warm enough?

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UKa

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Hello, I know there have been many posts on here how to test that the horse is warm enough. I am just wondering again as recently someone at the yard said something like that their horse was not "toasty" as they would have liked under his rug - is this really how it should be? I mean horses are probably hardly "toasty" in warmer months when they are unrugged and should they not just have good body temperature? But then I don't know. And having found my girl after being out today when it has got so cold feeling just lukewarm and a bit on the coolish side under her MW turnout with fleece underneath I am wondering if she should feel any warmer underneath or if she is ok like that? Any thoughts? How warm should they be under the rugs? Am just wanting to do the right thing as she is a skinny TB who loses weight during the winter so want to keep on what she has and not use too much energy burning it all away...
 
If she's a skinny TB that tends to lose weight then she needs to feel lovely and warm when you put your hand under the rug, you say she felt 'coolish' so if that was me that would not be warm enough. Is she clipped? if clipped to give you an idea mine is fully clipped one month ago and is out by day in a really good full neck heavyweight. if yours is not clipped then a good MW with a decent fleece underneath is probably warm enough.
 
Thanks for your thoughts. She is unclipped. Been wearing m/w turnout with neck and fleece under. At night, she has a h/w stable rug with the fleece under. Have put on her thermatex as underrug tonight as it thicker than the fleece see if she is warm enough with that and this will also go under her turnout tomorrow. Only have a h/w turnout with no neck so prefer to layer up with the neck one. Just made me think how warm should she really feel as they are after all not like us humans :)
Thanks!
 
i've always been lead to believe that horses find it easier to adjust their own temperatures up rather than down? i never like my two to feel too warm to the touch - my girl is naturally quite a hot horse and she is blanket clipped and in a light-medium weight, whilst my gelding is much wimpier and is unclipped in a heavyweight with an under rug at night. both live out (although with plenty of shelter from both wind and rain, which i think makes a difference) and holding their weight fine. if you are worried though or if she has started to loose weight, perhaps you could add a thicker under rug?
 
I have an elderly warmblood and we are right at the top of a hill where it is always colder, I am still turning out with no rug, it has been 2 degrees today. I felt his ears when he came in and under his "armpits" and he felt warm, but not toasty. His hair was not staring. He is not clipped but has a thin coat. He hates his rugs so I prefer to let him shiver a bit! A lot of people do overug their horses. Thinking the other day what used to happen in the "olden times" dont think they had horse rugs although horses werent clipped either.
 
alma said:
A lot of people do overug their horses. Thinking the other day what used to happen in the "olden times" dont think they had horse rugs although horses werent clipped either.
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Is exactly why I was questioning what I should be doing... I had a mare for 18 years (some sort of mix of TB and pony) and we didn't even own a rug for her... nor did the people rug their horses at the stables and stables nearby. This was on the continent where temperatures would go down considerably further than here... However, I have learnt that my TB girlie is a different kettle of fish so want to do the right thing and not just assume. (And I have been managing her for the last 7 years but am still questioning myself.) Oh well, guess as long as she is not boiling or obviously losing weight there is not much to worry
 
Feel the ears, if a horse is cold their ears will be cold. Also look at the general appearance of the horse, do they look happy? If they look happy don't worry, they will show signs of shivering and being miserable if they are cold.
 
Must say my old horse is only in lightweight rug at mo and comes in a bit to warm same when he goes in the stable i was hoping he shiver a bit of weight of
 
I agree with feeling the horses ears. I wanted to try and keep my boy in a MW for as long as possible but i went down today, he was huddled in a corner looking down right miserable and was cold. so on went his HW.
 
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