Should I rug the ponies? Opinions please!

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I know people bang on about Shetlands being bred to be hardy but they aren't any more. All horses adapt to their living conditions. Shetlands on Shetland grow mahoosive big coats and know when it's time to stand with their bums to the bushes or hill edges. Shetlands down south adapt to being warmer and drier in flat fields with no natural shelter so they become weaker in a sense. We have sent Shetlands to America that were born in Shetland. Within 3 years these ponies no longer grew winter coats (they were in Florida) as they weren't needed. They got a little bit fluffy but nothing compared to how they had previously been.

Horses and ponies adapt. I personally wouldn't rug a Shetland that access to food and shelter - I would call it a stupid idiot and not a true shetland for ignoring it! A true shetland would be the first in that stable eating all the hay and not letting anyone else in! Standing in the door way looking very smug with itself! So the fact that it is outside, soggy and a bit cold serves it right! Lol!
 

ImmyS

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My Welsh part bred stayed naked in the monsoon like weather, with no shelter, just hay/grass and he seemed happy as Larry. I think he is a particularly hot horse though. Some of the other natives were lightly rugged and were happy also. Horses for courses.

I’m usually of the opinion if heavy rain is forecast for a few hours/half a day I leave naked as he never seems any worse off. If it’s going to rain relentlessly for a day or two I might chuck a lightweight on as I think it’s starts to make them a bit miserable.
 

The Fuzzy Furry

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Yesterday, shyte weather here. 7 degrees at 8pm
4 native purebreds. 2 slightly chubby, neither cold at all (Fell and 33inch shetland) and still nibbling out in field.
1 tiny one not carrying any excess was shivering, also the biggest 14hh was shivering - she is about right body score wise and is fit and in hard work.
The 2 cold ones had tea, hay and a rug popped on, re-assessed 2 hours later just before dark. Both warmed up and bigger one dried out completely. Treated according to conditions at the time :)
 

Auslander

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In my view no unclipped healthy horse that has access to sufficient food and can move around to keep itself warm and has access to shelter (not necessarily inside, a hedge/tree whatever will do) needs rugging in June in the UK. In my view no unclipped healthy native pony (and especially a shetland...) that has access to sufficient food that can move around and has shelter as just described needs rugging in the UK at all. The use of turnout rugs in the summer and for natives in the winter is solely for our convenience in keeping them clean. They are not necessary for horse welfare. The horse ware industry has done a fantastic marketing job in selling us unnecessary rugs in all shapes and sizes for every eventuality year round. Rugs for mini ponies in particularly...........

I couldn't care less if mine are clean or dirty - I actually enjoy seeing them all muddy and happy. Yesterdays weather in many parts of the country was unprecedented for the time of year, and followed a longish period of very warm weather. If there hadn't been a sharp drop in temps, accompanied by persistent heavy deluge, I would have left my lot naked - but the combination of both factors made them cold and miserable, so I put turnout rugs overnight (and very grateful they were too). Except the Shetland, who is clipped, but fat - and has a very cosy shetland sized shelter.
 

awelshandawarmblood

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It's 9 degrees here & been 48hrs of solid wind & rain, my Welsh D called to me today for the first time ever (15yrs) & came running when he saw me with tail clamped down. He had his tea, dried off a bit & gone back out in a full neck 100g very happy - he doesn't have any shelter at the moment bless him on his fatty paddock.
 

tallyho!

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I'll be honest... I've never seen a shivering horse. I'd agree that shivering is horrible though, I was shivering last night.
 

JFTDWS

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None of mine are rugged. I feel bad about my mare, but she's not shivering, she's warm to the touch and seems happy enough. They're a bit friendlier than usual - keen to pester me for food, but equally happy to wander off and graze. They do have decent natural shelter and long grass though - and we're in the mild east of England!
 

HashRouge

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I'll be honest... I've never seen a shivering horse. I'd agree that shivering is horrible though, I was shivering last night.
My Arab shivers really violently when she's cold - legs shaking, flanks trembling, the works! Needless to say she had a rug on during the wet weather we've had! Although she only has a no fill as they have amazing shelter in their field. The Welsh never wears a rug because he's too hard to catch. I figure that if he was miserable, we'd know as he'd be suspiciously friendly!
 

OldNag

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I am a vehement under-rugger - but last night went with a high denier rainsheet and tonight have gone with a 50g. Pony's summer coat is quite fine and there is limited shelter available.

It's horrible weather at the moment, hard to believe it's nearly midsummer!
 

