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

scarymare said:
I must admit I do hate reading posters in here advocating clipping horses and not rugging to control their weight - shivering it off or some such nonsense. Sounded to me like the OP was decrying all of us who (in my case for very good reason) don't rug. My only clipped one is actually rugged. My tackroom is stuffed full of very expensive rugs too, but since I got 'rug OCD' I must admit they look so much better (my neighbour is also going rugless next year having seen mine - barefooter too though)

Perhaps I misread the tone of the post. I am marking an awful lot of very opinionated essays atm?
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I would sooner have a fat horse that is unrugged and thus expends more energy maintaining its body temperature (which is all it should be - not freezing and nothing to do with shivering being a great calorie burner:rolleyes:) so it loses weight, than see a horse come down with laminitis due to being fat. Personally I think laminitis is a far more serious welfare issue than being a tad on the chilly side!

Although of course, if people controlled their horses' weight in the first place it wouldn't be necessary... :p
 
I'd really confuse you then. Once unclipped, stabled horse wrapped up snugly. One unclipped pony turned out naked with no hay (still have loads of grass) who is getting fatter by the day! Different breeds and different needs!
 
^^^^Well said.

In case anyone is still into the rug debate I will add a point or two.

The nuchral ligament runs from the poll to the tail. On the crest of the neck it is suspended,like a washing line. On a poorly muscled animal this can be a weak spot and I personally would be very dubious about hanging several heavy rugs on this ligament/washing line.

A highly regarded physio in the equine world demonstrated to me how continual pressure from rugs effectively de-nerves the horse's epidermal layer......the special nerves they have for twitching at flies and.......shivvering to warm up.:rolleyes:

A good way to check these nerves for damage/numbness is to tickle your horse(Sorry you will have to remove the rug for this:eek:) with the end of a schooling whip. The skin should twitch,the tail flick,or a head shake or swing.
An unrugged horse,or one with a well fitted,regularly changed rug should not show any signs of desensitization. If you do not get a response,try a gentle massage on the area you are testing,before applying the 'tickle stick' again.

This is also a useful exercise to make a horse more body aware and to make us as riders aware of how sensitive the horse could be to our aids.........I'll slope off now before I sound too alternative.
 
horses do not need to be toasty warm under their rugs, if they are then they are too hot. I hate over rugging with a passion.
My horse is a particularly warm horse naturally and even when fully clipped out sweated up under a heavy weight rug while out in the snow!
A girl at my old yard used to rug her horse up so much there would be steam coming off him and even his eyebrows would be sweaty. Then she used to have a moan if anyone took his rug off. I used to fold the full neck bit back so at least he would have a bit of an air vent!

Although the other extreme is indeed putting a clipped horse out naked in freezing temperatures. I really don't know what is up with some people!
 
amymay said:
But surely this forum has absolutely no value for you as 90% of the posts are whining ones in one way or another. Why would you want to post:confused:
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Nevermind what I do,its nothing to do with you whatsoever.I will post if I want to and you cant do anything about that. So get knotted!!
 
Tinsel Trouble said:
Or Papa Frita's banana stick...!!
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No no no no, you can't misuse a vital bit of equipment like a banana stick for this kind of thing! My goodness, have you learnt none of the principles of Huggly Horsemanship?! No, you MUST purchase a Patented Horse Tickling Stick, available from my website for the bargain knockdown price of only £99.99:D
 
Up until today, my boy has been living out (he's going onto DIY as of tonight :D). He's unclipped as he's only in light/medium work and doesn't get sweaty unless we go on a fast hack probably about once a week (if that), but I didn't feel he was in heavy enough work to warrant clipping him.

I've been rugging him up in a medium weight combo rug most of the time, especially now it has got cold, and he was wearing his no fill lightweight when the weather was milder.

I do find it difficult to judge what rug to put on him, and take his temperature by feeling his ears and then making the best decision from that. I'd rather he had a lighter rug on and kept himself warm rather then being over rugged and being uncomfortable. Although he has got a winter coat he isn't really woolly and fluffy.

Now he's coming in, he will be wearing a medium weight stable rug at night, and his no fill turnout during the day, until it gets mild again, then he will be wearing his lightweight fleece at night, and either his no fill turnout or nothing, depending on whether it is raining or not.

I do think it's really unfair for somebody to clip their horse (presuming its a full clip) and turn it out without a rug on though, but this would depend on how long the horse was out in the field for, if it was only a short time to let it have a roll/hoon around then it would be more understandable I think, but if it's going to be out for a longer duration then the horse should be rugged as appropriate.
 
Spudlet said:
No no no no, you can't misuse a vital bit of equipment like a banana stick for this kind of thing! My goodness, have you learnt none of the principles of Huggly Horsemanship?! No, you MUST purchase a Patented Horse Tickling Stick, available from my website for the bargain knockdown price of only £99.99:D
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If course.. I am so sorry, and so reasonably priced too! I would like to order 3 in pink, baby blue and white so I can continue with my matchy matchy equipment and tie it in with my KP velour riding tracksuits! I trust it has a diamante handle?
 
