shivering horses in this heavy rain - would you rug?

Wagtail said:
I would rug with a medium or lightweight with some filling. Lightweights with no fill will make them worse in this weather.
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Agree with this....mine were shivering and clammy last week when it was bad-I'd popped LW's on because they were miserable with nothing.......but I've had to dig some MW's out much to my disgust....they spent all winter unrugged and now having to rug them in April....ridiculous:mad:
 
I would have rugged too OP! Mine is out today in a non necked medium! She doesn't care what the weather is like, she just likes being out. There are trees that overhang down one side of the field, she barely uses that, even though the others all use that to shelter them from the rain. I feel mean, every Horse on the yard was kept in today. So she is out alone!
 
I have found my horse shivering a couple of times in the last two weeks, this cold wind and driving rain is really chilling them down. Mines out today in his thinner MW but I may have to change it for a thicker one later. He has ad lib hay and plenty of shelter, he's just cold, mainly I think from losing his winter coat so doesn't have the extra hair to keep him warm.
 
Like Snowdrop says, the majority of horses have very little coat at the moment because it is April. They need some help. Mine have their summer hair coats and are in med weights. I had to bring them all in because farrier was coming. Even rugged the galloped up to me to come in. Total wimps!

Terri
 
I've had to get the MW out again as well, its so unusual that my cob needs anything more than a LW, but this week she has come in cold having been unrugged for a good few weeks before this wet weather started.

Its difficult to get it right at the moment :confused:
 
My old boy (full connie!) would have been in tears and had disco legs in this wind and rain but new boy (tb x connie) was out in it this morning in lightweight with no neck and whilst he did look pretty cheesed off he was warm as toast under the rug, but I did change it for a med weight as I'm soft. :D Every single equine at ours is rugged at the mo, from cobs to WBs to TBs to shetties. Infact the minis probably have the most on as they are totally spoiled! They are NOT mine I hasten to add!
 
I'm worrying now in case I should rug mine? The rain has been mad here all day.

My boys are Gypsy Cob and Welsh D, both a little overweight, out 24/7, no field shelter but hedges to stand by and plenty of grass to eat. The Welsh is 'nautral' hairy, and the Gypsy has a very low trace clip only. This morning they felt warm so I gave them breakfast and a (wet!) cuddle and left them to it.

The are both normally 'warm' bods - by that I mean all this winter they've lived out with access to hay and neither has needed a rug at all.

I can put rugs on them early this evening as it if get's colder overnight and they are already very wet they might start shivering overnight?

I've got a waffle or a fleece rug I could put on first as they would already be wet, then a no-fill over the top? Would that be ok?

Arggghh - I know no one else can say if I should or shouldn't put rugs on, it's down to each location/wind chill factor/rain/individual horse etc, but I'm such a worryier in case I don't get it right :rolleyes:
 
HappyNeds said:
I'm worrying now in case I should rug mine? The rain has been mad here all day.

My boys are Gypsy Cob and Welsh D, both a little overweight, out 24/7, no field shelter but hedges to stand by and plenty of grass to eat. The Welsh is 'nautral' hairy, and the Gypsy has a very low trace clip only. This morning they felt warm so I gave them breakfast and a (wet!) cuddle and left them to it.

The are both normally 'warm' bods - by that I mean all this winter they've lived out with access to hay and neither has needed a rug at all.

I can put rugs on them early this evening as it if get's colder overnight and they are already very wet they might start shivering overnight?

I've got a waffle or a fleece rug I could put on first as they would already be wet, then a no-fill over the top? Would that be ok?

Arggghh - I know no one else can say if I should or shouldn't put rugs on, it's down to each location/wind chill factor/rain/individual horse etc, but I'm such a worryier in case I don't get it right :rolleyes:
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Happyneds don't worry about rugging them when wet - if you have a med then they are designed to 'wick away' moisture. I've done it heaps and if you go and check after 3 or so hours they horse will be only slightly damp under the rug and bone dry by morning.
 
Will be putting L/W no fill on mine this evening due to the rain. The temperature's are not bad, its just the continual horizontal rain making them uncomfortable. They don't need extra warmth, just relief from the wet and wind.

Mine never use field shelter during bad weather either, they only want to escape from baking sun and flies.
 
Yup - mine both have no fill turnouts on.

I never rug them, I don't think my 24yr Welshie has ever worn a rug in her life, both of them are out in every weather during the winter (in at night though) but this constant wind and rain with their summer coats & out 24/7 was too much.

Both of them came up for their tea shivering and tucked up last week - that was it, they have both had the no fill turnouts on every since.

Check them both 2 - 3 times a day and they are now warm, dry and much happier.

They do have permanent access to their stables and plenty of natural shelter in the field but the silly things prefer to stand in the driving wind and rain in the middle of the field!
 
