To rug or not to rug ?

Porkie

Porkie

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Anyone believe that rugging one day when weather is sh*te and not rugging the next when it is warm and nice upsets the horses natural temperature control?

My boy is 26 and I tend to rug according to the current weather situation, as do lots on my yard - but yard owner goes round grumbling that once we start to leave un-rugged that should be it regardless of weather untill the winter as we Quote 'mess them up' !! !!!

Wot do u do?
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I rug according to the conditons- 2 nights ago here it was torrential rain so they had lightweights on, last night is was 14 degrees so left them off.
I think its personal choice for you as an owner- taking into account your animal.You know him best and esp if he is older needing extra tlc- I dont think it will do any harm at this time of year.
You know your horse best- do what you think is right and i think your on the right track.
 
My oldie is really feeling this strange weather. So I am having to keep rugging and unrugging. I am someone who isn't a fan of rugging unless it is really necessary.

You know your horse, YO can grumble all he/she likes. Perhaps she is worried about them getting too hot because the weather can change from cold to warm within no time at all.

We all have our different ideas of what is wrong or what is right. You just do what is best for YOUR horse.

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Currently my boy is out during the day and in at night, so I leave his rug off permanetly.

However soon he will be living out, so I would rug according to weather.
 
Thx
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Am very aware that at his age he needs that little bit of xtra tlc as u say and cannot control his own temperature (hot or cold) quite so well as in his younger years so am always looking at weather reports to know what the weather will be doing!

He is stabled at night and last night left him naked :-o for first time this year as it was soooo humid! But then next few nights r s'possed to be bit cooler again so prob pop on just a summer sheet - just don't want him to catch a chill !

I mean I don't go mad and put him in a medium weight or anything supid - just something to stop him getting too cold in the middle of the night thats all - but yard owner makes me feel am doing it all wrong!
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Think will carry on as I am and ignore her - just hard sometimes when she makes me feel like I am stoopid !!
 
My three live out 24/7 and since this rain has started they've been rugged up, It was sad to see the wimpish mare, she hates rain with a vegence, standing under a tree shivering, consequently it wasn't raining at the time, but the tree was dripping heavily. She's not the brightest spark sometimes
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The youngster too was a little chilly, so they all had rugs on, though the third one was fine and the rain has helped her shed some more of that winter coat. The weather is warmer now, but unless the weather is very hot they will be rugged up until the field dries out, it's like a mudbath
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I don't think rugging 'messes them up' unless you rug heavily at the beggining of winter or something which would prevent them growing a thick enough winter coat, so unrugging them would be cruel, but during the summer months you just have to do whats best for them. If my horses had free access to shelters I know that two would choose to go in during rain and the third would stay outside and stuff herself full of grass
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So I would assume the thinner skinned or more sensitive horses need rugs if free shelter is'nt available. Wheras the fatty doesn't need a rug, I just put one on her as it's more convienint for riding as I don't want to battle through her idea of a mudpack every eveining.
Ignore your YO, you know whats berst for your horses. And if she persues it, well ask what scientific evidence there is?
 
I have always rugged my oldies according to the conditions and temperature, some people thought i was mad but who cares he was my old chap and he needed that extra bit of care! You know your horse best!
 
The week before last Baron was out 24/7 without a rug as it was so hot and dry. Now he has his LW on becuase we are getting lots of rain, purely for my benefit so he is dry when I want to ride him
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I dont see it will do any harm rugging acording to weather this time of year. I could see YO point if one night you put a HW with full neck etc then next night left naked but not with a LW or rain sheet.
 
We're lucky in that our stables are temperature controlled.. so whats going on outside doesnt affect our horses.

Before I moved though I very much rugged according to the weather... my horse was in a pretty drafty stable also. I agree the weather has been a nightmare recently :|
 
I rug according to weather, its just been so changeable! I don't see the harm, and he's always comfortable and happy, which is the main thing. He had his rug off last night because it was mild, but its to be chilly again tonight so I'll probably chuck his lw back on.
 
Tierra - temperature controlled stables !!!??? Well I should be so lucky!! Sounds like your horse is lving in the horsey hilton!!!
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Thanx all - mad me feel happier that I am doing the right thing and the same as all of you guys!
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It only takes ones person to sew the seed of doubt and it makes you wonder eh!
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Will probably be putting him back in his summer sheet tonight cos its meant ot be a bit chilly again compared to last night!
 
Yea... we have a large american barn where the stables are and its all computer controlled to stay at a constant temperature.

I couldnt work out why it was dropping to 6 degrees at night when i left the yard and yet we had t-shirts on inside
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You know your horse best.. you know whether he feels the cold or not. Trust your own instincts a little bit but yes, it is easy to make people doubt yourself!
 
I don't believe at all in this body temp thingy where we mess them up if we rug one day but not the next.

I think its wrong to go from one extreme to the next though, like leave their rugs off for days on end then suddenly wack on a big thick rug so they suddenly get really hot.

This time of year, all mine are out 24/7. They will get a lighweight turnout rug on if its pissing down and cold for days on end as they do end up shivering! One of mine (TB x who is a woose) lives in his Amigo lightweight turnout (basically its just a rain sheet, no filling at all) only having it off if its warm and not raining.
 
I tend to rug according to the weather - but even if weather & temperature has been ok, i've left him in a lightweight turn out rug because of the liiliehood of it raining every day!
 
Tierra your barn sounds fab!! Have always fancied stabling in one like that! You're so lucky! (I hv indoor school and floodlit outdoor school so can't moan - I know thats luxury compared to what some have got!)
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I didn't think it would mess up their body temperatures - I have been thinking it was an odd thing for YO to be grumbling about!! Good to know you all think along same line as I do and I'm not on my own!
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He's stabled at night so currently either has thin fleece or summer sheet on (or last night naked neddy as sooo humid and sticky hot!) - out 8am - 2pm either unrugged or just rainsheet and left unrugged in arvo when brought in untill I get there around 6pm to do what I like! I think he's doin just fine like that so am not gonna go changing and not rugging at all just so YO is happy and spend all my time worrying he is either wet and shivering or cold over night!!

Thx guys
 
It is really good
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We have large barn doors periodically along the walls to keep ventilation going during the day and all the stables have windows that are slightly open nearly all the time. The temperature thingie is very very smart.. it can either heat the area up or cool it down and then it just keeps it at a constant so the horses dont suffer the fluctuations in temperature that we do!

First time ive ever been anywhere with something like this and im really really impressed. My horse feels the cold terribly (i made a post last year asking for advice because it was getting ridiculously bad). Since being here he's not needed any rugs and ive only used a summer sheet on the odd day to keep him clean.
 
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