To rug or not to rug

[Spiritedly]

My two youngsters both live out full time, one is a cob x and seems quite happy to be rugless, the other is a new forest....possibly crossed with something we're not sure...he doesn't seem quite so happy, he's hairy but not as much as the cob and seems to be feeling the cold, the base of his ears tend to be cold and he also feels cold under his mane and elbow. The question is should I rug him? I was hoping he would be hardy enough to not need it but now I'm not sure, I don't want to rug him and ruin his coat but I also don't want him to freeze! when I got him earlier this year (as a yearling) he had been clipped because of lice! Could this have affected his coats growth? Advice please anyone?

 

[summerguest]

don't know about the clipping effecting coat, but I would go with my gut feeling. If they seem to be feeling the cold then rug them if they are happy without a rug don't bother!

 

[jenni999]

Agree with summerguest. Start with a thinnish rug and see how it goes....

 

[Sugarplum Furry]

When I got my filly she'd been clipped out, she was 14 months old and it was coming into winter last year. I rugged her and it didn't appear to affect her coat growth or ruin it in any way, in fact her coat was gorgeous and quite thick. I'd rug if I were you, he sounds as though he needs it.