rugging

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cazrobics

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Just wondering if anyone has any opinion as to whether long haired native unclipped horses/ponies should/should not be rugged in the winter months. Obviously if they are clipped and in regular work, they will need to be rugged. Everyone in my village rugs their horses/ponies whatever, and I do not. I seem to be frowned upon for allowing my horse to be kept in a natural state. My vet seemed to think that he does not need rugging/stabling, unless the weather is particularly inclement.
 
There's no one definitive answer I'm afraid, a hairy native may be ill, elderly or have other reasons to be protected from the elements.

On the whole they shouldn't need rugging, but if there's one thing I've learnt from my time with horses it's never to say never!
 
touchstone said:
There's no one definitive answer I'm afraid, a hairy native may be ill, elderly or have other reasons to be protected from the elements.

On the whole they shouldn't need rugging, but if there's one thing I've learnt from my time with horses it's never to say never!
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Well said.

As I've said on another rugging debate thread, mine are hairy natives BUT they are both old with issues and need the extra protection against cold and bad weather.

When they were younger however, no rugs or light to mid-weights only if the weather got really bad - mostly if wet for days on end. Dry cold - no rug.

There are so many variables that I don't think it is possible to have a definitive right or wrong, you just have to take each day, each horse and each owners needs into account.
 
My boy is an older native and has been rugged certainly for the last 11 years so he is quite well rugged now too. At the minute he's wearing a LW and MW stable rug layered (combined to about 300g) because his fleece was wet (dripped on!) but his HW stable rug is quite a big jump up even from the combination of these two. Seems OK with that combo then during the day he still only has a 100g turnout on (does have a full neck) but I think YO will switch it up to a 220g with neck soon. I'm not there during the day (full livery and I work a fair distance from home) so rely on YO to make the rugging decisions, I just buy them!

I have thought that if we needed to switch to the HW's now, what would we do when it got properly cold? At the minute it's not actually that cold, it's the wind chill that seems to be the issue. Going to patch his Thermatex this weekend as I think that'll make an ideal layer.

If my boy was younger, didn't suffer quite as much with the cold (arthritis) and was well used to being unrugged then I'd happily have him out unrugged most of the time. I do feel for him as he often has to wear a sweet itch rug over summer too. If we get frosty dry days I like him to have a little time in the field unrugged to get some air at his coat and have a good roll.
 
Arzada said:
I rug on this basis too. Are people frowning on what you do or are you just thinking that they are because their horses are rugged?
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Thankyou for your reply. A bit of both really, I do seem to get frowned on because they have their horses rugged. I do bring mine in at night in the severe cold, as there is no forage on the field during those months.
 
thankyou for your reply. Mine is a young native with no problems, and I bring him in at night during the severe weather. If the cold is dry, I do not rug, but if it is nasty, wet and freezing, I put a lightweight on him. He is a particularly hairy yak!!
 
I'd say if they're healthy, well fed and have enough shelter then no they should be fine without unless weather especially horrid (or unless you want them clean to work them without having to chisel the mud off first)
 
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