Mines rugged but out with access to shelter which he uses loads in bad weather. If I found him shivering because he was wet then yes I would bring him in, dry him and rug him there and then then probably put him back out.
 
scarymare said:
Happyneds don't worry about rugging them when wet - if you have a med then they are designed to 'wick away' moisture. I've done it heaps and if you go and check after 3 or so hours they horse will be only slightly damp under the rug and bone dry by morning.
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Thanks scarymare, I can't get down there for another hour and a half, but will go armed with their rugs ready, and unless they are toasty hot (which seems unlikely) then I will rug them as they are :):)
 
Gluttonforpunishment said:
Yup - mine both have no fill turnouts on.

I never rug them, I don't think my 24yr Welshie has ever worn a rug in her life, both of them are out in every weather during the winter (in at night though) but this constant wind and rain with their summer coats & out 24/7 was too much.

Both of them came up for their tea shivering and tucked up last week - that was it, they have both had the no fill turnouts on every since.
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I think this says something about the rediculous weather we are having! :eek:
 
Tried to rug my welsh B and cob x tb today, both warm and unfazed by this horrible weather. Both saw the rugs coming out and bogged off across the field. Took that as a no thanks!
 
The only time I've seen my TB shivering was on a warm summer's day, when it was pouring with rain - she can cope with minus temperatures and snow, but not the cold rain on her back. My Spanish girls are exactly the same.

All mine are out today in the cornish sunshine (aka pouring rain) with medium rugs on (full necks too to limit the dribbles) and are looking pretty happy.
 
Mine are both rugged in this weather (only LW) and IDx TB decided to come back in last week! 21yr TB has been out unless really bad but would much prefer to be out!!!
 
Mine spent all winter with just a no-fill TO on to keep her clean, yet in the middle of April she's got a fill rug and am currently contemplating putting a neck on :o Such a wimp!
 
all 3 of ours were shivering this morning, I felt so guilty as they only had light weights on and they were soaked through! they were all good brands as well but obviously just not made to withstand this much rain,

I have put mediums on all of them now! and was told that my 2 yr old has never been rugged until i got him! so its a good job i was being a wimp and bought him 2 rugs, otherwise he'd have had nothing to wear! just makes me pleased that he's with me and being kept warm at times like this!
 
my mare was wet and shivering this morning even with access to large field shelter etc - put on waffle then lightweight - thought i would have to take off waffle at lunchtime as would have been wet but checked at lunchtime and she was dry and warm.

Even with rug my thin skinned appy makes a beeline for the shelter at the first sign of rain and stands right at back "just in case" may get nose wet - he also waits for brekky in there if wet - sad sap !
 
My mums cob & my haflinger are in lw's & were warm this morning, but my youngster came out of his lw into his mw full neck as he was shaking from head to toe, he does get cold when it really rains like it has been.
 
only the TB is rugged because he has such a fine coat and i've only just got him up to weight so i don't want him getting chilled, he's only in a lightweight tho as when the rain stops the wind is actually not cold here. All the others are naked and strangely the only one that was a bit shivery this morning is the welshx who never wears a rug as he grows a coat like a yak!! i gave him extra hay this morn and when i went down at lunch time he was warm as toast.:)
 
Found mine wet and shivering too, he's been out naked so put his MW with neck on him and had his feed to warm him up.

Field is open and windy but they have only just moved into them as they are summer fields so grass is very good.

He'll warm up shortly :) rain hasn't been too bad by me luckily.
 
Mine went out with medium weights but my eldery Arab mare was not amused by the unrelenting rain.Have to confess my daughter brought them all in around 10am as they looked miserable and were hanging around the gate,not grazing the lush grass which is a telling sign.They were very relieved to be in,as were the others on the yard.
 
shivering the rain would i rug?? simples yes i would ,
as mentioned even if they are wet i would rug as they soon dry off.
Could never leave ,my horse shivering of cold :(
 
rug what is needed when its needed
if you rug u pto eye balls and horse it usd to it - then by all means rug up to eyeballs
if you chose to not rug then dont
be consistant with your chosen method.
be silly - ie have a freezing cold horse or sweaty one - or swap between the two - and you are asking for trouble
really it doesnt matter what anyone elses horse is in - do what is right for you and your horse
fwiw mine tonight is in a 450gm and her field mate is in a rain sheet. they both live out - they both have different owners who've rugged them over the years to different methods. both are warm, happy, fit and healthy.
if i swapped the rugs round one would be as wet in sweat inside as the rug would be outside - and the other would prob be skin and bones with a chill by the morning
 
I've done it many times, rugs these days are fab and breathable, bit like us wrapping ourselves in a bath towel! They soon warm up and can have a good groom after when they have warmed up and dried off!
 
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