Hmmmm...didn't have the energy to read all thru..so apologies if i repeat...got up to 4 or 5th page...very evasive around the clip type & breed(unless I missed....you've been close enough to measure 0.8mm so you must be able to confirm!;-) Did you feel its ears or see it shivering/standing tucked up & miserable? Its cold yes, but is not cold and wet...and you may not be aware of another factor..such as stolen rugs?damaged rugs?these could be far more cruel from a safety aspect..perhaps genuine reason. I would hate to mention the word troll post...so I won't! xxx

oh and the one being hosed? perhaps they were hosing off mud to get to a cut? or cold hosing legs? or prepping horse for something? before anyone jumps on me I have TBs and not furry monsters..but my finest coated mare with skin like a whippet more than a tb..she was sweating this am in her heavyweight when I turned her out, so I took it off & popped a lighter rug on & left the neck off...they are all different like us, but I really do think over rugging is far more of an issue, not to mention dangerous incase the horse falls/gets cast or simply can't wiggle enough to get up..if you are so worried, call a welfare officer? :eek:xxx
 
Tinsel Trouble said:
If course.. I am so sorry, and so reasonably priced too! I would like to order 3 in pink, baby blue and white so I can continue with my matchy matchy equipment and tie it in with my KP velour riding tracksuits! I trust it has a diamante handle?
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Excellent and you are quite right, matching equipment is very very important if you are to reach your horse's full potential. That's why all those Olympic horses manage to struggle on, despite being so cruelly deprived of banana sticks - their matchy matchy just about pulls them through (although of course if their owners would only follow the lead of the Great PapaFrita and embrace Huggly Horsemanship, they'd do much better).

Your order is in the post!
 
I unrugged all 5 of mine and threw them out in the snow for a couple of hours this am and it was MINUS 8. The sun was well hidden too! I also have 1 hairy Agentinian (32ish), 1 donkey and 1 mule who live stark naked but are very happy. Its supposed to be reaching the giddy heights of Minus 17 over the next couple of days and they will all go out regardless in the buff. I am one evil woman ;)

So long as a gale isn't blowing accompanied by rain/sleet/snow I see no problem. Too warm is worse than too cold imo.
 
Spudlet said:
Excellent and you are quite right, matching equipment is very very important if you are to reach your horse's full potential. That's why all those Olympic horses manage to struggle on, despite being so cruelly deprived of banana sticks - their matchy matchy just about pulls them through (although of course if their owners would only follow the lead of the Great PapaFrita and embrace Huggly Horsemanship, they'd do much better).

Your order is in the post!
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Totes amazeballs! Like,I have got to tell Chardonnay- she'll, like, totally want one too!
 
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Spudlet said:
No no no no, you can't misuse a vital bit of equipment like a banana stick for this kind of thing! My goodness, have you learnt none of the principles of Huggly Horsemanship?! No, you MUST purchase a Patented Horse Tickling Stick, available from my website for the bargain knockdown price of only £99.99:D
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B****R!
I should have patented it before I posted!
 
Shouldn't mention my 21 year old who is not clipped but is out without a rug and will be for the remainder of the year if he's happy. He's not cold at all.
 
Some horses are very hot especially some cobs and they are clipped to enable work but get too hot turned out with a rug on. So what leave it to sweat just for the sake of appearances??

If horses bones were poking out and it was thin as heck I could see you problem OP. My guys when fully clipped are turned out in the snow to have a roll and play about as I like to see them having a good roll and a scratch and they love it.
 
My mare is chase clipped and most days just goes out with a lightweight no fill rug to keep her dry!! She's a warmblood/hunter type who is slightly porky and a very good doer. She hasn't dropped any condition. If it drops below freezing I put a heavyweight on but that's only because her mediumweight has been ruined this year. If like last year it reaches -13 then she did have a wool newmarket underneath her mediumweight stable rug at night and a heavyweight in the day. Even then I was worried she was too hot some nights!! I have hated every minute of rugging this winter, the weather has been so changeable and it's been hard to know what best to put on her! But I definately HATE people rugging their horses with two or more rugs. No need for it whatsoever, it restricts movement and must be so uncomfortable. Why not just spend some money and get a thicker rug?!!
 
Winklepoker said:
HORSES BEING LEFT OUT ON FROZEN GROUND WITH NO UNFROZEN HAY is REVOLTING.... My manual of horsemanship never taught me to do that!!!!!
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How do you think horses survive in the wild/on the moors etc? There is nothing wrong with horses living out un rugged and on frozen ground!

I agree clipped horses are a different matter, but in general most horses can live un rugged in the UK climate!
 
How long was the clipped horse out naked for? If it was turned out for a short while to have a hoon about I wouldn't be overly concerned......
 
Yes we have reached a VERY cold -3!! Shocking. I think I may install an electric fire in my horse's stable and make her a hot toddy!

I would hate to be your horse if I had that many rugs on, I can't stand being restricted or too hot!! Please tell me he's not unclipped and a native too!!!
 
I think over rugging is worse than under rugging ( having suffered hot flushes, its horrible being too hot). Mine are fully clipped, go out for half a day and have 2 medium weight rugs on with neck covers. They have beautiful shiney coats with no cat hairs. I always go on this, cold horses have dull coats and horrid cat hairs.
 
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