Sub zero temperatures

[little_critter]

I do hope Met Office have it wrong.. not Scotland, but we are 750ft above sea level. I’m sure she’ll keep warm in her fluffy coat with ad-lib hay ?
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We have a similar forecast in Somerset.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Felix is unrugged at the moment. Amber and Lottie are rugged. Lottie because she is clipped and Amber because she needs to gain a bit of weight. I worry about Felix but he never even uses his shelter so I think he is fine. -8 and lots of snow forecast here for later in the week. Should I rug him then?

Difficult one isn’t it. I don’t use light weights at this time of year as read it just pushes the winter coat down and restricts it. Maybe see how he goes, but have a rug handy?

 

[TGM]

My retired fluffy pony will be naked unless we get prolonged periods of freezing sleet. She copes well with dry cold and actual snow but i do feel sorry for her when we get driving sleet, particularly now she is older!

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

He’s been clipped and in a rainsheet but as of tonight he will be bumped up to a 200g as it’s to go from 3/4 degrees down to -4/-8here predicted on both met office and bbc and with his recent colic is rather he were a touch warmer but I doubt 200g would be classed as over rugging a clipped horses in such temps

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

This is why I prefer a 50g a rainsheet offers no warmth really and will flatten the coat so in effect makes them colder.

 

[HollyWoozle]

Felix is unrugged at the moment. Amber and Lottie are rugged. Lottie because she is clipped and Amber because she needs to gain a bit of weight. I worry about Felix but he never even uses his shelter so I think he is fine. -8 and lots of snow forecast here for later in the week. Should I rug him then?

I don't know anything about your Felix but all ours coped fine in -13C beast from the east temps some years back (all in good health and we fed them lots and they had access to shelter).

 

[SpotsandBays]

I’m conflicted with my 4yo (unclipped). All of my horses have been native/hardy/look at grass and get fat types, up until I got spotty botty warmblood. I’m used to popping a 50g/100g on in the worst of weather, but he needs managing differently. He’s coming in at night so I can get more hay into him (the others don’t need it!). His winter coat this year is rubbish, so has been having a 100g turnout on during wet weather, but with the temps dropping I’ll just keep it on him outside now.
I don’t want to over rug, but alternatively I don’t want him burning calories to keep warm as he drops off very quickly! Not used to this type ?

 

[SEL]

Felix is unrugged at the moment. Amber and Lottie are rugged. Lottie because she is clipped and Amber because she needs to gain a bit of weight. I worry about Felix but he never even uses his shelter so I think he is fine. -8 and lots of snow forecast here for later in the week. Should I rug him then?

How much of a coat has he got? If he's got a decent coat on him and both him and mum have access to hay then he'll be fine - they heat from the inside out.

I tend to find they cope fine in cold if they can move around and eat a lot. The only time I ever rugged my Ardennes in cold weather was when he stood in his east facing stable during beast from the east. The rug went on at night and came off the next day when it was still bitter but he was out in the field and able to move around.

Mine all warmed up this morning by playing zoomies. My poor field really doesn't need trashing but they were steaming after a good gallop.

 

[Birker2020]

Mines in a 50g at the moment with it being 5-6c in the day and 2-4c at night. I'm going to put a 50g with a neck on and see how warm he is before going onto a 100g as I'm trying to reduce his rug needs due to potential blood bank slot in the Spring. He's an 11yr old WB.

 

[AmyMay]

Well I got chilblains on my legs today walking the dogs this morning ?. Time to dig the thermals out.

 

[Annagain]

Arch is 28, naked, fluffy and filthy and will remain so. The only time he's been rugged since he retired was when we had a really horrible cold, wet and windy spell in May last year after a really warm spring. He'd lost all his winter coat and was shivering.

Usually, when it's really cold, it's dry so they don't have the double whammy of cold and wet. Arch has never felt cold in winter and always kept his weight on really well.

 

[AmyMay]

Some Amateur forecasters are now predicting large amounts of snow Monday next week for Wales and the midlands.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

I’m conflicted, neither of my boys are clipped this year. DP is on box rest due to a nasty injury and has definitely lost weight in the last week but he was slightly overweight to start with. B who is keeping him company is quite ribby. I’m happy to put a 100gm on B but I’m not sure about DP. He’s a hot horse, healing well but if it’s taking a lot of energy should I put a 100gm on him or should I just fill him with haylage.

Sometimes horse ownership just fries my brain.

