Someone explain to me... I don't really get it?

LauraBR

LauraBR

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Rugging... I know a lot of people who believe that once you put a rug on a horse (e.g. this time of year) then that's it- it stays on regardless each day, same rug- until it is time to 'permanently' upgrade to thicker one on so on...

I don't get it? Weather is so variable right now, I put rugs on to reflect the forecast- today for example was absolutely foul, much chillier and driving wind and rain so the mw turnout goes on. At the weekend the weather was SO mild so he went out in in lw rug.

I adjust my layers dependant on the weather so why shouldn't I do the same for him? I'm sure there MUST be a logical reason why I'm doing it wrong but I don't know what it is?!

Can someone enlighten me?
 
I'm exactly the same as you Izt.
One person on my yard rugs according to the date!?! How bizarre is that? As soon as it hit october her horse had THREE rugs on at night - even though it was still practically in the 20's.
I don't get it either - I'm joining your quest for enlightenment!
 
Ay?? As a huge novice I have always thought it sensible to rug according to the weather/clip/how the horse reacts and occasionally to suit the owner (I do have a grey!) I keep any eye on the thermometer and the forecast. It means I have no rugging 'routine' but I do have a rather larger than I should have rug collection(!) but nothing compared to some on here
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I dont get it either!
I rug according to the temperature and weather conditions, if it was warm and sunny tomorrow (i wish) the unclipped ponies would be naked again! similarly, if it dropped to -5oc id up the rugs their wearing! x
 
Hi
I rug according to how many layers I have, oh and the BBC weather 5 day forecast, oh and although my car is old it shows the temp
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Can't sleep otherwise
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I dont get it either - I also dont get people clipping just because others on the yard have when in all honesty the horse doesnt even sweat much - but that is a TOTALLY different story! Some nights I rug, others I dont - I go by how I am feeling regarding the temp!
 
I check metcheck.com every day, it's really detailed and gives me a good idea of what rug Maiden might need. Only a week ago as an unclipped horse she was naked at night! Now she's clipped I won't have less than a 100g stable rug on her but I'll still check the weather in case it's going to be cold enough for layers/ thicker rug. I'm the weather girl at my yard, I always know the forecast and everyone asks me as they all do the same and rug according th the conditions. I've never met anyone who hasn't... poor horses though! I over-rugged Maiden the other night in a 100g and a fleece, both rugs were literally dripping by morning! I wonder what those owners would do if that happened?
 
IMO you're not doing it wrong, you do it the same as I do. In fact until I had a horse I never paid much attention to what the weather forecast was, now however I am the weather queen
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I rug Pidge according to what the weather is doing and the temp is. In fact someone at the yard the other was amazed Pidge was still out at night as he had been clipped it was like "is he not in now he's been clipped? I always bring mine in at night once clipped" My answer was that I'd gone to a 100g in the day and 200g at night when needed now he was clipped and that he would be coming in when the field got too wet.
 
BBC weather was invented for horse owners- i think most of us are obsessed by the overnight 'low'!
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I developed a serious habit when the BBC site was doing the 24 hr forcast too
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, but i don't seem able to get it anymore. UK weather.com does a V good 24 forcast though!
i'm with you all on rugging for the conditions, at the moment my boy is in his 100g with a neck- so far he hasn't been cold, but he is getting wooly!
 
Bloomin weather is a nightmare, she is out in Sun shower sheet with suncreamed nose (just in case) during the day, and night either a cooler or lightweight stable rug depending on temp! I have 5 different rugs on the go at the moment!!
 
the only thing i stick to is my horse has her magnetic rug put on when i come back from riding but if its cold i put her lite weight stable rug on top. shes been clipped now but ive got about 8 rugs i swop and change with
 
Rugging should depend on 3 things.

1. The weather - dry/wet/temp
2. What kind of coat/clip the horse has
3. The condition of the animal

It's been raining almost non-stop here for almost 2 weeks, due to the awful weather, B has been rugged whenever out. EVERY day, she has a LW on, most nights she has that on too, but last night she had a MW on, as she does tonight - stabled!
 
As and when you need to, I think. Anybody feel the 'armpits' and stifle for sweating under the layers and the base of the horses's ears? I always do a 'toasty pony' check to make sure there's no overheating going on.

Horses can tolerate low temperatures very well when allowed a normal coat and freedom to move. It's the wind and rain combined with low temps that cause the problems when they are out, and draughts and no way of moving to keep warm when confined to a stable.
 
I too put rugs on to reflect the weather. Most of last week she had a thin turnout rug on. Saturday was nice here and she went out naked!!! But she is great she doesn't roll even in the mud and a coloured at that. Put a middleweight rug on her one night and she was too hot underneath in the morning. So she is back at night in a very almost a summer sheet!!!! And no winter coat at all to show for it.
 
Yes we rug according to the weather, and at the moment, its on off on off mw then lw then mw again its a total pain. I wish the weather would just decide to become winter and be done with it, at least then we all know where we are!
 