BBP

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BBP has his own solution to shivering. He gallops, and gallops and gallops and rears and leaps. He could do with the exercise and shedding a few pounds, but I could do without the vets bills for reinjuring his sacroiliac or fracturing his leg again or triggering his RER. He has a rug on.
 

Northern

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You "un-ruggers" best not come to Australia :p Plenty of horses here are rugged in filled rugs as soon as the temperature *gasp* dips below 20C... Today will be 18C and mine are nude, but I'd say 50% of the horses at my livery will not have their rugs removed. Whilst I am vehemently against overrugging (which constitutes anywhere from 4-8 rugs on a horses here!), I choose to rug mine appropriate to the weather. We're in a drought and the wise use of rugs here help keep weight on the TB types when hay becomes scarce. I would love for mine to be out in 1000s acres with copses of trees for natural shelter, unfortunately this isn't possible and my rugs help provide shelter for the Antarctic winds we get here.
 

Tiddlypom

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Yes, I dare not tell you how thick a rug my PSSM has on. There would be a page of criticism :D but he is totally loose and happy. Hope your girl is OK.
I’ll start off the bidding :D. For my PSSM mare, last night I removed her 100g rug and put a 400g HW + neck cover on. The others stayed in their 100g’s. It’s still p1ssing it down this morning, so the PSSM mare may keep her HW and neck cover on during the day o_O. That is unusual for June!
 

Merrymoles

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Scottish summer here too! I am also anti-rugging - my slightly too fat Irish cob had nothing heavier than a 100gm even in the coldest part of winter.

However, I cracked yesterday and stuck a rainsheet on him as there is no shelter at all in his field. When I checked temperature last night it was to make sure he was not too warm, rather than cold, but he was fine.

With access to shelter and hay, I wouldn't have bothered - but that's my horse and I really couldn't tell how any horse I haven't seen might be feeling. OP, you are the one who knows your horses best!
 

Meowy Catkin

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You "un-ruggers" best not come to Australia :p Plenty of horses here are rugged in filled rugs as soon as the temperature *gasp* dips below 20C... Today will be 18C and mine are nude, but I'd say 50% of the horses at my livery will not have their rugs removed. Whilst I am vehemently against overrugging (which constitutes anywhere from 4-8 rugs on a horses here!), I choose to rug mine appropriate to the weather. We're in a drought and the wise use of rugs here help keep weight on the TB types when hay becomes scarce. I would love for mine to be out in 1000s acres with copses of trees for natural shelter, unfortunately this isn't possible and my rugs help provide shelter for the Antarctic winds we get here.

Eight rugs! How is that possible?
 

lar

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What about an old native who lives out but needs to lose weight? Who was shivering last night but didn't look miserable and wasn't standing near the hedge but was in the middle of the field eating? Who has sweet itch so normally needs a fly sheet. Gah! I hate these rug dilemmas!
 

Mule

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You "un-ruggers" best not come to Australia :p Plenty of horses here are rugged in filled rugs as soon as the temperature *gasp* dips below 20C... Today will be 18C and mine are nude, but I'd say 50% of the horses at my livery will not have their rugs removed. Whilst I am vehemently against overrugging (which constitutes anywhere from 4-8 rugs on a horses here!), I choose to rug mine appropriate to the weather. We're in a drought and the wise use of rugs here help keep weight on the TB types when hay becomes scarce. I would love for mine to be out in 1000s acres with copses of trees for natural shelter, unfortunately this isn't possible and my rugs help provide shelter for the Antarctic winds we get here.
I didn't know you got winds like that in Australia. I always think of it as boiling hot. I saw a video clip on the internet of a koala bear in someone's garden. The man brought him some water to drink. 🤗
I'd love to stroll outside and see a koala bear up a tree :D
 

Horsekaren

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i cant stand this weather!
ive recently spend £50.00 on a swish waterproof fly rug, i rate them. The other night i put his full lW on as the weather was a joke. Today he has his water proof fly rug on, poor thing is probably sweating but in an hour or two heavy rain is due untill midnight and he shivers if cold and wet. I hope the fact it is net around his belly means he isnt going to overheat :(
He is a Cob, a hot Cob but cant handle cold and wet weather, loses his marbles in it. plus i think he is sore so cold wet muscles cant be any good for his back.
I'm sitting in my office doing a rain dance as now it is far to hot and i feel awful that he has it on :(

I agree i dont like them being out in prolonged rain naked, some seem fine but some i drove past really did seam miserable.
 
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