Rugs - is he too hot??

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Quartz

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I have started rugging up my horse, during the night it drops to about 4 or 5 degrees. However by the time its morning and back up to 10 degrees when I take off his rug he has sweated. Not excessively, but still a bit on his sides. It is a 200g rug, should he be in a lighter weight? Personally I would of thought for those temps it was ok????
 
Quartz said:
I have started rugging up my horse, during the night it drops to about 4 or 5 degrees. However by the time its morning and back up to 10 degrees when I take off his rug he has sweated. Not excessively, but still a bit on his sides. It is a 200g rug, should he be in a lighter weight? Personally I would of thought for those temps it was ok????
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Depends on the horse really. Have you tried going up to him about 9, 10 at night to see if he is hot as if he hot then, then personally i would put a lighter rug on maybe about 100g or around that area. x
 
Like horsecrazy says, it really depends on the horse. I know mine would be dripping in that! Horses don't need to feel hot or warm. If you put your hand into his armpit then it shouldn't be cold. If he isn't clipped yet and has no health probs, then I would have thought that rug is rather heavy for the weather.
 
God, really!!! I thought was it was pretty cold at night he would like to be nice and warm as he is outside. He isn't clipped, so maybe he is just too hot. I just thought really as he is on his own he will be colder as no horses to be next to for warmth. Will go down into his field tonight to check on him and see if its best on or off. He must think I am nuts with my decision making, am often putting on and taking it off five mins later!!!!
 
Quartz said:
God, really!!! I thought was it was pretty cold at night he would like to be nice and warm as he is outside. He isn't clipped, so maybe he is just too hot. I just thought really as he is on his own he will be colder as no horses to be next to for warmth. Will go down into his field tonight to check on him and see if its best on or off. He must think I am nuts with my decision making, am often putting on and taking it off five mins later!!!!
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Awww don't worry to much, i think it just because the sudden drop in temperature people think there horse is going to be cold so are putting thicker rugs on x
 
Problem answered!! Went to rug him up, so that I could see how hot he was later and I noticed that his rug is still wet on the inside where he sweated last night. I would say that he had sweated significantly more that I thought for it still be wet!!! Will not rug him tonight, but will still check later.
 
Quartz said:
Problem answered!! Went to rug him up, so that I could see how hot he was later and I noticed that his rug is still wet on the inside where he sweated last night. I would say that he had sweated significantly more that I thought for it still be wet!!! Will not rug him tonight, but will still check later.
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Awww glad you found your answer, you could always put light weight rug on x
 
Quartz said:
I have started rugging up my horse, during the night it drops to about 4 or 5 degrees. However by the time its morning and back up to 10 degrees when I take off his rug he has sweated. Not excessively, but still a bit on his sides. It is a 200g rug, should he be in a lighter weight? Personally I would of thought for those temps it was ok????
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I think many can get rugging wrong, we have all done it, well I think alot of us have!
Anyway, if your horse is sweating he is way too warm. Why not try a cotton sheet or nothing at all.
As was suggested they should not feel hot or warm to the touch, they heat themselves from inside out and I think people can get the wrong impression by feeling their coat.

ETS: Horse are most comfortable between minus -8 degrees and 15 degrees
 
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