You need to apply a bit of common sense like in all things. The problem is once a horse is used to wearing a rug his coat and internal fat layers and temperature guage adjust to wearing a rug, so to a degree you shouldn't just add/remove rugs for the littlest change in temperature. That said I did rug unclipped youngster for a few nights back last month and he has since not worn them as it warmed up by more than 10 degrees at night.

So I do try to stay rugged once rugged for the winter, but equally I apply them for the first time because of the weather and only change that routine if the weather changes dramatically. Adjusting the horses rugging every night for the slightest change in temperature can actually cause more problems for the horse as it cannot regulate it's own temperature.

Hope that helps explain where this came from.

Burtie
 
I wonder about that too!
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At the moment, our horses rugs are altered between their fleece coolers and their lightweight stable rugs and outside they have just gone into their medium weight turnout rugs.
 
Im the same, I take their rugs off if its a really nice day (which actually isnt that often round here....!) . I think its good for horses to have the sun on their backs and to enjoy rolling without a rug on all the time. I think horses regulate their temp very quickly so changing / taking off rugs etc. won't harm them. Id rather take a rug off than let my horse be hot all day!
 
Mine are still unclipped and apart from one or two cool and very wet nights are unrugged.

I rug according to the BBC and have lots of layers so I can keep them at a fairly constant temperature.

Cairo needs more rugs then most clydies but he has poor circulation due to chemo and can get cold when standing in. When out and moving he is fine.

About to clip and rug - starting winter routine this week.

No more having to do gentle exercise and wash off - mine are very hairy now.
 
i feel better reading this that im not a freak
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im an overnight low obsessor too, the people on my new yard think im odd, because i rug my horse according to the weather
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(they also think im mad because i groom my horse and clean my tack after riding too though
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)
 
next week the horses come in so i'll be clipping mine (he's quite woolly and is coming back soaked after even a gentle hack), so i'll be getting some stick for that - clipping is little short of cruelty apparently
 
its an interesting question - and as others have explsained does depend on the circumstances.

As someone else said - horses with a natural coat can cope with weather very well - that's what they are for! And in the wild they can't change their coat [once its grown] if they have a warm day in the middle of winter. BUT of course we have totally changed their natural lifestyle - plus a tough native type is going to be equipped to deal with the weather much better than a TB - which originate from Arab stock I believe and whose genes are presumably based on living in a warm climate.

I do feel more concerned about my mare getting cold in the stable - I know some feel that they are sheltered and must be warmer but I agree that, my mare at least, gets colder - as they can't exercise and stimulate their circulation

Her turnout rugs are the warmest and I have underrugs so can layer them as weather gets colder - but tend not to change them at night [unless they are soaked or dramatic change in the weather] as feel if she's warm and dry why put her through the effort of warming up another rug? I think its more natural - as far as it can be anyway.

The idea of changing out of NZ rugs into stable rugs is a throwback to the 'old days' when all we had were canvas nz's that got very wet and needed several days to dry, and jute rugs that weren't very warm and needed lots of blankets underneath.

Modern turnout rugs are made of much more versatile, waterproff and breathable material and can make the transition between outdoor/indoor much better.

I do get frowned at but usually by ladies of a certain age - are the change rugs at night brigade predominantly more mature folk [ I'm 38 but latched on to convenience of modern rugs as soon as I could] or is it a good mixture?

My turnout rugs are good quality and very waterprooof - so , even if its been rainung, she is cosy and dry underneath and I don't feel the need to change her rug. Plus the rug seems to dry quicker on the horse and its not cold and nasty in the morning [I know some people have nice drying facilities but we don't].

Sometimes I do put her Mark Todd stable rug on - but only because its such a lovely colour it seems a shame not to.
 
Horses should be dressed according to the weather just like we do imo! I.e if the temperature drops or the forecast is for rain or wind, rug accordingly. If you don't have very thick rugs when the weather warrants it, layer them but make sure they are not too heavy on the horses back and remember, when you layer rugs the top one usually causes the bottom one to pull back and therefore rub the shoulders.

I always check mine are warm enough by putting my hand over the hind quarters, beneath the rug and I also check around the shoulder. If your horse has a very thick coat put your fingers on their skin, down between the coat as often the coat will appear cold but it is insulating them and keeping them warm by the skin.

:-)
 
but it depends on the type of horse - a native pony with a full coat will already be dressed for the weather! A TB prob won't.

We clip and rug for our own convenience [easier grooming] plus in order to make the horse more comfy for exercise. Ie not sweating up then getting cold etc. I agree that layers can be adjusted but don't think rugging and onstant changes of rugs/layers is totally necessary for every horse's wellbeing.
 
Yep exactly my point, always monitor your horses warmth and condition and rug them accordingly. I have a welsh C and whilst they usually are classed as "Mountain ponies", mine never grows a winter coat, regardless of whether you rug him or not so I choose to keep him warm with rugs and am lucky enough not to have to clip him to keep him from sweating! So I don't think you can classify horses by breed either as to whether or not they need rugging and how thick they need to be. Just "feel" them and keep an eye on their condition as most will drop some weight or become tucked up if not warm enough.
 
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