Those of You with Yearlings........

3Beasties

3Beasties

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Will you rug them up over the winter?

Pixie is about 13 months old at the moment and I'm not sure weather I need to get her a rug for the winter. She'll be out 24/7 till about Christmas time and then will start coming in at night, not sure weather to get her a rain sheet or not?

What are you doing with your youngsters?
 
My boys aren't youngsters any more, but I've had all three of them since foals/yearlings and none of them wore rugs until the first winter after they had been backed and were in work. They are 2 pure bred arabs and a TBX (the 3 in my siggy below), and all lived out without rugs 24/7/365 (with good natural shelter) and thrived.
 
We didn't with our lady last year (1/2 TB) and she wintered out all year in a very well sheltered field. She was only brought in when it snowed.
 
Mine will be rugged but not until i have to, prob when it starts raining, if its dry i will try to leave him without as he already looks like a yak!!
 
Mine will def be rugged. Leaving them out with a field shelter too but gonna start rugging soon. It's already cold and wet up here!
 
No, he will be out until it turns really cold then in at night. he is a native so would probably be colder with a rug on than without.
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I will be rugging everything at some time, stallion, broodies, yearlings and foals, they all live out, we don't get much rain, but it gets a bit chilly. I tend to play it by ear, if they look cold and miserable I bung a rug on, if they are fat, happy and fluffy I leave them without.

Just been sorting rugs this morning, need more. I don't plan to rug yet, none have got anything like woolly coats yet, but one older mare was cold this morning so she'll have to be rugged at night now. Her foal was horrified that she turned purple this morning when I found her a rug, took him all of 5 minutes to suss out drinking arrangements though.

I think with a yearling I'd rather he used his energy (your hay) to keep in reasonable condition rather than for shivering, it's the wind and constant rain that drags them down rather than a cold snap I think. If he's in at night then a rain sheet at during the day if it's nasty should keep him dry and keep the wind off him without affecting his coat too much. Leave it off for those lovely crisp, dry, sunny winter days
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Just don't buy one until you plan to use it because you can guarantee if you have it on a shelf for another month he'll have grown out of it!
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My weanling grew two sizes last winter.
 
My TB x ID will be rugged up this winter. She's currently 18 months & not at all soft, in fact she's probably as hardy as my Welshie, but we have quite exposed fields & the wind does get rather harsh. It's especially bad when wind & rain combine.
She'll have each weight for both turnout & stable, as she'll be out all day & stabled at night.
She won't however be wearing 5 rugs at once, I'm not going to namby-pamby her. But since the temperature kept reaching -12 at night on a regular basis where I am, I think it'll be ok for her to have rugs on (: x
 
My horses all live out, I have a yearling and a 2 year old so obviously they were a yearling and 5 months last year, both were rugged and lived out all winter the arab came in when we had some really bad weather but it was only about 4 days the whole winter and both prefer being out and warm with rugs on than in the stable, they do have a field shelter though.
 
Paige the Rage, whereabouts are you?

We get that sort of temperature for a while too, but you get used to it and just get on with the day. Thank God for heated water troughs.
 
My yearlings will be rugged, the warmblood has a lightweight on at night now as she still has her summer coat, no fur at all and she gets cold easily. The other is fine for now.
 
The current yearling is a New Forest so no, he won't be rugged. Neither will the 2 year old Forester but the 2 year old AAxWB has been rugged since her first winter. She doesn't grow any coat and just doesn't do wet but she only has lightweight rugs. They are all out 24/7/52 with no field shelters or stables.
 
Thanks everyone, I probably won't rug her till a lot nearer Christmas time as I want her to grow a thick coat. I'll probably just get her a lightweight turnout and maybe a fleece cooler for the stable in case she gets caught out in the rain.

Enfys - Don't worry I will definitely be waiting until she needs them before I buy. When she I got her in January she was in a 3'9" rug, I measured her yesterday and she would now need a 5'3", she has grown 6 rug sizes in 9 months
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Enfys - Don't worry I will definitely be waiting until she needs them before I buy. When she I got her in January she was in a 3'9" rug, I measured her yesterday and she would now need a 5'3", she has grown 6 rug sizes in 9 months
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Like weeds aren't they?
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