under rugging?

Shavings

Shavings

Well-Known Member
Joined
8 October 2011
Messages
2,082
Location
Middle of some where
Visit site
some one help tell me i'm not crazy!

my TB gelding is in 100g rug day and night and i am thinking of downing him to a no fill turn out on sunny days

its not overly warm here about 10 c in the day but when the sun is shining on him, i am sure he is getting the green house effect of it

he is molting like a yeti!

my yard manager says i am mean as her horse (sport horse) is in 400g worth a rugs

i am always a believe in less is more, and my boy has done really well this winter for holding his weight (shockingly after being a hat rack this time last year)

plus isn't every horse different? just because her horse is cold doesn't mean mine is?
 
Tell her to jog on.
Honestly I'm on a yard with an OCD compulsive rugger YM.
I accept some horses will be chilly types but generally anything she controls the rigging on has 2-3 rugs at a time!
 
Well I guess it depends where you are/how exposed etc but this is one of those 'horses for courses' things.

My 2 are both clipped out. millie is in 100g today and Kira is in no-fill and this has been the case for a few weeks now. My fields are without shelter and quite exposed to the breeze. Most of the other horses are out naked but mine haven't any coat yet.

Millie is wearing 150g indoors at night and Kira is just in a sheet. You have to do what's right for your horse :)
 
Sounds like a good plan to me. I've just done the same ... although I left both mud monsters naked for the first time last night.... they were still alive and kicking this morning, lol!
 
Haha I was about to post something identical! My fully clipped TB is roasting in anything other than a fleece/150g stable rug at night, and he's out in a LW no neck in the day. Feel like I should be piling the rugs on!

The yard is super sheltered though, and he's getting all-you-can-eat hay, so trying to ease my conscience with that...

You know your horse, and if he's happy in those rugs then I wouldn't worry about what anyone else is doing. Plus, there's that whole thing that horses find it easier to warm up than cool down - so surely much better for him to be sliiightly on the chilly side, than roasting hot!
 
Our hunter-clipped eventer is out naked today, and just with a no-fill at night now. It is so warm in the day now that he gets sweaty in even a no-fill, much as I would like him to have it on to keep him clean! We are in the South though and the weather has been glorious the last few days.
 
For the past 3 days mine with a clip that is down the neck, chest and under the belly, with his back left on has been out with no rug. It is cloudy and not that warm today so I have put his rain sheet back on today. I tend to go by the weather, if I need a coat my horse needs a rug, in the spring time at least, when trying to rough them off and remembering that in the old days the hunters would be out in the field by Easter (depending on the when Easter is and what the weather is).

Mine isn't really loosing his coat much though, but then he doesn't grow a very think coat.
 
Blitz has a hunter clip and he is naked day and night now, but he is a fairly warm horse anyway.

Everyone needs to go by how their own horse feels.
 
depends a bit on the horses and also how clipped. My retired 19yo tb ex-racer has been naked for days! will now only be rugged if there was heavy rain. he was only in 400g when living out in -6 this winter!

I look after 2 warmblood types who are fully clipped, but they have been going out un-rugged this week, stabled in light rugs. 10 degrees is warm enough.

my friend is a rug obsessive and just the hint of drizzle or a slight chill in the air and they are rugged up in many layers, even though they are overweight and in stables with plenty of shelter! but when they get a breather they are so happy to roll and groom each other

if it is going to rain and be a bit cold i rug my tb as he is old and has arthritic joints, plus my mare is a pansy in the wet and starts shivering!
 
your horse, you're decision and I don't think there is anything wrong with your choices.

mine is fully clipped and in med weight full neck at moment but if this good spell of weather keeps up she'll be in light weight with no neck just shortly :)
 
It does depend on the horse but mine are all fully clipped and are out without rugs on during the day but our fields are well sheltered. They are having a high old time grooming each other and rolling. One has a lightweight turnout though on as he feels the cold more than the others. All come in at night and have fleeces on expect for one who is too warm even in a fleece.

If the weather takes a change for the worse I will review their rugging.
 
Our clipped mares are in their no fill rugs now during the day, its really warmed up in the last week.

They were sweaty last week, because they still had neck covers at that stage so they are off now.

If your horse is happy, then ignore your YO...

Fiona
 
I agree with everyone...totally individual!

My mare is in a fleece or stable sheet at night and a no fill sheet turned out in the day. All her fieldmates are out naked but she tends to feel the cold more than them so will be in her sheet for a couple of weeks I think
 
Everyone on my yard has their horses in heavyweights- whether the horse is clipped or not. It's about 10 - 12° in a sheltered valley....

