Rugging youngsters

madhector

madhector

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Do you? or are they left naked?

I was planning on leaving the 2 welsh yearlings out naked 24/7 this winter, in a nice sheltered field, but someone said they should be rugged.

I don't like rugging unnecessarily so just thought Id see what people on here thought

Thanks
 
They wouldnt have rugs on in the wild
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No, if you've got decent shelter (a hedge or purpose made structure) they'll be just fine. It's always handy to have a rug to get them used to wearung them, but they don't NEED them
 
i never have before, as mine have shelters and adlib hay, and 2 feeds a day. however, it is very windswept here so i've bought rugs for the 2yr olds, so i'm not feeding to keep them warm... however, not planning on rugging them till it is properly sub-zero.
the problem if there's no actual shelter is if they get soaked through and cold... they don't cope well with that, obv.
 
Nooo they're welshies! Our welsh cob babies (due to be weaned any week now) are out 24/7 with no rugs and will be until they are 3yo and ready for work. They currently have the thickest coats out of all our horses!
 
I've been rugging Lukey up, but then he's been under the weather/poorly, and drops weight pretty quickly so it's much better for him to be using his energy for growth and not for keeping warm. He only has a lightweight(100g fill) TO though, but it keeps him snug and he's much happier and can stay out where he prefers to be.
There's very little by way of natural shelter where we are though, and the wind is wicked.....if he had alot of cover to go hide under then I'd probably reconsider rugging him.

Bethxx
 
Our welsh B's have wintered out 24/7 unrugged since they were babies, all coped fine.
this will be their 3rd winter unrugged. they look well off it, very hairy but it gives them a chance to grow up and be ponies.
they will have plenty of years ahead of them with clips and rugs. let them enjoy it while they can !!!
 
I had a summer t/o for Chancer to keep him dry but no fill as he is very hairy. This is because our paddocks offer no natural protection from wind and rain. He also had a LW rug or fleece at night if it was very cold - below 2 when in as he could not move round to keep warm.

If I had a field with good shelter and plenty of hay then I would not have rugged him.

Last year as a two year old he did have warmer rugs but he was clipped to allow light work - he would sweat up on 10 mins walking, and February he was fully clipped for a good early show coat.
 
Mines always had a rug of some description on in the winter but its been partially laziness (I hate scraping mud off in the middle of winter) and partly because shes a weedy tb who doesn't hold her weight well.

Don't think it does them any harm either way tbh.
 
I am always wary of rugging youngsters especially if they are turned out with others We had 2 2yos together and put a NZ on one of them. They started playing, rearing etc and one got his front leg inside the neck of the other horses rug (the neck was well fitting). They were stuck together,one on 3 legs. luckily we saw it happen but had to get a knife to cut them free. The one who had his leg stuck had a nasty burn, but if that had happened when we weren't there it could have been a lot worse.
 
i wouldn't bother TBH unless you plan to show them. my 2yo welsh c is out naked and all the better for it, even though she looks like a yak........
 
As they are welshies, I think that they'll probably be fine. Especially as you are providing them with plenty of shelter and ad lib haylage.

Like everything else though - keep an eye, and if they look like they need covering up you may have to go and spend some pennies on a couple of rugs.
 
i keep my yearling rugged
shes wb and quite wossy.
they have a field shetler and hay rack inside but not much grass left now and shes slim
if they had a bit more grass i dont think i wouldnt bother rugging unless it was bad weather.
natives probably get too hot under rugs.
 
Have not read through the post, but going on their breed and the natural shelter, then I personally wouldn't! They are a hardy breed and should be able to cope hun.
 
Beano was born at the end of May, and going into his first winter he hadn't really grown a coat and got very unhappy if cold. He was rugged during the colder weather. I tend to think if it is cold enough or wet enough for me to wear a coat, it is cold or wet enough to rug.
 
both my thoroughbreds never had a rug on until they were 4 and broken - and they both lived in Yorkshire. They did get fed plenty, and brought in at night in Jan/Feb, but managed fine on it and always looked well.

Of course they are now both totally spoilt adults who cant bear to be out in the rqain even with a NZ on - but at least they had a natural start in life!
 
Thanks everyone, very helpful advice. I have decided to leave them as they are and see how they cope, they have such thick coats that they really shouldnt get cold, if we end up having a very wet winter and the shelter isnt enough then I will maybe get a couple of summer turnouts to keep them dry.
 
If natives have correct feed & shelter they do not need rugging. They will have adjusted themselves to the climate by now & have grown their 2nd coat. Rugging can sometimes cause more problems, for one thing it flattens the coat which stops the coat doing its job.
 
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