To rug or not to rug my welsh A pony in autumn and wibter in scotland

[Cazza1]

Will rugging my welsh A pony help prevent her winter coat from growing in in autumn / winter? I live in Scotland.

 

[FieldOrnaments]

Why do you want to prevent coat growth?

 

[Cazza1]

I want to show her so dont want a thick winter coat developing

 

[SpeedyPony]

Coat growth is mostly determined by day length, (hence some showing yards have their horses under lights)- rugging is unlikely to prevent a winter coat growing (although it will be cleaner and flatter!).
I'm not particularly a part of the showing world, but I'd expect a native class to take into account a native coat, or, if a class for working animals, to allow clipping as appropriate.

 

[marmalade76]

Only rug the pony if you've clipped it.

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

Only rug if you need to keep your pony warm/dry/clean. I know folk who over rug to reduce winter coat growth because they don’t like the moulting stage in Spring..or worse clip retired horses and rug because they don’t want to groom coat out, funnily enough also in Scotland. I wonder if it’s social media spread thinking?

 

[rhino]

Only rug if you need to keep your pony warm/dry/clean. I know folk who over rug to reduce winter coat growth because they don’t like the moulting stage in Spring..or worse clip retired horses and rug because they don’t want to groom coat out, funnily enough also in Scotland. I wonder if it’s social media spread thinking?

Plenty of old Cushing’s horses around that can’t thermoregulate well and for welfare reasons are far better clipped and rugged appropriately.

 

[Amy May In A Manger]

Will rugging my welsh A pony help prevent her winter coat from growing in in autumn / winter? I live in Scotland.

No.

 

[Lucky788]

No, that only works south of Scotland