UNBELIEVABLE!!! RE- people who don't wrap their horses up 'cosy warm'

Classic! My yo told me yesterday that one of the other liveries was `horrified` that I don`t rug my boy. He`s a big old hairy Highland with a coat like a yeti and is not at all unhappy. She was equally horrified that I was riding him in the rain without an exercise sheet so she is going to dig some out for me! Bless! Fact is, I was hoping the rain might clean him up a bit! She told the yo that she can`t believe I have nothing for him. I take great exception to that; he does, in fact, have two new rugs, a stable and a LW TO rug, both in pristine condition and both still in their plastic wrapping! ;)

I know she means well :)
 
There are many places I check before rugging up.


One slide my hand under rug over the shoulder area then across the back, and of cause the ears .

my horses have
4 oz
7oz
12 oz
14 oz rugs depending on the Weather
They only have max 2 rugs at a time . I don't believe in weighing down a horses with + 3 rugs
 
My mare is out 24/7 being a wimpy TB she gets next to no winter coat, never had to clip her, But she has the equivilant coat of a full clip!! (Compared to the native in the field next to her!) At the moment she gets a medium weight with hood with a fleece underneath, and the fleece gets removed in the day.

Shes looking brill from it! First time out 24/7 and shes looking on the podgy side! Has plenty of grass, and hay when its frozen. I think people do have a tendency to mollycoddle there horses (I am also guilty of it) But they are tougher than you think!!
 
I agree that a fully clipped horse should be rugged but I think unclipped horses are normally okay without rugs. Personally I don't think I'd be able to bring myself to have my TB naked if she were unclipped (she has a kind of blanket clip ans.wears a heavyweight with a neck) purely because I'd feel bad. However if I had a big fat cob who didn't get cold I think I'd leave it naked so long as it wasn't raining or very windy. I guess it's personal opinion.
 
Winklepoker said:
The horse has a modified clip, which has left a patch over his rump, so from the wither down to what seems to turn into a blanket clip at the back. He would condition score in on the poor side of moderate and the owners cannot afford the extra hay/food to supplement this.
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Well.....thats a totally different issue to hairy unclipped natives out at -3:confused::confused: They're designed for these conditions - put your hand under my 2 natives coats- they're easily warm enough.


Over-rugging is as cruel as under-rugging when clipped/veteran/poor condition. Neither is good.

appropriate rugging is whats necessary........
 
MY PO is

Get a decent thick rug for bad times rather than 4 thin ones which weigh horse down.

One of my livereis usually rugs up with 5 layers ,as soon as rugs changed she scratches and chews herself causing sores. all over.

( yes vet has checked her nothing showed up ).

This year she is putting less layers and horse chewing less.

A good thick rug ( these days not heavy in weight only in togs ) Means more air circulating so horse more comfortable and not as itchy.
 
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sula said:
Classic! My yo told me yesterday that one of the other liveries was `horrified` that I don`t rug my boy. He`s a big old hairy Highland with a coat like a yeti and is not at all unhappy. She was equally horrified that I was riding him in the rain without an exercise sheet so she is going to dig some out for me! Bless! Fact is, I was hoping the rain might clean him up a bit! She told the yo that she can`t believe I have nothing for him. I take great exception to that; he does, in fact, have two new rugs, a stable and a LW TO rug, both in pristine condition and both still in their plastic wrapping! ;)

I know she means well :)
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Lol! Whoever heard of rugging a Highland pony?! The Highland at our yard went out in a LW when it rained a few weeks ago - she came in dripping with sweat and very uncomfortable! Owner didn't do that again! (She has a low trace BTW and never wears a rug!)
 
so does she . They have done all the test don't know why the mare is so itchy . she bathes the areas and puts creme on , allot of it is in the coat change time , but every time u remove a rug the has a chew.
Apparently she has done this for years .
 
I have the opposite problem - have to keep telling the full livery yard I'm at to stop over-rugging my unclipped hot-bodded Irish horse. He's regularly sweating in his rugs when I get there to ride in the evenings, it drives me potty.
 
my Haflinger has a blanket clip and has 1 stable rug on and 1 turnout on, medium weight (no neck as it rubs his mane bald!!) and with his big thick haffy mane he doesnt need it. Last winter he lived out so wore two rugs when it got freezing. Due to circumstances (baby on the way) we moved onto a full livery yard, which is now why he comes in at night. When he was living out, he still competed most weekends (BD) and was as healthy and happy as can be!! Ive noticed he sweats rather than gets cold so I tend not to mollycoddle him, due to his breed as he has come over from austria in freezing conditions and thick snow!! I see it as what I clip off i replace with rugs.

He never feels cold under his rugs and altho I understand people rugging up less hardy breeds (tbs arabs etc), I wouldnt be tempted to over rug more hardy types.
 
nice one winklepoker;) this lot will now go on debating the rights and wrongs of rugging until the cows come home................. should the cows be rugged too do you think:confused::p think you may need to make it a bit more obvious you were winding them up before someone self combusts;):D
 
Ibs, Just 5 more minutes... please!

Anyway, I would layer at least 5 rugs so my horse is hot enough not to run around and potentially lose a shoe and churn up his field. the naked ones are always losing shoes and the fields are messy from them moving about!
 
Winklepoker said:
Ibs, Just 5 more minutes... please!

Anyway, I would layer at least 5 rugs so my horse is hot enough not to run around and potentially lose a shoe and churn up his field. the naked ones are always losing shoes and the fields are messy from them moving about!
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:confused::confused:

5 layers sheesh if they are all stable rugs then you will find the heat is only under the 1st rugs the others the air is cold so you are adding weight not warmth .

I would rather buy 1 12/ 14 oz rugs so my horse is warm and not carrying the weight of 5 rugs like a ruck sack on his back
 
Right the bottom line is.. I came on here to have a good old whinge like every bugger else does... I wont be going to the owner, if their horse keels over and dies on their heads be it, oh and Martlin... how much are hobbles?
 
Dee O'Dorant said:
Stop, wait, I have a solution: HHO meetup with representatives from all factions to assess actual body temperature of horse, whether it looks cold and miserable, and if so what should be done. Then repair to pub for warming drinks by hot fire, after sufficient quantity of which everyone will have forgotten their differences - or passed out.

*dreams*
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I'm in.

P
 
Leviathan said:
:confused::confused:

5 layers sheesh if they are all stable rugs then you will find the heat is only under the 1st rugs the others the air is cold so you are adding weight not warmth .

I would rather buy 1 12/ 14 oz rugs so my horse is warm and not carrying the weight of 5 rugs like a ruck sack on his back
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My horse happens to look good in his layered effect rucksack thanks! the only Oz I am familiar with had me wearing red shoes and carrying a little dog!
 
Winklepoker said:
Right the bottom line is.. I came on here to have a good old whinge like every bugger else does... I wont be going to the owner, if their horse keels over and dies on their heads be it, oh and Martlin... how much are hobbles?
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:D this should answer your question lol
http://www.totally-tack.co.uk/acatalog/hobbles.html

mind you my boys hobbles are sheepskin inside. Funny when he wears them all you hear is tinkle tinkle like a ghost rattling his chains
 
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