Rugs...in July?!

[magicmoments]

I just don't understand why anyone rugs by the month. I do understand if your horse needs to lose weight why you would be very reluctant too though. I don't rug if there's just a little rain, but if it's heavy for more than an hour my mare shivers, so I will put on a no fill. I am not rugging at the mo because of the temperature as I think she's fine with that, it's just the incessant heavy rain.
Anyone should be rugging or not according to the horse in front of them, not the breed, age or time of year, or what others are doing on the yard.

 

[Bobthecob15]

I was just being sarcastic asking are people rugging in July because its 'normally' warm and not this wet/chilly...not suggesting people should rug by the month which is how this thread has gone....

Never heard of anyone doing that personally!

 

[magicmoments]

I was just being sarcastic asking are people rugging in July because its 'normally' warm and not this wet/chilly...not suggesting people should rug by the month which is how this thread has gone....

Never heard of anyone doing that personally!

It was mentioned up thread by another poster, not yourself, even if they did state other reasons too. I know of people who won't put the heating on even if it's cold, because it's summer, so there are people who think like that unfortunately, which is fine for themselves, but shouldn't be applied to animals who have no choice in it.

 

[Sealine]

I'm pretty sure all the replies scathing people who rug by month are aimed at me

I have a genuine question for those who rug at this time of year. How do you cope with the range of temperatures and changing/removing rugs? It's 22 degrees here now and it's going to start raining heavily at 5pm and rain all night. Overnight low is 15 degrees with a forecast of 23 degrees for tomorrow. I wouldn't want my horse in a rug in 22 degrees and I can't get to him before 5pm to put a rug on even if I wanted to. Do you leave a rug on all the time or are you able to add/remove rugs at various times of the day based on the temperature and weather forecast?

 

[EnduroRider]

I am at the yard circa 7am and 7pm with the horses being in during the day and out at night. As such I have the benefit of having dry horses to put rugs on in the evening and it is generally cool enough for a lightweight by that time. I have had to leave in rugs during the day a few times in the last couple of weeks when they have come in cold/wet in the morning and on the days where it then significantly warms up I pay the YO to whip them off if needed during the day.

 

[Tiddlypom]

If in doubt, and this even applies to the PSSM mare, it's always better to have them under rugged or unrugged rather than over rugged.

It can be very hard to make the right call when the weather is up and down like it is now.

 

[magicmoments]

I am at the yard circa 7am and 7pm with the horses being in during the day and out at night. As such I have the benefit of having dry horses to put rugs on in the evening and it is generally cool enough for a lightweight by that time. I have had to leave in rugs during the day a few times in the last couple of weeks when they have come in cold/wet in the morning and on the days where it then significantly warms up I pay the YO to whip them off if needed during the day.

Me too, but if I've missed the boat will dry with towel as much as possible, and then rug if downpours are forecast over night. I would also accept being too warm for an hour or two, if it will save many hours of shivering overnight. It's not easy, I don't always get it right, sometimes it doesn't do as forecast either. I don't mind her being on the cool side if it's dry, as her coat should fluff up, but it's the heavy rain and or wind that are the problem.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I'm pretty sure all the replies scathing people who rug by month are aimed at me

I have a genuine question for those who rug at this time of year. How do you cope with the range of temperatures and changing/removing rugs? It's 22 degrees here now and it's going to start raining heavily at 5pm and rain all night. Overnight low is 15 degrees with a forecast of 23 degrees for tomorrow. I wouldn't want my horse in a rug in 22 degrees and I can't get to him before 5pm to put a rug on even if I wanted to. Do you leave a rug on all the time or are you able to add/remove rugs at various times of the day based on the temperature and weather forecast?

My horses are at home I'm here most of the time so I often rug them at 9pm when the sun has gone if it's gonna drop or be wet, but even on livery I would have gone up before work to remove a rug if I knew it would be warm.

 

[Flame_]

I have a genuine question for those who rug at this time of year. How do you cope with the range of temperatures and changing/removing rugs? It's 22 degrees here now and it's going to start raining heavily at 5pm and rain all night. Overnight low is 15 degrees with a forecast of 23 degrees for tomorrow. I wouldn't want my horse in a rug in 22 degrees and I can't get to him before 5pm to put a rug on even if I wanted to. Do you leave a rug on all the time or are you able to add/remove rugs at various times of the day based on the temperature and weather forecast?

I have a horse who can't stand prolonged rainfall. My horses mostly live out through the summer but since this wet spell I've been rugging the arab overnight and bringing in during the day if it's likely to be more than showers. I figure there's a risk of horse over-heating in the sun during the day in a rug, or suffering if its very wet left out without one, so he goes in the stable without one and back out rugged at night.

 

[Sealine]

My horses are at home I'm here most of the time so I often rug them at 9pm when the sun has gone if it's gonna drop or be wet, but even on livery I would have gone up before work to remove a rug if I knew it would be warm.

Removing the rug is the easy bit it's timing putting it back on before it start raining that's tricky. It's a moot point for me anyway as none of my horse have needed rugging in the summer so it's never been a problem.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

they’re ridiculous aren’t they! you wouldn’t think she lived out 24/7 until she was 7, i’ve honestly never met a pony until her that i thought would genuinely rather be stabled than turned out in the rain she’ll have to suck it up though, i didn’t prioritise winter turnout when finding a yard for nothing lmao

Yes they are, she lived out on the moors age 1 and 2 till her 3rd home then out in field till i got her in 2009 age 3 1/2.. I have been out in a sleeveless T shirt at 7.30am, and shorts yet she is shivering, and dashes to her shelters if it rains. The little princess

 

[NinjaPony]

I have to make a judgement call, I turn out for an hour in the morning while I sort him out, and then bring him in, and leave him in an appropriate rug for the YO to turn him out in during the afternoon, then bring him in after work.

So in theory if the weather is weird, he can have 3 rug changes in a day. His waterproof fly rug is a god send at the moment, he doesn’t tend to get hot under it and it keeps all the important bits dry.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Removing the rug is the easy bit it's timing putting it back on before it start raining that's tricky. It's a moot point for me anyway as none of my horse have needed rugging in the summer so it's never been a problem.

Hey I know I seem to totally get it wrong some days and the poor buggers get soaked or they boil in a bag so to speak.

I only have 2 and 1 is fine in the rain the other one will think his going to die in more than a shower, he also has no coat and gets rain scald quite easily so I try to do what I think is right.