Temperature drop! Rugs?

NeverSayNever said:
doesnt matter if its winter/spring.. whatever season, because the seasons do not exist anymore. Fact is, here it may be October but its snowing, subzero temperatures and a vicious windchill. Chances are Dec/Jan could be more mild than the temps we have right now! In which case, we will rug appropriately too. You cant assume people are overrugging just because ‘its barely winter’.
Click to expand...

Ok, my apologies, maybe I shouldn't have blanket termed according to seasons.

However, where I live (only NW England) it's fairly mild atm, I'm bloody freezing but horses are warm! I remember the other year we had an awful cold spell at beg of Nov and hit minus 12 I think. I would worry that if my guy was in a HW now he would struggle when it hit that low.
 
well the temperature has certainly dropped, cant believe it actually!


DSCF3538.jpg
 
Meanto go down to at least -1/-2 tonight so got both the connie and WB in 450g stable rugs!! Meant to be even colder in the day tomorrow so connie will be in 360g t/o and WB in 400g t/o!
Like a few people have said, I rug according to the temperature, not the month/season!!
 
Cobrastyle said:
Ok, my apologies, maybe I shouldn't have blanket termed according to seasons.

However, where I live (only NW England) it's fairly mild atm, I'm bloody freezing but horses are warm! I remember the other year we had an awful cold spell at beg of Nov and hit minus 12 I think. I would worry that if my guy was in a HW now he would struggle when it hit that low.
Click to expand...

If I remember correctly you had Sparkles in a lightweight throughout that spell and he thrived perfectly well being a tough Sec A!! I monitored the temps every day and it was dropping to -13 in the day and worse at night.
 
Moomin1 said:
If I remember correctly you had Sparkles in a lightweight throughout that spell and he thrived perfectly well being a tough Sec A!! I monitored the temps every day and it was dropping to -13 in the day and worse at night.
Click to expand...

Exactly. Had he been in a HW this time that year and then faced the -13 spells, I don't know what I would have done!
 
Well it is snowing and around -2 here, I for one am very pleased my lad is tucked up in his stable, with a thick bed and lots of hay :) plus his snuggy jams and mw combo on :D lovely and cosy! Couldn't care less what the au natural owners think, I know he will be warm and comfortable and that makes me happy :P
 
Having said in previous post I would put my boy's fleece on tonight, he is on box rest and restricted food and 21 yrs old, I didn't. Checked him at 10pm and warm as toast.

Rugging is such an individual thing for each horse, no right or wrong.
 
Mine went out at 7 in snow with Rambo Duo (100g) and old horse had two lightweights on so probably the same weight. It was freezing here in the wind and snowing. Both are not clipped but even when they are heaviest rug is 400 and thats only when really cold -12. Some have h/w on and another rug underneath and not clipped.:rolleyes:
 
montyforever said:
H/w's already?!
Click to expand...

Yes, my old boy had a HW on last night. He's now out in a MW.

Wagtail said:
It is only Autumn and it's going to get a lot colder.
Click to expand...

Maybe. Maybe not. It was registering -5 last night at 10pm and is meant to drop further tonight. There is a decent layer of ice/snow on the ground. It may get colder later on in the winter, it may not. Surely it makes more sense to rug to the weather, not the month it happens in? :confused:

Cobrastyle said:
I'm worried for those with horses wearing HWs already. It's barely winter!
Click to expand...

I'm sure my old horse (who unlike the horses belonging to a few posters on this thread has NOT been allowed to get overweight in the summer) appreciates your worry ;) :D

Temperatures well below freezing?
Snow?

Sure feels like Winter to me :p
 
I'm in essex and it hasn't gone above 3 degrees so far! weather's been horrendous, windy, heavy sleet/rain and only in the last half hour has the sun come out! very cold though.

So my boy's in a MW turnout with a cotton sheet on underneath, he feels the cold and there's very little shelter in his field, plus he's on a hill so seems to be rather chilly up there! have had to order a Neck attachment for his MW.
 
rhino said:
It was registering -5 last night at 10pm and is meant to drop further tonight. There is a decent layer of ice/snow on the ground. It may get colder later on in the winter, it may not. Surely it makes more sense to rug to the weather, not the month it happens in? :confused:
Click to expand...

Ah yes, that sometimes elusive thing called common sense. :D

Waiting for the month is like saying "I won't wear a sweater until ..... (insert month/temperature) "

Well yah, boo, sucks to that, if you are cold you put on another layer, what is different about horses (or dogs come to think of it) that need it ;)
 
Enfys said:
Ah yes, that sometimes elusive thing called common sense. :D

Waiting for the month is like saying "I won't wear a sweater until ..... (insert month/temperature) "

Well yah, boo, sucks to that, if you are cold you put on another layer, what is different about horses (or dogs come to think of it) that need it ;)
Click to expand...

Don't get me started on dogs!! I saw a yorkshire terrier being walked in one of those stupid jumpers you can get for them on a sunny day in Sept with temp of around 15 degrees. Absolute madness.

