Rugging with changing temps over night.

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humblepie

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It’s 11 degrees now until about midnight then rapidly dropping to 4 degrees by 6 am. I go for the middle ground that poss a bit warm rug now probably ideal for a while then maybe a bit chilly by 4 am. Aargh. I suppose years ago we just went with its warm now and didn’t get the detailed changing temps to ponder.
 
My horse is in at night and out in the day. He stays in the same rug. My logic is that although it's warmer in the day he's outside in the weather and at night when it's colder he is indoors. I think they're better off being a bit chilly for a couple of hours rather than overheating.
 
Sealine said:
My horse is in at night and out in the day. He stays in the same rug. My logic is that although it's warmer in the day he's outside in the weather and at night when it's colder he is indoors. I think they're better off being a bit chilly for a couple of hours rather than overheating.
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Yes that’s my thinking too.
 
humblepie said:
It’s 11 degrees now until about midnight then rapidly dropping to 4 degrees by 6 am. I go for the middle ground that poss a bit warm rug now probably ideal for a while then maybe a bit chilly by 4 am. Aargh. I suppose years ago we just went with its warm now and didn’t get the detailed changing temps to ponder.
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They won't freeze if in and eating hay I wouldn't worry too much to be honest.
 
Mine are usually rugged and out at night but with the torrential rain lashing down at the moment I’ve brought them in for a break from it. It is so warm DP was sweating in his stable so he’s naked but my skinny Connie is in a 200gm stable rug and feels just right. This weather is just bonkers at the moment as it is due to be freezing tomorrow.
 
HappyHollyDays said:
Mine are usually rugged and out at night but with the torrential rain lashing down at the moment I’ve brought them in for a break from it. It is so warm DP was sweating in his stable so he’s naked but my skinny Connie is in a 200gm stable rug and feels just right. This weather is just bonkers at the moment as it is due to be freezing tomorrow.
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Mine are in as well as its pouring with rain one is in a fleece the other in a thin quilt.

Both clipped it was 13 degrees here today and its going to be half that tomorrow with wind so will be cold.
 
Mine are out in 200g and when they come in they won’t wear anything. Our temps don’t get that cold but the wind and rain really goes through them.
 
humblepie said:
It’s 11 degrees now until about midnight then rapidly dropping to 4 degrees by 6 am. I go for the middle ground that poss a bit warm rug now probably ideal for a while then maybe a bit chilly by 4 am. Aargh. I suppose years ago we just went with its warm now and didn’t get the detailed changing temps to ponder.
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I have a warm horse, living out, fully clipped. I would probably stick with 100gm liner, no fill turnout with neck cover. Has adlib hay and good shelter. He's probably not cold in morning.

If not going above 6/7 degrees I would up to 200gms
 
It drives me mad!

My current lad is definitely grumpy if he gets chilly so I err slightly on the side of over rugging if in doubt, usually opting for a warmer rug but no neck cover in the hope that he can self regulate a bit that way. I used to have one that hated being too warm and was like a four legged blast furnace for most of his life, with him I'd always under rug if in doubt. What I'm saying is it depends on the horse, it's no different to I'll wear a coat while a friend is in a T-shirt.
 
Bane of my life at the moment!! I have a skinny TB who feels the cold and a rotund Welsh..so you can imagine the variation 😂 Both clipped.

Mine are both in 200g tonight, stabled with hay in a barn. I’ll switch to the 300g tomorrow for the TB but may well leave the Welsh as she doesn’t feel the cold so much.
 
I'm planning on possibly changing rugs at 10 pm checks. Older horse has had a cough so I don't want him to get cold when the temperature plummets tonight, and I don't want the young one to catch a cough! On the other hand I don't want them to be too warm while the temperature is in double figures so they're both in quite lightweight rugs atm. The beauty/curse of having horses at home is that you can keep swapping rugs ad lib. Draw the line at getting up at 2 am to do a rug change though.
 
Mine have got lightweights on tonight but all are in. It was too warm for anything else when I finished them off and I’d rather they were a little cool than too hot. Two aren’t clipped and one has an irish clip so they won’t get cold anyway. They’ve got plenty of ad-lib hay to munch on and produce heat if they need to as well.
 
It's dropping from 12 down to 4 overnight.

My unclipped TB is in his 100g stable rug. My theory is that by the time the temperature drops, his rug will have warmed him up nicely, a huge net of hay will be proving internal heat in his tummy and is stood on a deep straw bed to warm his legs!.

He always has a cheerful look over his stable door in the morning, so I assume I'm getting his bedroom 'attire' right
 
I have a TB that's prone to drop weight but is quite a hot horse. Not clipped buy not much of a coat.

.I've stayed lighter for the changing temperature, a thinnish quilt. I can't believe he's still in a no fill turnout too. There's been a couple of days where I've tried a mw but was too warm.
 
Slightlyconfused said:
Mines been in a fleece at night and just rain sheet with neck in the day and he is fully clipped just runs hot
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So does Faran however the wind blows straight in his stable with the doors open and it’s to be below freezing tonight (-3) so the 200g standard neck will be adequate 👌🏻 winds have been 40-50mph today
 
I used to think that was a big temp drop until I moved to Colorado! 30 degree temp swing throughout the day isn’t unheard of. Often having to rug for a 15degree one. Meant accepting they’d be too warm for a bit and too cold for a bit.
 
I remember the days where the choice was rug or not rug. If clipped then striped or army blanket under the hessian rug 🤣

I made a back door to the stables, each with a run outside. They can choose to go outside (through an industrial freezer curtain) if they are hot. Or, tuck themselves inside if cold.

Rigs is coming up 20 yrs and has an Irish clip but is unrugged.
BH is fully clipped (legs and head etc too), and is in a 200 under rug with a 100 breathable waterproof on top. In the day he has a 300 waterproof and is out.

Both seem happy with the arrangements.
 
Was 3 degrees. He was warm enough in his 150. We have a lot of horses and ponies at the yard who wear a lot of rugs so can make you doubt yourself.
 
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