Mine are either naked in the day if dry or lights if wet and 100g overnight, although I think they could prob stay in lights overnight as they are quite warm in the morning.
 
My blanket clipped horse lives out. During this warm weather he is out during the day with no rug on. At night I put a no fill on. He is always a hot horse and has overheated in the past - very scary. I prefer too cold to too hot.
 
I think it's horses for courses really! Some people at my yard have been turning out naked during the day, some in no fill, some in 2 rugs still! Mine is fully clipped out, hasn't grown any coat yet and is in a M/W full neck during the day. She hasn't yet been too hot, although I will adjust as needed.
 
I'm not sure why anyone would use a no fill for warmth? Surely they are only good for mild wet days? Mine (native but no winter coat and elderly) is in. 100g at night and naked in the day. I've seen loads of ponies still in their big rugs during the day. They must be boiling as it's been 15 or more here.

In answer to your question I'd always rather they got a bit chilly overnight than baking hot all day when the sun comes out.
 
My rule is 10c or above = no rugs. Both out naked all week even though it's colder when I turn out early before work but they can run around a bit if they're cold, there's plenty of grass and I know they would be hugely uncomfortable later in the day if rugged. Both have 50gr stable rug on at night still but are clipped (not fully) and moulting like crazy.

Would only use a no fill if wet and windy.
 
meleeka said:
I'm not sure why anyone would use a no fill for warmth? Surely they are only good for mild wet days?
Click to expand...

eh? It's still a layer of fabric providing shelter from the wind and trapping a layer of warmer air

My horse is def warmer with a no fill on than without. Bit like I'm warmer with a t shirt on than without (not the only reason I get dressed in the morning, granted :p )
 
Thank you every one this has made me feel a lot better about the situation!

we move yards on Monday to some where which suits us better, it is slightly colder there (last night there was a difference of 2c between the two locations)

but I'm not overly worried, because as i said earlier he is molting like no man business!

any one needs pillow suffering give me a shout xD
 
My fully clipped Warmblood is in a 100g full neck. She has been out naked in the sunshine.

Loathe to take her rug off just yet as her weight has been dropping a bit, but any more rugs and she'd be far too warm!
 
Mine is chaser clipped and has been out in a rainsheet for the last few days day and night.

I would put him out without a rug, but, well he's grey and frankly I can't face it! The mud needs to dry out a lot more before I do that. He's a filthy hippo and I don't care :p
 
milliepops said:
eh? It's still a layer of fabric providing shelter from the wind and trapping a layer of warmer air

My horse is def warmer with a no fill on than without. Bit like I'm warmer with a t shirt on than without (not the only reason I get dressed in the morning, granted :p )
Click to expand...

I'm with you on this, a decent no-fill rug will be significantly warmer than no rug at all! I have a long waterproof coat which is made of very similar material to the outer of a turnout rug, and it is just lined, with no filling. It still keeps me much warmer than if I have no coat on at all!
 
TGM said:
I'm with you on this, a decent no-fill rug will be significantly warmer than no rug at all! I have a long waterproof coat which is made of very similar material to the outer of a turnout rug, and it is just lined, with no filling. It still keeps me much warmer than if I have no coat on at all!
Click to expand...

Me too I think this whole no fill makes them colder is simply wrong .
 
meleeka said:
I'm not sure why anyone would use a no fill for warmth? Surely they are only good for mild wet days? Mine (native but no winter coat and elderly) is in. 100g at night and naked in the day. I've seen loads of ponies still in their big rugs during the day. They must be boiling as it's been 15 or more here.

In answer to your question I'd always rather they got a bit chilly overnight than baking hot all day when the sun comes out.
Click to expand...

I think it's a bit like us wearing a rain coat, certainly notice the difference when you take it off as it keeps the wind out.
 
I agree with you OP. I much prefer horses to be slightly under rugged than over rugged. As long as they are a good weight and don't go short of forage, I think it's much healthier this way. I see way too many over rugged horses but they don't get any say in the matter sadly :-(
 
Mine has been partially clipped and naked all winter. He's literally been in a Thermatex overnight if he got rained on and/or sweaty when worked, but other than that he's been un-rugged ... he's survived just fine :)
 
I removed my anglos rugs about a week ago now and they will not be going back on unless we get near freezing temps once he's completely shed his winter coat. He's got a constant supply of forage and access to shelter and it's warm enough now that he won't fall apart if decides he wants to stand in the rain. I'm really not a fan of rugs unless absolutely necessary
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top