Rugs on babies.... Do you?

Vickijay

Vickijay

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Hey.

My weanlings go out in the day and in part of a big barn (which is quite airy as big openings at each end) in the night. 1 of them is doing fine with no clothes. The other is a bit chilly on a cold night and I recon would be cold after a day of wet out and then a cold ish night. I kept them in today as sideways sleet and they were not happy babies about it!!

Was thinking either of buying the chilly one a turnout rug to keep her dry in the day but then she would prob need it on in the night to i guess. Or could get her a fleecey rug for night time so she could go out and get wet in the day and be dry and warm in the night.

Do you rug your babies in the day or night?

I dont want to overdo it but I dont want a cold foal either, am I just being over cautious?

Vicki
ps she is TB x, 5 and a bit months, weaned for a week or so, eating well, an ok weight... maybe a bit on the light side. Also used to rugs as my mare had her on the most awfull day of the summer lol

Thanks for answering (if you do lol)x
 
both of my weanlings were rugged in their first winter..they were out during the day and in at night (stable). I do know many who do not rug though and barn them through Winter and they all seem to do very well on ad lib hay and hard feed twice a day.
 
Mine is still with mum, and despite feeling a bit guilty about the gale force winds and sleet, snow and hail stones over the last 5 days, he is, and will remain without a rug. He's in at night and there is a big hedge in the field to hide behind - although he did wonder what happened to mum when she got hers on with its neck cover!
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My foal is out 24/7 in a well sheltered 10 acre field and she's nekkid! She does however have a coat like a Yak!! She's a WB too! The TB foals at work, some of which are valued at house prices, are all out 24/7 and nekkid - they have less natural shelter than mine and no field shelters. Only the ones in prep or already at Tatts are/were in at night. Each to their own though - every horse is an individual and all that.
 
Mine are out 24/7 and naked unless the weather is seriously wet and cold and windy like it has been today. Coz we live at the foot of the Downs the wind whips up very very cold and strong and rain or cold on their own is fine but when all are coupled together then ot gets pretty horrid for the little ones as they have no shelter.

I was up at Catherston today and ALL of their weanlings, yearlings and 2 yr olds are out and unrugged no matter the weather. The weanlings do have a barn they get locked into at night but are otherwise out all the time and the older ones are out 24/7 with no shelter.
 
I have got my 7mth out during day and in at night but got her a thin rug for wet days as there isnt much shelter in the field and I felt it would be good for her to get used to rugs being put on and off. She only wears it when its wet as its not for warmth as its thin.
 
Our colt is rugged day and night, in at night and out during the day.
He was weaned early due to the mare doing him too well, so I felt he needed less chance of getting chilled.
We have tried our foals rugged and unrugged over the years, and a lot depends on what they are; one who was ID x grew a coat so thick she would have sweated horribly even on cold days, but the others with more warmblood/TB all needed rugs to live out that first winter.
I don't use leg straps just cross surcingles and a fillet string, and ours seem to cope fine, but the best thing is to feel them, if they feel cold, rug them.
 
Since Finn grew a yak coat he's been naked but this weekend he's been playing out in the snow in a rug, and had a v thin one at night in the stable as its v draughty and down to below freezing.

I try to leave him without as much as possible unless its wet and cold. Just cold is fine but I try to keep him dry.

Have left them in today as the melting snow has soaked the paddock so he's in naked
 
my june baby is out 24/7 naked, welshie. I have however bought her a turnout and fleece rug 'just in case' but i am leaving the labels on as i dare say they will end up being ebayed unused and outgrown!
My foal decided to go for an 'aventure' 3 days ago, this consisted of jumping one fence into one field, mooching for a while, then jumping another to go in another field (both other fields were empty so no other horses she was going to see) needless to say, i dread to think what could have happened if she had been rugged and it had got caught.
 
Mine is rugged. Shes got a thick coat but it is so silky soft and downy, even though it hasn't seen a brush for weeks.

She is warm and happy wearing her rugs, playing and eating well so I'm sticking with the decision to rug her.

She is a pony but is at least 50% warmblood type so not particularly furry and tough.
 
We have 4 youngsters out together (3 yearlings & a 2 year old - 2 WBs 1 TB & 1 heinz 57). I never put rugs on them (they have to grow their own!) and they do just fine. Personally I would rather risk them being cold sometimes rather than risk potentially having an accident with a rug, as they are usually only checked once a day, plus the field is huge and they have loads of natural shelter. None of mine so far have ever looked poor enough to change my mind about that but everyone has their own take on it.
 
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Totally up to the individual horse isn't it.

6 month QH/Arab. Out 24/7. Also Yak quality coat. Unrugged as yet, although should she be cold or show any loss of condition then I will have no hesitation in hotfooting it down the road and buying her a blanket. I can't see the point in letting a foal (any horse come to think of it) being cold or losing condition when it is within my power to do something about it.

I also couldn't care less what anyone else thought, all my neighbours think I am a big softie, but then, some of their horses look like hatracks come Spring.
 
Thats exactly it Enfys - I wasn't going to rug Callie, but at about 2 months she started to look like she had caught a chill - pointless to deliberately let her get poorly for the sake of not rugging her. Shes clearly taken after her mother who is a total wimp.
 
Wow thanks everyone
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After reading all replies and having another feel of her I think she will need some rugs. She was nearly 3 weeks early and also left her mum at 5months (as my mare was getting thin) and so think its best to keep her warm on chilly/wet days and nights. Just hope she doesnt get in a pickle with it. Fingers crossed!
Thanks again x
 
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