Safe to put on more than 2 rugs in winter?

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sparky1981

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Was just wondering your thoughts on putting lots of extra rugs on horses in winter,in the stable and out in the field. Have a friend that thinks its unsafe to put more than 2 on because she had a horse which died in the field that had got his legs stuck in the straps and couldnt get up. Had struggled all night. He was fairly old though.
 
There will always be stories on how something injured a horse or worse, but for every bad tale there are many good ones. Our horses regularly go out with a couple of rugs on, infact many horses do & we haven't had any problems yet.
 
Surely just buy a thicker rug?!?!

I wouldn't put more than 2 rugs on a horse in their stables, and we NEVER turn out in more than 1 rug. Just not worth the risk....!

We have just about every thickness of rug, and as we've bought the cheapest ones at times, and nicer ones in sales, its not cost us a fortune.
 
I'd just be careful that the circingles and the leg straps are done up fairly tight so that there isn't too much opportunity to get legs caught in them. I would have thought that getting caught up in rugs could just as easily happen with one rug as with four if its not fitted properly.
 
Oh yes, thats another point - if all the surcingles are done up tight, I'm sure you'd be fine, but my above comment still stands!
 
Lots of thin rugs used as layers will actually keep a horse warmer than just one thick rug as warm air is trapped between the rugs. As long as the rugs are fitted correctly and are safe and secure, it doesn't matter. I too know horses which have had accidents with rugs but they have all been caused by surcingles/leg straps being too loose/not done up properly and they could easily have been avoided if the rugs had been correctly fitted in the first place.
 
I regularly turn out with more than two rugs on, mine has two on atm but will no doubt need three or possibly four if it gets really cold! I have a very thick heavy turnout but he's a wimp and it's not enough to keep him warm! :) xxxxxx

EDIT- Forgot to add that I make sure all straps are done up as tight as I can without rubbing, so there's minimal risk of getting caught.
 
Yes but HelsBels why dont you just buy some hench rugs? I'm not being funny but we have a Pessoa rug that you could winter out the ice age in, that we got from Gatcombe for a ridiculously low price. There just cant be any way your horses need 4 or 5 rugs on them!!!
 
Sorry flamehead, it's just not going to happen. My horse is happy, warm and absolutely 100% comfortable the way he is and has a wonderful life. I don't see any reason on shelling out on anything new when what he's got keeps him well. In temps of -13 I really don't think a maximum of 4 rugs on a very poor doer is a problem. I suppose I could just throw good feed away instead?? (Where you got 5 rugs from I am not sure!).
 
I put 3 rugs on my pony when he's in the stable at night, he's grumpy with less on because he gets cold. a wool day rug on the bottom, and 2 300g plus HW stable rugs on top of that. During the day he goes out in 1 HW turnout rug and is perfectly happy with that.

The ponies I've seen caught up in their rugs have usually only been wearing one rug rather than a load of them, so I can't really see the problem in putting more rugs on if you take care with the fitting of them.
 
I can't help but think that more than two is defeating the point of nice modern insulating rugs, as everything will be so compressed that it will no longer trap warm air as it is supposed to? :confused:

I'm a bit old-fashioned in this regard I'm afraid and will put a wool Witney rug under a single stable rug of appropriate weight if I feel a horse needs extra.
 
You'd better come and discuss that with my supposedly tough forest bred New Forest Pony BlackCob!!!! He assures me this is what he needs and if he doesn't get this getup to wear on a cold night has been known on numerous occasions to pull down all his other rugs and wee on them...
 
i have layered rugs in the past & still do, & dont see a problem with it really. Mine all have at least 2 on tonight, & 2 have 3 on. I usually dont change rugs between day & night, & try to keep a lw stable on at all times to keep the heat in. I hate putting cold rugs onto warm horses, therefore mine will always have at least two on at any given time in winter. I then just alter the thickness of the turnout i put on or extra stable rug if they need it.
Every horse is an individual & needs to be treated as such, for example my fully clipped lw cob is wearing a waffle cooler & a lw stable rug tonight & is the toastie one on the yard, whereas my unclipped connieXtb is wearing a thermatex & 2stable rugs & is only just warm enough.
 
Mine both have 2 rugs on currently, have had more in the past but not required at the moment.

The thing is maybe you dont want a heavyweight on as they dont need it but layering of rugs thin or thick or both can save a lot of money in different weights of rugs being bought.
 
flamehead said:
Yes but HelsBels why dont you just buy some hench rugs? I'm not being funny but we have a Pessoa rug that you could winter out the ice age in, that we got from Gatcombe for a ridiculously low price. There just cant be any way your horses need 4 or 5 rugs on them!!!
Click to expand...

I have one that is feeling the cold so badly at the mo, that she has got her under rug with neck, a heavyweight stable and a heavyweight turnout, and is JUST about warm enough. When its hitting -10 she can wear what she chuffing well likes if it keeps her warm....and that includes her pessoa! Its not about having "decent" rugs, its getting what works on that particular horse.
If the horse needs "extra" rugs, then so be it!
 
mine now has one 300gm turnout on. did have a250g and a fleece but that drove me insaine... as it slipped.

the 250g im going to swap/sell now :/
 
Mine has a LW stable rug and a MW combo turnout on top :)

Will probably take LW rug off and switch it to a MW stable underneath; temps here are hitting -10 at night! :eek:

I am waiting for a HW rug to arrive, so when that comes he will wear that :)

As long as the rugs are well fitted, should be ok :)
 
I do wonder about the fitting and having so many straps if you put on more than one rug - when they are not designed to be layered, as the top rug might be too tight - or do you buy the outer rugs in a large size than the under rugs.

If you have 4 rugs on then do you have four sets of surcingles?

I think you can get the thicker rugs now like 450gr so maybe you would not need to put more than two on?
 
joeanne said:
I have one that is feeling the cold so badly at the mo, that she has got her under rug with neck, a heavyweight stable and a heavyweight turnout, and is JUST about warm enough. When its hitting -10 she can wear what she chuffing well likes if it keeps her warm....and that includes her pessoa! Its not about having "decent" rugs, its getting what works on that particular horse.
If the horse needs "extra" rugs, then so be it!
Click to expand...

Have to agree with you, joeanne. We're stabled in North Yorks, it has been -3 in the day today, and forecast -8 tonight. My horse has under rug with neck, mw stable and hw stable on, because he needs them! They are all light and well fitted. I do not over rug my horse - he is full TB and at the moment he needs the extra layers. I don't think any of us would go cold because they thought an extra fleece might inconvenience us!!
 
i have 2 in 3 rugs and 1 in 2 and they're fine. I alter the straps to make sure they're not going to cause a problem but i've seen more accidents with one rug than with layers. Also having had many horses of different sizes i have ALOT of rugs of all shapes and sizes so i find it quite easy to layer my boys up in suitable rugs and much cheaper than buying one rug for every change of the weather. As with most things i think if you use common sense you'll be fine
 
I would just say if you are layering rugs then be aware of the weight of them combined and the pressure applied to certain areas such as the withers. I've seen very unhappy and sore horses from having 2 or more fairly heavy rugs pressing on their withers (where is naturally will). Sane and gentle horses who started to bite and kick whenever a rug went near them.
 
Madam has a fleece, LW stable rug and a MW stable rug on tonight, I've always found it hard to get a rug that fits her correctly, when I finally found one that fitted her right it was only a MW, I also do tend to layer rather than have one heavy weight .

The 3 rugs put together weight wise would be no heavier than a heavyweight .

Each one fits her well and shes never had any rubbing .
 
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