to rug or not to rug native ponies

[Janetterose]

I read that even native ponies will be cold if wet when the temp is below 15 degrees c. So heres my poll - to rug or not and whot about the coming freezing weather

 

[Janetterose]

3rd option should read rug not tug - sorry

 

[Vizslak]

hehehehhehehehehehehehe!

 

[lilym]

i rug because i need mine clean to ride!!

 

[teddyt]

I use summer weight turnouts when wet and windy but no rug when just cold (even if minus) as it helps to keep the weight off. Its the wet that makes them really cold and miserable

 

[Donkeymad]

I haven't voted, the Poll is a little too black and white.

 

[rara007]

Ours lives totally natural till janurary, when they were brought in. The ones that have blanket clips are well rugged and even the unclipped ones have lightweight ones on to keep them alittle clean and try to hold off having to give them hard feed.

 

[ester]

blanket clipped (soon to all come off due to super delayed moulting otherwise) so rugged but only ever 1 rug, don't go in for multi layers, he was allowed a fleece when it was v cold and he only had an old medium weight stable rug. He has a middleweight rhino turnout and a heavy or middle weight stable rug depending on the temp.

However well rugged hair grows loads. has had 4 clips this winter so far. Seems to have finally stopped ish!

don't want him too warm he would just put weight on.

 

[Chunkie]

I never rug my horse when it's cold. They cope far better with extremes of cold than with extremes of heat.

I do, however rug if we have prolonged wet and cold weather at the time of the year when they're losing their coats. Last year my girl had a lightweight (no filling) on for two weeks at Easter, when it peed down and she's already lost most of her coat.

 

[Horseyscot]

I rug my Shetland

Only because she comes in at night with my boy, and often, in the wild wet weather we have in SW Scotland

she comes in sodding wet (without a rug) and when I turn out in the morning, she is still wet

Her stable is an old farm building, which, is a bit drafty

and therefore I feel its better to rug her, and keep her dry and cosy, than to be standing wet in a 'bit' drafty stable she could get a chill in. Before anyone says leave her out, she comes in at night all year round so I can keep her laminitis in check.

 

[LankyDoodle]

Can't vote.

 

[brighteyes]

Well my Sec B was shivering tonight - and he's in

Granted it's a fairly open building, but I put his rug on again. Poor wee thing. Can't over feed or he'll get fat so I rug him to keep him warm at least.

 

[cbeebies]

I would say depends totally on the pony!!!! I have a nf that trembles if it rains and he has no rug on, but know of others that are never rugged, also depends on what they do, whether they are clipped or not, if they have shelter! list could go on

 

[Cop-Pop]

Mine is fully clipped this year so rugged but if she has a full coat then the only time she is rugged is when she comes in wet and has a cooler on to dry off and she has a fly sheet in the summer

 

[oln]

i rug to keep her clean but have to be careful she doesnt overheat

 

[Murphy3]

I put lightweights on my unclipped connemara - it never gets really cold here but by god it can rain and I like to save him the misery of a wet back.

 

[angiebaby]

No rugs at all!! Only time I've ever rugged is if we've had days of pouring rain, however my shetland sweats in minus temperatures if he come in; which they dont anymore.

 

[Garfield1537]

Only use a lightweight rug if wet, I find mine is fine in the cold he just hates the wet!

 

[yethersgill]

Have two ridden ones rugged but rest are hairy monsters, even the weanlings.

 

[Janah]

I don't rug in the field unless very wet and windy.

They come in at night and they both wear a cooler rug, just because they are standing still.

Jane

 

[Maisy]

I dont think it actually matters whether you do or dont rug any horse (not just native ponies). What is far more important is that you are consistant!!!

This year, I havent rugged my little pony because she hasnt been doing much work. She has had a rug on when it has been really cold, wet and windy, but other than that, she hasnt had one on at all!

As a result she has a coat that is *really* thick and long.....what would be cruel would be for me to put a rug on her when it is warm 'just to keep her clean'.

Next winter, if I think she will be ridden more, she will be rugged.....

 

[Tiarella]

I dont rug. He doesnt need rugging at all.

 

[MurphysMinder]

Our welsh type has never had a rug on, she has Cushings and has a coat like a yak! However she does have access to a good field shelter. I agree about the consistancy of rugging though, a pony up the road (she is getting on a bit) has had a rug on all winter. During all the wet weather about a week ago i noticed she was no longer wearing a rug so got a message to her owners thinking she had got it off somehow. She apparently had as they found it soaking wet in the field , but she has not had a rug on since poor mare. Mind you the same people put her in a 6 acre field of good grass after she had spent all summer in a starvation paddock and wondered why she got laminitis

 

[dozzie]

My Sec B is a real wimp so she is rugged.

My old NF never had a rug until she got older or if she was clipped.

 

[hellybelly6]

My highland x has on a lightweight summer turnout (rain sheet) all winter when not clipped, to keep him clean and dry. We live in Scotland, he doesnt have a rug on at night when stabled unless it is very frosty when he has his fleece on. He struggles in the heat and is better in the cold.

When clipped he has on his fal 40 gm, otherwise he is too hot and gets itchy.

 

[Honeypots]

Generally horses don't mind cold and dry but dislike cold and wet.
My natives are generally rugless regardless of the weather and still come out of winter without dropping weight.
Occasionally if it has been persistently wet and cold I'll stick a rug on to dry them off and give them a break

 

[amandaco2]

rug if they need it#
like people some horses feel the cold more/are clipped/need to be ridden more.

 

[tabithakat64]

It depends on the pony, unless they are old/sick/clipped or the weather is very wet and they have no shelter natives are fine to live out without rugs.
My oldie wears a rug during the worst of the weather from December to the end of February usually and my horse wears a rain sheet to keep him clean so I can ride without scraping loads of mud off first.