Temperature drop! Rugs?

Each to their own are making decisions on a variety of factors, such as geographical area, breed, clipped and unclipped and personal knowledge of their own horses. That's exactly as it should be, unless lacking experience and knowledge.
 
Mine have been living out unrugged but felt sorry for them so put mw on last night, they're coming in tomorrow night.
Temp dropped below 0 last night and is still cold with wind today
 
Mine are both out naked - and one is an ex-racer. No wussy ponies allowed but I've had him 7 years so he's had lots of time to toughen up!

Irish Bog Pony or more properly ISH is a hardy boy.

Both are unclipped and am bringing in at night (naked) to save the field as don't want to use winter turnout yet. However TB will have light stable rug on tonight and tomorrow as forecast is for it to turn quite cold.

Tomorrow is forecast to be cold & windy so will rug accordingly, probably MW on TB and possibly a LW on ISH. It's not going to be that cold in South East.

May clip ISH next week as he's started to sweat when worked (he's only a baby but starting to increase work now). Then may rug if cold during the day & of course at night.
 
I was shocked when I started to read the first replies to this post. Heavyweights and necks!!!!! Made me feel like I was being cruel but so glad to see others who don't believe in over-rugging!!

My TB had his mediumweight on last night as we were down to 0c and very frosty. It's still cold today, 2c, but at least the sun is out so he has a lightweight on and will get his m/w back on tonight when we're down to minus 1c.

My Welshie has a neck and belly clip and is just in her lightweight all day and night.

Definately not ready to come in yet, worse when it cold AND wet then they will be in at night. I'm keeping my heavyweight rugs for when they will actually need them, when it's baltic!!
 
Mine are both unclipped at the moment.
It is going to be cold here tonight so in their stables, my elderly TB will have her Thermatex on rather than her fleece. My ISH can have her fleece on rather than naked. My stables are brick built and very warm. They'll have plenty of hay/haylege so I won't be rugging with HW rugs yet!
 
They layer as it get colder!!
Horse one is a cold horse, he never feels warm and incould probably stick another 5 rugs on now and he wouldn't be warm.
Horse 2 is also a cold horse but not As bad as 1. Horse 3 is arthritic and on advice is kept warm!

I do use lots of rugs but they do also have access to lots of hay to keep warm!

Work horses are rugged up too but for each individual, I have a un clipped minature in a heavyweight combo and a fully clipped sec a in a fleece, so I don't just rug everyone up they ate all rugged according to each horse!
 
CBFan said:
Oh god! A heavyweight??! when it's been 15 degrees during the day?? What the hell do they wear when it's -15??!

Mine is in a lightweight out and a fleece in the stable and he'll be staying that way until he gets clipped at the weekend when he'll be in a m/w during the day and a lightweight stable rug at night... god knows what I'll do next as he hasn't got anything thicker than a mediumweight!!...
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+1

Ours are all naked and fine. 2 of the broodies get rugged for a handful of days a year when driving rain non stop (this year was March). Anything in a stable would get rugged accordingly, but ours are all out.

Rugging that heavy this early is a sure fire way of making them cold all winter as they won't have their own coats. Hate seeing horses rugged up the second it gets mild, 99% of normal horses simply don't need it that early. (excluding stable/clip/ill etc).

All the horses rugged early this year near mine have awful coats, all the nakeds have lovely winter coats... guess which are colder when you actually temperature check them.
 
leo has a trace clip, and gets a little chilly, at the moment hes out during the day in either a l/w or a m/w depending on the temperature, and a m/w stable when he comes in at night.

Tonight he will have a fleece and a m/w stable, and will go out in the medium t/o tomorrow :)
 
I think it's unfair that some people react with horror at horses being rugged.

Ultimately, every horse is different - some feel the cold more than others.

I used to rarely rug mine and even when clipped he was only light rugged but now days he shivers if it's cold or if he gets wet - should I just ignore than and chuck him out naked and tell him to man up?? No, I'll continue to rug according to how my horse feels - after all, I know him best!
 
My boys are all naked but did rug one of them for a couple of cold rainy days a few weeks ago as found him shivering and very unimpressed looking.

It is due to rain and be chilly tomorrow pm here and all day Sunday so he'll be back in his mw for a couple of days
 
Lusitano-unclipped, has a no fill rain sheet on (he's a warm horse but lacks waterproofing and it's to snow/rain), exmoors are naked as they should be. am in Scotland, luso never gets anything heavier than a thermatex indoors and a Amigo medium outdoors and never any necks.
 
I'm up north in Aberdeen and we have snow. My ISH is out in a LW 100g full neck today, and was in a 150g last night as it was about 0 degrees. He's toasty warm and last week was sweating in a 100g!! It's sometimes impossible to get a happy medium but I'd rather let his own body and natural thermostat work for itself rather than rugging him up to the eyeballs which I think would be unfair given that he cant take any layers off himself!
 
Its snowing here :eek: He is chaser clipped and in a m/w combo, with his turnout hood. He's just right, will most likely pop a fleece underneath tonight.

I am soft and like him to stay comfy and right, but do hate over rugging.

Each to their own though as long is the horse is well.
 
Heavyweights already? My fully clipped horsess are out in medium weights without necks. They won't be having heavyweights on until the weather gets a lot colder than this. In the stable they have mediumweight stable rugs on. Again with no necks. I don't like neck rugs and only put them on if it's blizzarding. My chaser clipped girl only has a lightweight on.
 
