Starting over rugging horses already..... 17° in the sun :-(

[emmad96]

My mare is a wuss. We are coming into summer, and she's in a 100gm at night if its dry, a 100gm and a canvas with wool lining if wet and during the day in her canvas with wool, unless very still and sunny. In winter she was in a 300gm turnout, a 300gm under rug and occasionally either a fleecy or a 100gm underrug. All at once. It only gets down to about -5C here, but with torrential rain she freezes. Middle of summer last year and it was raining, so she was in a canvas with wool lining and her ears were froze solid and she looked miserable. I will admit, I do know people that put rugs on their horses at the start of winter and they dont come off til now, and its terrible.

 

[rachk89]

Mine keeps taking his own rug off in the morning. I have finally given up and not rugging him again until he is clipped. My mum thinks I am cruel but he has a good layer of fat still and is very hairy so he won't care. He will run around and huddle into another horse if cold.

 

[wiglet]

I'm on full livery - all horses in at night and out during the day - so rugging is left to the YOs discretion. The clipped horses are all rugged of course, everything else is decided on the day. Can be a tough decision - it's cold here first thing, then in the sun, it can warm up but, the yard is quite exposed so it gets windy. Usually the unclipped go out naked if at all possible but if it starts raining heavily at lunchtime, the staff will put rugs on. I'm always happy with their decision - they use common sense.

 

[dibbin]

There are 2 little Welshy types along the road from us, who have both been wearing 2 rugs all summer. The mind boggles.

We're still using rainsheets for turnout, but will probably go to MW after (full) clipping, as we're very exposed.

 

[mytwofriends]

My old fella is fully clipped, although it's growing back fast, and he's prone to weight loss so he's currently out in a no fill, but will have his old m/w on overnight. It is pretty chilly (was 4 degrees last night), and even though it's low teens today and sunny, there's a bitter wind.

It's hard to judge other people's animals, so each to their own I say.

 

[Tyssandi]

Just been down my yard to check my boys and every horse on the yard is turned out in a rug - some with full necks. Its a lovely sheltered yard in a valley which is a real sun trap and all the horses rugged are not clipped, not in work and all showing a bit of fluff.

There is a Shetland in a lightweight turn out rug. In the 17° sun.

I feel like Tom Hanks in the green mile walking past all their fields as they look becheechingly at me - its horrible!

I know each to their own and some horses feel the cold more etc.. but they are all looking hot and miserable. What baffles me the most is the owners stood in the yard in t shirts saying 'gosh its so warm today'

Wtf??!

Where did the trend for rugging a horse constantly come from? Is it the manufacturers - there seems to be a rug for every possible occasion on the market? Do horse owners genuinely think that an animal designed to live outside is cold in the mild weather?

I cant think of a reason to make a horse unhappy and uncomfortable just for the sake of it?

Quite frankly why are you worried? they are not your horses.


We upt our rugs but then ours go out at 7am when it is cold, so obviously if it warms up they may get warm but then we fold our necks under so they are necklass and not clipped.

 

[JJS]

Quite frankly why are you worried? they are not your horses.

I think most compassionate members of the horse community would be bothered if they saw animals who were hot to the point of being uncomfortable. That's like seeing a drowning dog, turning to your concerned friend, and saying: "Why are you worried? It's not your dog." It's a natural instinct when you care.

 

[laura_nash]

Quite frankly why are you worried? they are not your horses.

I wonder if you'd say the same thing if OP had said a clipped horse was being left out at -5 with no rug or shelter? I never understand why people think too hot is ok, when too cold isn't. It's the same as people making a huge fuss over a slightly skinny horse and turning a blind eye to a massively obese one.

Obviously I haven't seen these horses, but in general I think it is fair enough to worry about over-rugging as a welfare issue. Sure, worse things happen to horses, but you can say that about most non-life-threatening welfare issues.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

horses can colic if too hot or too cold-that's why it's important to a horse's welfare.

I keep swithering with the foreign one I'll admit. We've had some hard frosts and we are high up-not alot left in the grass. He hates rugs though and has to wear one for such a long time (he's nowhere near weatherproof enough to winter out without one) that I am holding off putting the 70g on him for now. The exmoor is waiting for fly rug to come off, he only wears a rain sheet in winter if I want him clean.

 

[Tyssandi]

I wonder if you'd say the same thing if OP had said a clipped horse was being left out at -5 with no rug or shelter? I never understand why people think too hot is ok, when too cold isn't. It's the same as people making a huge fuss over a slightly skinny horse and turning a blind eye to a massively obese one.

Obviously I haven't seen these horses, but in general I think it is fair enough to worry about over-rugging as a welfare issue. Sure, worse things happen to horses, but you can say that about most non-life-threatening welfare issues.

Typical reply what if you saw a horse without a rug or similar - or seeing a drowning dog, that has nothing to do with it.

Were they actually miserable because they were hot?, were the rugs taken off to see if the horses were hot or sweating?. Some owners may work in the day time and do their horses early in the morning and felt it was then to cold to leave naked. So they put a rug on they felt was right for the circumstance - never had any here miserable because it warmed up in the day time enough so rug was not appropriate.

 

[Tyssandi]

OP
I think your best bet over the concerns for these horses is you speak to YO/YM first privately or if your friends with the owners speak to them direct. I am sure they will either put your mind at rest of their well being or they will thank you for mentioning to them they were in discomfort or miserable due to being warm. I would if your not friends or feel awkward let the yard personnel speak to them as they may get through to the owners better.