should I rug him yet?

Boxers

Boxers

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My daughter's 3 yr old horse is going to be turned away for the winter. He will prob go at the end of Sept/beginning Oct and is going with 2 others to a large field surrounded by trees and hedges.

He is 16.1hh and 3/4 TB 1/4 Irish. His coat is very thin at the moment. I'm just wondering whether I should put a lightweight rug on him yet or leave him to 'toughen up'.

I am feeling a bit mean cos my daughter's hunting horse is already fluffy and I have put a rug on him now to try and slow his coat growth as I don't want to clip him yet.

Also, approx what size rug for a 16.1 3/4 TB?
 
Personally I would rug him. But if you do it will mean a rug visit daily through the winter as once on it can't suddenly come off in November :(. I would be looking to buy a 6' rug for him at that size. I think 6' 3" would be too big. I expect a lot of people will advise not to rug but to let his coat grow. I just wouldn't entertain leaving a TB type out without a rug.
 
Depends where you are really. Here in Wales it's actually about 15 degrees or so in the daytime, so when the sun comes out, he may be too hot. It can stay quite warm in the daytime here till the end of October. Being too warm is probably less comfortable than being too cold - horses can make their hair stand on end to keep warm, but they can't cool themselves down if they have a rug on.
 
Gilbey said:
Personally I would rug him. But if you do it will mean a rug visit daily through the winter as once on it can't suddenly come off in November :(. I would be looking to buy a 6' rug for him at that size. I think 6' 3" would be too big. I expect a lot of people will advise not to rug but to let his coat grow. I just wouldn't entertain leaving a TB type out without a rug.
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He will be rugged when it's winter - I couldn't leave a TB naked! I was just wondering whether to put a lightweight on him now. Once he's 'away' he will be checked daily.
 
I have a very fine ISH who is a wimp I couldn't toughen him up if i tried! I live on the Welsh coast and the winds can be very fresh. My boy is in a fly rug with a waterproof lining (just over his back and neck, sides are mesh) but I will be changing him into his no fill in the next week or so. If he gets wet and its windy he only stands there shivering and will start to loose weight which I don't want.

But like Waffles says it can be quite warm during the day and luckily I am able to get to my horse to take his rug off during the day if need be so he doesn't get too hot.
 
Is he cold, does he look miserable, tucked up? If so, personally I would pop a rug on him, easier to take a rug off than put lost weight back on.

Two days ago our temps were in the 30's, today it plummeted to just 14C and I have had to rug an arab and a tb today because they were looking so miserable and neither of them are particularly good doers. They both practically sighed with relief when I put their blankets on.

Rugging is such an individual thing, I honestly think you have to go with your gut and your personal knowledge of your horse.
 
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Agree with Enfys about it being such an individual thing. Some of ours are having rainsheets on at night already, others naked and absolutely fine.
 
agree with Enfys - for one roughed off over winter i try to leave until the first few frosts to allow a good coat growth - esp if they can stand under trees etc to escape from rain

ideally i leave unrugged all winter unless they begin to show signs of loosing weighg - but i think more important than rugging is actually ad lib good quality hay

i used to work in polo and all the ponies (invariably ex-racers picked up for meat money at sales) lived out every winter unrugged but with ad lib hay (good few bales in field as they lived as a huge herd) - you'll be amazed how tough TB's are ;)
 
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