Rugging up?

[sevenoceans]

I am with Seabiscuit, I keep to the minimum all the time... if he feels cold i put another one on, a light weight rather chunky extra rug, going deep into the winter (very cold day literally frozen for long periods of day) he gets underrug with neck and MW top rug (total weight probably 300g max) and Rambo Duo completed (400g) and he's out all day (8 hours)
From end of april through out until end of september He had nothing on (I was aiming for october but the rain got better of him)
I hate it when people over rugs their horses... end of day they will need further rugs when getting colder...I just can't understand this need of over rugging and rugging up during warm summer! My previous horse would slip out of her rug if she's hot!

It's not easy for me as i don't live near to my horse (approx an hour's drive) But i trust my YO to do the warmth checks at nights... (i know he has cos he changed his rugs last night as he was too warm and i have been with the horse all weekend and did the rugs)

 

[sevenoceans]

Forgot to add... i don't rug my horse unless its below 10 degrees or wet with wind blowing from north/northwest (that can be very chilly than southerly winds)

 

[Louby]

My boys in a LW turnout and was too warm today. Need to clip but the weathers so changeable going to leave it and see what happen with the weather. Friends horse has a blanket clip and has a HW with neck on and is fine!
Remember a few years ago a story about a horse at a local yard looking dejected in the field. Owner was the sort of person you didnt question or get involved with her horses, apparantly hardly ever checked on her horses either. Anyway some brave savior concerned about her horse, checked it and removed its rug and most of its coat came off with the rug. It had been roasting for days. Poor horse.

 

[Shrimp]

For me, it also depends on the temperatures as they seem to be all over the place at the moment! Mine is out most days in a LW but sometimes a MW depending on the temperature. At night he has a thin cotton sheet with a fairly thin fleece on top. I think its too warm at night at the moment for anything more and like others have said, I dont like to rug up to much too early.
(I should say that he is full TB with a lowish blanket clip who is rather difficult to keep weight on and I could do without him losing any weight as he barely has enough!)

 

[Lynz25]

My 2 TB's have not got their rugs on at all yet but not clipped. The NF has a blanket clip and no rug - poor thing was sweating like mad today. Wondering whether to clip TB's and put a rug on but worried they will get too hot during the day with a rug. I've come to the conclusion that it must be easier for them to warm up by moving round more by standing in the field shelter / trees than it is to cool down. Therefore I've now decided to keep to the above until the weather decides what its up to (hopefully cool down a bit). Sat was bizarre during the day in Mid Bedfordshire it was 16 degrees when I went out at midnight in the car it had raised to 18 degrees???

 

[Faithkat]

Whereabouts in Hampshire are you? I'm on the edge of the Forest and it most certainly hasn't been cold here yet. It was 20 degrees this afternoon when I was poo picking and although it's technically switched on, my central heating hasn't come on yet (thermostat set at 17 degrees)!!!!! My mare's out 24/7 and I haven't begun to even think about rugging her yet.

 

[Salcey]

I'm with you seabiscuit. Ours are ranging from L/W (or M/W if wet & Windy) in the day to some nights just a cooler, other nights a L/W and oe night so far a M/W. Our stables are in a stone barn which holds the cold (if that makes sense) so are often chillier than when they were in a wooden stable.
I always check the met office website just to see whats expected.

 

[vicijp]

None clipped here yet and they all wear a fleece sheet, with barn doors closed at night.
The most they wear in the coldest of winter is fleece, lw high neck and lw stable. The horses in the field are stripped at the mo, the fine things that arent used to roughing it will have a mw turnout on when it starts to snow. Hw rugs are a waste of money - it is the air between the layers that keep a horse warm.
Rugging according to weather forecast is daft, look at the horses and if they are cold layer up. Its always good to remember that horses are different to us, just because you are working in short sleeves doesnt mean they are warm.

 

[druid]

It's been up an down here but last night was about 4c and they were either in HW half necks or MW full necks but all are out 24/7 on a mountain top hunter clipped. During the day they go down to MW/LW depending on the weather.

 

[Bossanova]

What my horse has on changes each night- the temp is so variable atm.
She's got a chase clip and wears a fleece on the warmer nights, a LW stable rug normally and a LW full neck stable rug when the wind is up as it gets a bit breezy when she sticks her head out the door!!

 

[Safina]

We are in Bedfordshire - the horses have cosy stables but are on exposed grazing land.

My weedy TB has a hunter clip and is wearing a medium weight t/o with a neck cover by day and a medium weight stable rug with a neck cover at night.

My sisters pony who is a bit hardier but also has a hunter clip is in a light/medium weight 1/2 neck t/o by day and a light weight stable rug by night.

Both have plenty of rugs in their stables and so rugs are chosen that are appropriate for that days weather.

 

[Tempi]

well i live near you and Bloss has on every night her 250g WF rug with hood and is wearing her MW mark todd with hood in the field and shes fully clipped out.

Archie on the other hand is woolly and is just wearing a 200g rug at night (with no hood) and LW with hood in the field, and if its cold during the day then he borrows blossy's MW as his hasnt arrived yet

 

[spannahw]

I find my boy seems to do better without a rug. He comes in at night over the winter, but doesn't sweat much so I don't need to clip, hence he stays wooly and naked.

 

[loopeepee]

Mine has on at the moment . . . a mesh cooler! l Last night he has on a thin mesh cooler but still didnt really need that. He is a fantastic and hunts all season fully clipped out with some pony nuts and sugar beet and a full neck stable rug at night!

Whereas the other one is a total woose. ATM he is not clipped and has a thermatex or LW stable at night. But when he is clipped he can go up to a thermatex, full neck stable, with HW TO over the top. Pathetic!

 

[MagicMelon]

Well up here its been very changeable. Yesterday my TB was in his LW rain sheet because it was mild but today its blowing an absolute gail (AGAIN!!) and lashing rain so all horses in their combo winter turnouts!! I just rug up depending on weather, although the clipped boys tend to stay in the same ones (MW / HW).