shivering/too cold....a few questions!!

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Hemirjtm

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Hemir has been out 24/7 with no rug on for the past 2/3 months - temp has not gone below 10C even at night...In the rain, and the sun...etc. He is normally fine, but have just been out to get him in to ride and he was really shivering, and he was obviously not happy! I brought him in gave him some hay (and a tiny bit of hard feed - handful of chaff and a handful of sunflower seeds, mixed in with some carrots and apples!), towled him off, and then put his stable rug on.

Did I do the right thing, should I have done anything else? Could this just be a one off?

Another thing, he has been coughing a bit recently, just as i start riding him he caughs then he's fine....could this be a reason for him being cold?? He has also had a bit of mucas (sp) in his nose...any ideas, or am I worrying to much?!

thanks
x
 
He could just have a bit of a cold. Has it been damp where you are? Ours are out 24/7 but still have their rugs on at night as still pretty cold. If it has been very wet and your horse hasn;t been able to get dry this could be the reason. I am sure they can get 'under the weather' just like we can. Shivering is only the body's way of warming itself up. I have found mine shivering before if it's been especially cold, wet and windy even when they have their rugs on!

Maybe turn him out in a rug to help keep his body temperature up. How old is he? We did have an old pony years ago who once did get hyperthermia from just getting too wet through (he had a long thick coat so took ages to dry and we think that was the problem), we found him lying in the field in fresh poo (I think an attempt to keep warm). Fortunately we managed to get him up, in a stable and warmed up and get the vet to treat him in time. I was actually quite shocked they could get it though.

My pony also quite often gets a bit of a cough in the winter just as I start out on a ride too but it's never caused any problem
 
I would agree with LadyT that he's possibly got a bit of a cold or a chill. I don't know where you are but here it's been very cold this past day or so, with an east wind and heavy rain, so an unrugged horse that's started to shed its coat might well be feeling cold. Mine are out 24/7 but are still rugged unless the sun's shining!

Has he got enough grazing to keep him warm? If not, maybe you could put some hay out for him when you turn him back out.

ETS: I've just seen your reply to LadyT so I guess it might be the sudden onset of rain that's chilled him. Lucky you, living in France!
 
Thankyou
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He's got 5 hectares of good grazing...so should keep him warm! It was very sudden so guess it was probably just that thanks x
 
Trouble is I think a lot of horses have started losing their winter coat, but the reality is its not warm at all. I would probably pop a lightweight rug on him until the weather picks up a bit (please, please let it improve soon!)
 
Well, I'd do what you've done - it's probably due to being chilled by constant rain.
To discount illness, why don't you take his temperature...then call the vet if it is above/below normal?
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Ours were out all winter without rugs. They started losing their coats mid-Feb, one morning in March after it had rained all night, they too were cold and shivering, so came in for a few hours.

By when it got to the week before Easter, when it went really cold and rained a lot, we had to put lightweight rugs on them as they had no coat left on their necks and chests.

Now keeping an eye on the weather, and pop rugs on if we think they may need it.
 
I tend to go by what I'm wearing myself. As its cold and wet here today I've got my winter raincoat out again and so horses are in lightweight rugs to keep the rain off their backs even though they were unrugged last week. The seasons are going in reverse here.
 
Wish i was in France - or indeed anywhere that didn't have such miserable weather. I am sick of mud. Am very jealous of people in nice warm countries!
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