own!! Sorry for obviously hitting a nerve Millimoo. Was not intended.
 
Horses grow winter coats for a reason......!

Still, every horse is different. I, personally, would only rug if the horse is elderly/poor doer, clipped or obviously cold.

My old Section A had a rainsheet on over winter. This was only because he was prone to rainscald from his previous owners. I'd have much rather chucked him out nekkid!
 
4x4 said:
Am reading this chuckling with a cup of tea as I have just taken 2 rugs each off my two and left them with haynets to give thir coats a bit of an air - but am going out to put the lightweight turnouts back on before tonight's turnout - but it has been VERY cold - rule of thumb here, if the base of their ears are cold then they are!
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I am sorry that this thread invoked a few metaphorical sticky buns being tossed through the ether - although as I said at the beginning I know there are "strong views" out there!

However I am delighted to benefit from 4x4's nugget - checking if the base of the ears are cold. I really did not know that at all, and I am glad I now have some sort of test I can use to reassure myself on a chilly night. Thanks 4 x 4, I appreciate it. Always something helpful to learn from the forum, in between the sticky buns ;)
 
Well thanks ma'am - I two could indeed be labeled an ancient hacker and see no reason why others should not benefit from a soupcon of the tons of information I have accrued over the years - however, still not afraid to ask and indeed can learn from the some of the knowledgeable youngsters on this forum. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing - when can we profess to have more than a little?
 
Agreed, indeed, 4 x4!
Meanwhile, here is the last word in rugging up choices - should only take a year or two to knit one up for a TB.... :D
picture.php
 
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