to rug or not to rug when travelling

[rachelandcassie]

a very stressy and very sweaty horse- i usually rug her in an anti sweat and a fleece but regret it when she steps off the ramp snorting and dripping sweat- the journey's going to be 1 1/2 hours and she doesn't travel very well.is fine after the initial 10 minutes of talking and worrying but does settle-and does sweat.
opinions please!

 

[kerilli]

i use one of those thin masta cooler rugs, with the front folded back if they're really warm. i wouldn't use a fleece, just something very thin and wicking, so they sweat can evaporate, but her back can't get chilled.

 

[SpottedCat]

My horse sweats buckets when travelling - looks like he's been round the XC already. I never travel him in a rug even fully clipped in the depths of winter. What I do instead is have water handy and a wicking cooler, and in the winter sponge him down on arrival and stick on the cooler then walk him for 10-15 mins. In the summer I just sponge him and leave him to dry naturally!

If they get really hot travelling, I can't see why you would rug - seems counter-intuitive to me?

 

[_daisy_]

have you thought abot trying one of the Amigo Skrim coolers. I travel my mare who gets sweaty and it works really well

 

[rachelandcassie]

thanks everyone,i only rugged cause i always see her shivvering in the box! i will travel her nakey and wash her down and walk off when we get there

 

[kerilli]

unless she's got a very wooly coat, i'd never travel her naked, cos it can chill the muscles of the back.

 

[SpottedCat]

Is she shivering, or is she shaking with excitement? Mine shakes when the travel boots come out!!

There's no way I could travel with a rug on - it would be dripping in minutes and I am sure that would chill him way more than having one on.

 

[OrangeEmpire]

my tb shivers when he travels and it is the adrenalin. i'd ditch the fleece and just use a string-vest type cooler.

 

[rachelandcassie]

it seems like adrenaline! she gets wound up very easily! ok, i will get a cooler for her cause i don't want to worry as she's a very fine coated arab

 

[sallypops]

don't use one unless shes clipped out and its really cold

 

[conniegirl]

i have sweaty pony in a lorry, hes fine without a rug but gets very sweaty withone so i dont put one on him.

 

[rachelandcassie]

*now confused* surely a super lightweight skin cooler wouldn't do any harm?

 

[kerilli]

i'd use the super-light skin cooler, definitely. even if she sweats, it will keep her back warm, stop the sweat from chilling her.

 

[rachelandcassie]

thanks kerillli

 

[MagicMelon]

I always rug no matter what. If its a warm day I just put on a cotton sheet (to keep them clean more than anything), if a little chilly then a fleece, if cold then a Thermatex, if depths of winter then a stable rug.

Personally if the horse sweats I would put on a thin sheet of some kind, probably what daisy says - a Skrim cooler which has mesh bits.

 

[Chex]

I always travel him in a fleece cooler - the one time I didn't, he was much sweatier from rubbing against the plastic partition.

 

[JM07]

dont rug, dont boot, dont bandage...

never have done in 35 yrs and never needed to.

IMO they are more trouble than they are worth......

 

[conniegirl]

the pony i mentioned above gets horribly sweaty with any form of rug on, even just a cotton sheet. without it he doesnt sweat up at all. I dont boot him either as when i have in the past he has stressed when loading and he has come off the other end white under his boots when his legs are supposed to be black