Sb0137
Member
Hi, how cold should it be to rug an unclipped Highland pony that lives out daytime and stabled at night? Temperatures here are dropping to -3 at night next week. Thank you
Rugging
- Thread starter Sb0137
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Pinkvboots
Well-Known Member
If the coat is really thick and the pony feels warm I wouldn't rug at all.
IrishMilo
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't rug either. I have a fat and fluffy half native and he's still unclipped and unrugged.
Sb0137
Member
Thank you
Amymay Again
Well-Known Member
It's a Highland. If it's not clipped would it actually need to be rugged?
greasedweasel
Well-Known Member
Most people I know with highlands clip them and then leave them unrugged to help with weight loss!
Patterdale
Well-Known Member
I wouldn’t rug at all.
Hackback
Well-Known Member
I'm glad you asked this as this is the first winter I will have unclipped horses, also out in the day and in at night. I am currently rugging them at night because I was always told they can get cold if they can't move about. They are Arabs though and the older one has always been a cold horse. However the younger one has a much thicker coat and I always wonder when I put his rug on whether I'm doing more harm than good, flattening his hair so he can't puff it up to keep warm.
I'd normally go by ears and armpits but currently the temperature is tending to drop in the early hours so I'm having to rug before they get cold.
I'd normally go by ears and armpits but currently the temperature is tending to drop in the early hours so I'm having to rug before they get cold.
Pinkvboots
Well-Known Member
Some Arab's don't grow much winter coat my 2 have very different coats, Arabi has a fine coat but since his lived out he gets a decent winter coat Louis coat is much thicker and dense but he does have cushings.
Mine have never really been cold horses Louis us clipped all year round and I just clip Arabi in winter as they get too hot when ridden.
I think you just have to treat them all differently really.
Gloi
Too little time, too much to read.
About -50 or so.
Pinkvboots
Well-Known Member
Gloi
Too little time, too much to read.
Yeah . I might have to put the heating on.Let's hope it doesn't get that cold
gallopingby
Well-Known Member
A unclipped highland shouldn’t need rugging unless you want to be able to ride straight from the field and not have to remove loads of mud first. However if you want to do much over the winter it’s probably sensible to clip a bit and then you may decide to rug or not. Temperature and rugging isn’t really relevant you’ll find with most native breeds it’s cold wet and windy weather they prefer to avoid wherever possible, whereas they’re quite happy if it’s dry and cold and their mane make excellent hand warmers.
Cloball
Well-Known Member
I didn't rug my unclipped fell last winter when she came in at night unless I really needed her clean. She's like a bear. I might if it's vile this winter as she's out at night now but only if it's wet and wild for a protracted period.
P.forpony
Well-Known Member
My quarter horses were out at -40 in Canada munching hay happy as Larry, with a foot of snowfall on their backs. It never melted because their coats insulated so well.
A Highland would do -50 without blinking!
My shetty is getting clipped this weekend because he's stood in the field wooly as a polar bear it's 14°c and he's sweating.
I wouldn't be rugging a Highland unless it's fully clipped, frail, ill, elderly or underweight (never seen one manage it yet though!)
SO1
Well-Known Member
It is going to be -1 next week down South. I am not sure yet if I will rug my unclipped new forest or not. He is in at night out during the day. It is the wet and wind and rain combined with low temperatures that is unpleasant. It looks dry.
Previous new forest used to be fulled clipped most winters as he used to get very hot but Bert doesn't seem to get quite as hot and is not doing as much work.
Homey when he was clipped wss only in a 100g most of the time unless it was mega cold. Bert was mainly in a rain sheet last winter as not cljpped but it was quite a wet winter this year seems to be drier so far.
Previous new forest used to be fulled clipped most winters as he used to get very hot but Bert doesn't seem to get quite as hot and is not doing as much work.
Homey when he was clipped wss only in a 100g most of the time unless it was mega cold. Bert was mainly in a rain sheet last winter as not cljpped but it was quite a wet winter this year seems to be drier so far.
Sb0137
Member
Sb0137
Member
Thank you
Jenko109
Well-Known Member
Was Homey a NF? Chestnut? About 13.2hh?
meleeka
Well-Known Member
One of my minis had a bib clip today. He's been a sweaty, horrible mess this week. Weirdly, my other one, who appears to have a thicker coat, never gets too hot. Considering he was on Shetland a year ago, this has surprised me. He must think he's landed in the Bahamas
P.forpony
Well-Known Member
One of my minis had a bib clip today. He's been a sweaty, horrible mess this week. Weirdly, my other one, who appears to have a thicker coat, never gets too hot. Considering he was on Shetland a year ago, this has surprised me. He must think he's landed in the Bahamas
This is my boy now, still a bit damp after his Sunday stroll but at least he's not sweating in the field now!
His coat is thick but I think the problem is the undercoat, its so fine and dense and wooly it's amazing.
He was actually turning his naked neck into the wind when I went to bring him in so nice to know he's figured out the ventilation system!
SO1
Well-Known Member
He was a bay NF 13.3. When I had to have him PTS at 20 due his stomach no longer working properly it broke my heart. I still haven't got over loosing him.
EmZponios
New User
my cob is a warm girl, if its cold but dry shes naked. if its wet windy and cold shes in a rain sheet to keep the chill off her back as we have very little shelter