To rug or not to rug soggy pony ( sorry )

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mulledwhine

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Just wanting confirmation that I am doing the right thing really :o

I bit the bullet a few weeks ago and left him completly rugless day and night.

Today he is completly wet and soggy, he is stabled at night, so I am thinking just leave him be, but the little voice in my head is saying pop a rug on to wick away some if the wet.

Or put a sweat sheet with a fleece over the top and leave him in his stable to dry off.

Wine and cheese to any one that can be bothered to read another rug post :)
 
I always thought never rug a wet horse! I wouldnt if he is stabled at night wouldnt worry if he seems fine. Or bring him into a stable let him dry out and then rug if you have to!
 
If you do anything then Thatch him with clean fresh straw under his rug then you can remove the wet before bed tonight dont leave the wet straw under his rug
 
If he's a bit chilly with the wet, I'd pop a rug on, plenty of hay, to help him warm up and dry off, if he's warm but wet, I'd let him stay naked and dry naturally.
 
I'd leave him wet. Nitty will be drenched by the time I go to fetch her in but she'll dry off over night. She always does. Unless he seems cold I'd leave well alone :)
 
I went to check my lad earlier - he is out naked and was soaking wet and not terribly warm but not shivering. I popped a load of hay down for him in his field stable and left him eating that. I figured it will warm him up for a bit and get him out of the wind for a while but have left him naked as he will soon wander back out in the rain again. I would not put a rug on a wet horse myself, it will stop raining at somepoint and if your horse comes in at night anyway, I would get them in a bit earlier and leave them with plenty of hay and they will be fine.
It is amazing how much heat they start to generate when they are stuffing their faces with food!
 
I vote stuff him with hay! Unless he is really shivering. :)

I am also have a dilemma as ours (unclipped, all live out 24/7 but with access to stables open as shelter) are our rugless and the weather has turned foul. The two bigger horses have usually been rugged lightly when it's this cold (they had medium-weights on when there was snow and colder tempts). However, they are now already wet and as they are out 24/7, I can't bring them in to dry them off in order to rug them. My only options are either to leave them naked or to put food inside for them in the hopes that keeps them in long enough to dry off (if I shut the doors to keep them in, they wouldn't be impressed), then could pop a lightweight on them to keep the wet and wind off them. I'm sure they'll be fine as they are reasonably hairy but still! I shall go there shortly to give them a good feel and see how warm they look!
 
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