If it were down to me, I wouldn't be rugging, or only a LW, as he isn't clipped. However, Alf appears to be a chilly horse, and is therefore in MW turnout during the day, and a 100g stable rug at night. He has a LW turnout on if it's warmer, and goes naked if its warm and sunny. I thought I was being a bit neurotic, until he stood on the yard for and hour and a half earlier for the farrier - and when I checked his ears and pits, he was a bit cool in his LW stable rug (bit of a wind tunnel!).

I go by horse temperature, and put the lightest possible rug on. He won't be clipped this year, and I have a fleece, a hw stable rug, a thick under rug, and a heavyweight turnout rug waiting in the wings, so his wimpiness will be catered for even when it gets really cold
 
Mine is in his 70gm rug, no neck, and is unclipped. He has been in the odd night only. Tonight he is getting trace clipped, and will start coming in every night. If it gets any colder I wil put a fleece under his rug overnight, or use a middleweight stable rug. For daytime the 70gm will be fine, but might add the 40gm neck on cold days. Will move up to HW if we get a particularly cold snap - snow, very low temps, or sideways sleet.
 
these threads really annoy me , sorry.

you get someone posting that their horse is in a HW rug... followed by a heap of :eek: and :rolleyes: from people whose horses are naked or in LW’s. You cant possibly stand in judgement of one another - every horse is different and the UK is a big place!! It could be 15 degrees in Cornwall and sub zero in northern parts !


It has been down to -5 at night here (NE Scotland) My lot all live out with access to shelter; shettie is naked, my Sec D is fully clipped and in a 220g MW. I am currently looking after a HiPo who is naked but her veteran TB friend got her HW on yesterday and I may well add a 100g stable rug under that later on today as the snow is heading our way but more importantly the wind chill at the moment is like a ruddy knife.
 
Babybear said:
I think it's unfair that some people react with horror at horses being rugged.

Ultimately, every horse is different - some feel the cold more than others.

I used to rarely rug mine and even when clipped he was only light rugged but now days he shivers if it's cold or if he gets wet - should I just ignore than and chuck him out naked and tell him to man up?? No, I'll continue to rug according to how my horse feels - after all, I know him best!
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YES! This post exactly. I have never, ever seen anyone declare that someone is 'disgusting' for leaving a horse unrugged....but I can't stand the vitriol that seems to be directed at people who dare to rug their horses.

I have 3.
One had a reputation that he couldn't be out in the field for more than a couple of hours and that he was a lunatic. No the poor little blighter just feels the cold. He is a tall, angular horse who never carries much weight (and yes, I've done all the relevant health checks) or grows much coat.

His old owner must've spent too long on HHO because she was always adamant that only wore his lightweight rugs - and then pumped him full of high starch 'conditioning' feeds to keep weight on him.

Now he is currently living out and I'm in no rush to bring him in at night. He's as chilled as he's ever going to be. The difference. I'm rugging him to be warmer. Last night (temps hovering around 1-2) he wore is 280gm full neck with a med weight stable rug underneath. Today he is just wearing the 280. Tonight and tomorrow night the temps are going to be about 1 so he will wear the same as last night if not more (if he needs it)
He is on good grass and has ad lib haylage and a small fibre and linseed feed.

My old lad isn't quite as nesh and has been naked quite a lot up to now. last night though I put his 280 normal neck on. He's back naked today but will have his rug back on tonight.

The pony has got the most awesome coat. She doesn't need anything else.

...but than thats the point isn't it....my horses are individuals and I treat them as such. I'm sure as hell not going to change my rugging choices just because HHO consider it some sort of 'sin' ;)
 
Mine is hunter clipped and has had his 100 gram turn out with neck on for the first time today. Has been in rain sheet with no neck till now.

In at night he has been in fleece or his comfort zone fleece no neck. Tonight I might put on his 150 gram stable rug with neck.

He is such a hot horse. He rarely needs more than a 200 gram turnout. Only use his heavier one for one or two weeks a year.
 
glamourpuss said:
YES! This post exactly. I have never, ever seen anyone declare that someone is 'disgusting' for leaving a horse unrugged....but I can't stand the vitriol that seems to be directed at people who dare to rug their horses.


...but than thats the point isn't it....my horses are individuals and I treat them as such. I'm sure as hell not going to change my rugging choices just because HHO consider it some sort of 'sin' ;)
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Brilliant post and love these points.

Shall I get my tin hat and say my rugged up horse is also shod...

:p
 
Mine are still in rain sheets only, but temp has dropped today so they'll get their 200g no-neck rugs on tonight when they come in. WB is a hot horse but has blanket clip, TB is a cold horse but only has bib, baby is fluffy but neither hot nor cold, so they're all have MW until it's properly wet!
 
I'm sat in my car right now , temp on clock is -2 and its only 3.00pm

My feet are freezing

So all those with the faces of horror at H/W rugs, what do you want a poor clipped horse to be out in..?? Nothing..??

Might be 15degress as someone suggested in the bottom of England - but I find that hard to swallow by up north here

IT'S BOLTIC..!!! And snowing heavy.
 
Full clip, living out and has a 200g full neck turnout on! Tonight she may have a fleece underneath but IMO I'm a long way off using heavyweights!!
 
Mines been in a lightweight during the day and only been in a sheet over night as she's in over night! Tonight she will have her l/w stable quilt on :) the other has been naked until tonight when she will get her fleece on.

H/w's already?!
 
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