Rugs on or off in trailers?

[now_loves_mares]

OK- so be warned, I am grudgingly doing my parents tax returns so am VERY bored.....

I have been meaning to post this for ages and keep forgetting. Having been a spoiled person all my life and had lorries, in the last couple of years I have been using a trailer. This causes me no end of dilemmas (I clearly ponder these things too much

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Anyway - rugs on in the trailer - yes or no? Obviously a boiling hot day = no. In my experience, horses generally get hot when travelling, but that is in a lorry. So if say you had been away for a jumping lesson and it was winter, and your unclipped ned was a bit sweaty but not badly so, just a bit damp, would you put a rug on? A cooler sounds like the obvious answer, but do they keep heating up while travelling, or on the contrary do you think they would get a chill because they are damp, it's cold, and the back doors are open....

Does your decision depend on how long your journey is? Do you put on turnouts if it's raining, or shut the back doors? I once came home from an event, it was ok-ish weather and horse didn't need rugged, but drove through a torrential downpour on the motorway so the poor horse had a drenched bum when I got home

Told you I was bored! Just so you know, this is a general question, not a specific one as such, so waffle away.... (like I said, I'm bored and looking for distraction)

 

[lizzieuk1]

usually i'd put the thermatex on, if its raining i usually shut the door on the side of the horse and leave other open.

 

[CrazyMare]

Thermatex, with or without another layer depending on just how cold.

I also have some very thin sheets I use during the summer as greys get too dirty too easily on the way to shows.

 

[hadfos]

summer...no
winter a thermatex....most horses get warm when travelling...stops them getting a chill!!
I like to leave the top doors at back open as much as poss so horse dosnt feel closed in....however if it heaving down with rain i would close them

 

[SunSmile]

I normally travel in thermatex or fleece. Would also depend how the horse travelled ie if it normally sweated or not. I know of people who travel in trailers in stable rugs/nz's.

 

[Jane_Lou]

I use polar fleece rugs for travelling, I have 3 including one with a full neck and depending on the temp I layer them, the advantage is that any moisture passes through to the top rug. I have a lorry now but have used the same system for years, even in a trailer and never found they got wet through to the skin. If they were not sweaty I would put a lightweight turnout over the top just before we left when it was raining heavily.

 

[miss_c]

I always travelled Mazzie in her Weatherbeeta ThermaCell Cooler Rug/Fleece, which kept her warm if necessary but cooler if it was warm. Once or twice if it was wet I would travel her in a TO rug.

When I take Genie places it completely depends on the weather! If it's hot then no rug, otherwise she'll usually have the same as Mazzie did.

 

[milliepops]

My horse gets hot in the lorry and rarely travels in anything (maybe a thin sheet). In the trailer I do rug her apart from during the summer. This time of year she travels in her thermatex and seems to arrive just the right temperature. If it is really peeing down then I would put a LW turnout on as I wouldn't shut the back doors.

 

[palomino698]

Thermatex and/or polar fleece in cooler weather, depending on temperature and how much coat the horse has, lightweight Masta cooler in hot weather.

 

[jumptoit]

When they are clipped and it's cold sep - mid march, they wear full premier equine rugs inc. necks in the trailer but no neck when in the lorry as I leave my rear doors open on the trailer. I always take a cooler in case they get to hot though, in summer just a fleece cooler or in the odd instance nothing for a fairly short journey.

 

[now_loves_mares]

Whoops I nearly always travel with no rugs at all, but then I haven't been anywhere since November, boo

I guess if both horses are in the trailer it could turn into a little sauna in there though.

 

[milliepops]

[ QUOTE ]
Whoops I nearly always travel with no rugs at all

[/ QUOTE ]
Well I wouldn't worry about it, all horses travel differently and you know your horse best. If it isn't clipped then chances are it won't feel the cold as much anyway (assuming it isn't dripping wet when travelling home

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[lucemoose]

My mare is fully clipped and travels in either her stable rugs (often the heavier one) and returns after in a lighter weight stable rug or a collection of thin layers. The beastlet pony also travels in rugs. In the summer they travel in sheets. I was suprised myself to find she is happy and just right in the stable rugs.