 

[scats]

What’s this cold weather everyone’s talking about? ? Does look chilly out the window though!

 

[ihatework]

I’m just glad can get the horses wormed ?

 

[NinjaPony]

My retired 23 year old Welsh is in a heavyweight with leg wraps overnight. He is body clipped as he has Cushings, and I can monitor his temperature without the hair. I’ll add a liner for the predicted -4 nights, he’s always felt the cold but even more so now he’s older. This is the first winter I’ve had to add to his feed to keep his weight on and he’s looking better now so I don’t want him using it to keep himself warm.

 

[AmyMay]

I’m conflicted, neither of my boys are clipped this year. DP is on box rest due to a nasty injury and has definitely lost weight in the last week but he was slightly overweight to start with. B who is keeping him company is quite ribby. I’m happy to put a 100gm on B but I’m not sure about DP. He’s a hot horse, healing well but if it’s taking a lot of energy should I put a 100gm on him or should I just fill him with haylage.

Sometimes horse ownership just fries my brain.

Rug the ribby, but not the fatty.

 

[rara007]

The unclipped, unrugged ponies (31yo Shetland, 24yo 14hh NFx type, 25yo Welsh A will remain as such. My unclipped sports horse is out in a 200 for the first time this year tonight, and my clipped cob the same (he’s been in 200 about a week).

 

[HappyHollyDays]

Rug the ribby, but not the fatty.

Thank you, I’m poorly at the moment and struggling with life in general so a clear head is much appreciated.

 

[Winters100]

So much depends on pony itself, what sort of cold (dry crisp cold v howling wind), and what shelter they have available. We are predicted to be low of -12 and high of -6 for several days next week. At night they will be inside an American style barn, but outside dawn to dusk. None are clipped, but all have fine coats. I will rug as follows:

Old lady poor doer
Daytime 300g with hood. Night 200g, possibly 300g

'Average' gelding 10 years
Daytime 200g with a 0 g hood, night 200g

Good doer gelding 9 years
Daytime 100g with a 0g hood, night 100g, but if the stable feels cold I might pop a light fleece under

It is just such a difficult question, but my general feeling would be that a fluffy native who had access to hay and some sort of shelter, natural or otherwise, would be fine without a rug.

 

[Dazzer]

Last winter my cob lived out unclipped and was absolutely fine. This winter he is clipped and currently in a 220g rug without neck. I don't have any heavier rugs so am planning on giving him plenty of hay.. he has a shelter but doesn't use it

 

[JBM]

My 21yo mare is unclipped and in a 50g to keep her weight wasnt getting any hard feed as out 24/7 but will this week for the snow just to make sure she has enough to keep her warm and getting all her vitamins and minerals with the grass getting snowed on (due Wednesday night)

 

[Connemara24]

25years connemara is unrugged and very fluffy. Newforest has a hunter clip had been in a 300g with neck at but changed to 400g with neck tonight, gets cold easily. Gets too 1 degrees tonight. They have no shelter in field very exposed adlib hay.

 

[First Frost]

19 year old Connemara with a full clip has just had his 200g put on, he was in a 100g. 7 year old TBX Connemara with a blanket clip is also in a 200g. Both are in overnight.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

I’m conflicted, neither of my boys are clipped this year. DP is on box rest due to a nasty injury and has definitely lost weight in the last week but he was slightly overweight to start with. B who is keeping him company is quite ribby. I’m happy to put a 100gm on B but I’m not sure about DP. He’s a hot horse, healing well but if it’s taking a lot of energy should I put a 100gm on him or should I just fill him with haylage.

Sometimes horse ownership just fries my brain.

I agree with Amymay, ref rugging.

That said, I blow diets out the window with all I've ever had, once temps are consistently below zero. In Dec 2010 I fed the 3 I had then ad lib for 2 weeks solid, figuring they needed to keep warm and occupied whether in or out.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

I agree with Amymay, ref rugging.

That said, I blow diets out the window with all I've ever had, once temps are consistently below zero. In Dec 2010 I fed the 3 I had then ad lib for 2 weeks solid, figuring they needed to keep warm and occupied whether in or out.

I’ve left my mare naked, nice fluffy thick coat but been feeding ad-lib hay. Shocked I was the only livery to put hay out today.. ground was solid, all the other horses were turned out and stood watching.

This morning she was nice and toasty, -3 on our outdoor thermostat.