Rugs yet?????

My ISH is in a M/W tonight as it is meant to get down to 4C. I would generally rug more lightly but I don't want her to grow a thick coat if possible. She also got a bit lean last winter so I'd like to keep her warmer this year.

18yr old pony (who needs weight keeping on him) is in a no-fill and shettie is obviously nekkid.
 
my 3 year old appyx welsh was naked up to yesturday at night but is gonna be 4 so he is now just wearing a lightweight.
My exmoor filly is naked and she will be for the whole winter.
 
We've got m/w on the arabs, l/w on welshXtb, just a rain sheet on very fit new forest pony who would'nt want too loose much more weight (normally fatter and naked whole winter exept in snow) and all the (fat) natives are naked in an attempt to get as much weight off before spring and lamititis season :S and 33 year old SKINNYYY arab in about 3 rugs (fleece, l/w and h/w)

All exept new forest pony live in (she lives somewhere else, with a cob in a m/w- he never gets a very good coat in winter :S)
 
Unless someone knows the shelter in your field, weather in your area, breed of horse, weight of horse etc etc etc etc etc then noone but you can decide if he needs rugged I`m afraid!
 
PC Steele said:
My 17yr old is in the field 24/7 and is unrugged, he is getting a nice thick coat should I put a rug on him yet or too early??:confused:
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Is he looking cold and miserable, dropping weight, prone to rain scald?
If not, then I wouldn't bother yet.

My eldest 2 mares have MW blankets on at night purely because they are both fairly poor keepers and I'd rather they ate to fill their bellies rather than to shiver.
 
My Welshie is still naked although comes in at night all year round to get him off the grass for a few hours. I check him for warmth morning and night and so far he seems fine as he is. Just got back from letting him out (yes it was 5.30am on a Sunday!) and he was warm as toast naked in his stable even though we have a grass frost this morning.Normally I would have rugged him by now purely based on whether it was below 10 degrees or not (cold in my head), but this year I am going on how he appears to be temp/weight wise as I would like him to grow good winter woolies and keep his weight down.
 
Just got in from fetching my 19yr old in; Warm as toast still and unrugged, if he's cold stick one on if not don't! Mine won't have one one until it gets very very cold or its raining a lot.
 
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