I think Cobrastyle has already apologised for her comment about what month it is if you read back. I think what she was meaning is that in most places, it's not currently dropping to severe temperatures yet, and people are piling the HW's on like we are in the antarctic.:)

Obviously, in Scotland it's a different kettle of fish at the moment - if it's -5 then that's more understandable!

Where it becomes ridiculous is people putting two or three HW's on when temps are reaching 10 degrees plus in the daytime. :mad:
 
Moomin1 said:
Don't get me started on dogs!! I saw a yorkshire terrier being walked in one of those stupid jumpers you can get for them on a sunny day in Sept with temp of around 15 degrees. Absolute madness. I had greyhounds, they were higher maintenance than my wussy arab :)

I think Cobrastyle has already apologised for her comment about what month it is if you read back Sorry Cobra, although I was actually quoting from a comment rhino made. I think what she was meaning is that in most places, it's not currently dropping to severe temperatures yet, and people are piling the HW's on like we are in the antarctic.:)7 C and raining with me

Obviously, in Scotland it's a different kettle of fish at the moment - if it's -5 then that's more understandable! Tee shirt weather in the depths of winter ;)

Where it becomes ridiculous is people putting two or three HW's on when temps are reaching 10 degrees plus in the daytime. :mad:
Click to expand...
Yes, I am right with you on that
 
my welshie is in lightweight turnout during the day only when its really needed and last night was the first night i have rugged her but was just a light fleece! :) x
 
I must be a terrible mum then... my fat, chaser clipped cob is out in a no-fill, like he was last night, and like he will be tonight. Stabling for the night starts tomorrow, and he'll be naked.
 
We had snow on the ground this morning and iced over puddles! My boy is out in a medium weight TO (Isn't clipped atm, getting done next weekend!!) and overnight a lw-mw stable rug. He is a big wimp too!
 
Well my 21yr old has been anked in the dry cols for the past week and is still nice and warm to the touch and holding weight

IMG-20121027-00157.jpg


Hes on nowt but grazing (rough) and a handful of chaff and his suppliments once a day :) He was rugged tonight as we have to get freezing heavy rain but only popped a lightweight on him just to keep the rain off :) If it goes back to dry cold then rug will come off :)

Blanket clipped 5 yrs old has a 100g on at night and nowt during the day if dry :)
 
Well I woke to heavy snow at 2am, white roof tops and cars this morning.

Two naked horses tramping about perfectly happily, water trough frozen, hay in shelter untouched :rolleyes:
 
Enfys said:
Ah yes, that sometimes elusive thing called common sense. :D

Waiting for the month is like saying "I won't wear a sweater until ..... (insert month/temperature) "

Well yah, boo, sucks to that, if you are cold you put on another layer, what is different about horses (or dogs come to think of it) that need it ;)
Click to expand...

Completely agreed! My welsh boy who gets very cold very easily is in a medium in the day and I've just put his heavyweight combo on. Yes it's only October but as its supposed to be dropping to -2 that is plenty cold enough for him to need the heavy rug! If I don't put it on as "it's only October" I will end up with a very unhappy cold pony, how is that sensible rugging?
My fully clipped connemara is in a 350g combo overnight, and a medium in the day. When I stick my hand in their rugs they both feel pleasantly warm.
You have to rug for the weather, to keep your horses comfortable and remember every horse is different!
 
Each to their own. My old TB used to wear a neck under layer, another under layer, a HW rug with neck and a duvet at one point but we were up North, it was seriously cold, and despite ad lib forage he was shivery and dropping weight. My other old horse (Arab x welsh) hated rugs and just used to rip them off if she was too hot. I'm cautious though, as I have cholinergic urticaria, I ride and muck out in winter in just a t shirt or vest so I am not the best judge of how cold it is!!
 
My WBxTB is still out 24 hrs in a 150g fill rug, as it hasnt even begun to get cold yet! It's hitting 1to2 degrees at night at the moment so I'm saving the heavy weight for when it hits -10 and the streams freeze over.
 
Well tonight it's supposed to get down to minus two here so my fine-coated, fully clipped sport horse is in his stable with a thermatex and a MW poly (with neck) on . . . when I felt him (base of ears and elbows) at about 5.00 p.m.'ish (when he was wearing his thermatex and his LW poly), he was warm, but not that warm . . . I doubt he'll cook and, yes, he has plenty of straw and hay to keep him warm, but he drops weight/condition quite quickly so I'd prefer to rug him appropriately for him and his needs.

And before anyone jumps on the whole "layering is daft b/c it limits the horse's ability to fluff his coat up" bandwagon, he is newly clipped so has no coat to fluff up. I deliberately placed the thermatex beneath the poly to maximize the chances of warm air being trapped between the layers . . . and I didn't remove his already warm thermatex when I changed his poly so that he already had a warm rug on and warm air to trap in the poly.

P
 
Last edited:
mine have been naked until Thursday and they are in mediums as its about 3 degrees! one is 27 and has a blanket clip and she is as toastie as anything! though she is ready to be reclipped now!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top