Turning out for summer & which rugs to use????

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el_Snowflakes

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Hi all,

My belgian warmblood mare is currently out through the day (naked) and stabled at night (medium stable rug). I have been considering leaving her out for the summer but heres my dilemma..... If i put her out in a medium turnout rug at night she will be far too hot during the day and if I leave her naked she will be cold at night!? hmmmmm not sure what to do. I could wait until it gets a bit warmer as its still cold at night here. Its been as warm as 16 degrees through the day but drops to about 7 degrees at night......


your suggestions are welcomed! :D
 
I dont remove the rug in the morning, the yard staff do. They are happy to do that but they wouldnt go out to the field to change a rug :(
 
wait a couple of weeks and then leave her naked. My boy is now naked 24/7 but he's an IDx and we're in South Wales! He'll be going out 24/7 at the weekend (thank god!) and might have a lightweight on for the first few nights to ease the transition but then he'll be in his summer togs (nothing) all the time.
 
she should be fine out with nothing on, my fully clipped ID is out 24/7 with no rug on, he's to hot in a rain sheet let alone a rug, but then again he's a hardy horse you could probably get away with the least being a lightweight turnout, or try a rain sheet as that will keep the wind and rain off of her
 
Mine (and my sister's) are out 24/7. They are naked during the day and we are leaving hers naked at night too as, although it's getting to about 7 degrees, it is not particularly windy and it's dry so I really don't think he cares. Mine has a rainsheet on at night just to keep the breeze off him more than anything and just in case it does rain as he's not grown as much coat back as my sister's horse yet and mine's 20 yo and a bit more pathetic if he gets cold! Her horse has more fat covering! ha ha.

I would chuck yours out and maybe just put a rain sheet on if you're worried about the evening but in reality they don't provide them with much more heating than their normal coat. If yours is growing its coat back and is well covered then I would be tempted to
put her out with nothing on. I generally base things on, if I am warm enough in a sort of t-shirt and jumper combo then the horse wil certainly be warm enough.
 
I have a Dutch Warmblood and she hasn't seen rugs in about 2 weeks, she is stabled at night. Give it a few weeks and she will be out all th e time totally naked.

ETA: She was fully clipped this winter. Has no rugs now, next to no hard feed and is fat! They sold her to me as a poor doer!!!
 
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