Welsh section a/rugs?!

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Evie91

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I have a companion pony, welsh section a, 11.2hh.
When I bought her she came with a medium weight, full neck rug - that previous owner said she had worn all winter.
Rug far to big - came down below her knees and over her ears when her head was down. Also I thought last winter was quite mild - so suprised a native needed a medium weight.
Owner was lovely but very novicey ( pony arrived to her in bandages and she had left them on until they came off in the field as she was scared of going near her back legs to take them off!).

Anyway my question is - should I rug a section a? I've bought a rain sheet for when the weather is vile. Will she need more than this?

Pony will be out in the day and in at night. I do love a rug - have a tb with a full wardrobe, so far resisting the temptation to buy teeny, tiny rugs. I'm aware over rugging is not good, hence resistance so far!
 
I've rugged Sec A's that are in work, My daughters pony is rugged (in winter) as she leaves out 24/7 til as late in the year as possible, Depends on age/condition tbh, I have had little ones who get colder than big uns! I use a full neck as well to keep her clean!
 
My section a is rugged and clipped...he wears a 5ft rug/4'9 if a generous brand like PE. I like amigos for him mostly, and his PE heavyweight is nice. Mark Todd do nice fleeces too.
 
Unless they are clipped they tend to grow their own rug and going from the amount of snow that they can get stacked on their backs they are very well insulated
 
Thanks for the replies. Incase I do decide to wimp out - can anyone recommend a website where I can buy pony size rugs?
If I get a turn out for if it does get really cold and snowy and a fleece, would that be enough?
Pony will not be clipped. Just worried that if she is forced to stand in a stable there is no opportunity to move around and warm up. She has quiet a thick coat already. Her summer coat was much thicker than I'm used to with a tb. Pretty sure she will be very hairy come winter - no experience with ponies so not really sure what I need.
Thanks for replies :)
 
My sec a doesn't grow a very thick coat, she comes in at night, I only use a light rug if the rain is very heavy just to stop her getting totally soaked and cold, it usually comes off once in as I am usually trying to keep weight off her, the only time she wore a rug when stabled was when we had weeks of snow and the temperature was minus all day as well as night.
The Amigo rugs are good for ponies, they seem to fit well and not be too big around the shoulders.
 
One of mine is rugged up all winter and the other usually goes without unless the weather is relentlessly windy and rainy - he was rugged a good couple of months last winter but went the previous winter with no rugs at all

Its like any other pony or horse there is not a 'one size fits all' answer
 
I think most welsh As would be a bit offended if you put a rug on! He'll get a thick coat don't you worry.

Having said that, I rug mine when it gets bad but he is 36 so he needs a bit of help! I use one meant for foals as I also had a lot of trouble finding a rug small enough.
 
We don't rug ours that are out of work and our in work ones are given Sept-Dec off unrugged. They then are clipped and have woollen under rugs under masta MWs for stable and some form of pony warma for out (Only 2 british bred section As but 6x 12hh greys) but The little 25YO has lots if rain sheets and premier equine stuff as he's not as young as he once was :)
 
Amigos fit our welsh section A very nicely and do tend to last forever too. For the majority of the year he is au natural however he is an elderly chap now so when its heavy rain he has a lightweight to keep it off, and when it's seriously cold he has a waterproof with a bit of fill which can be used a stable rug or outdoor rug.
 
OldNag said:
I have found Shires rugs a good fit on ours .
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Seconded. Little Moon Fairy had a brown slightly filled Shires rug with a neck and decent tail flap. Kept her 30 year old little body toasty when it was very wet and cold.

For young unclipped Section A's I would think they would be too hot with a rug over their natural coat.
 
Evie91 said:
I have a companion pony, welsh section a, 11.2hh.
When I bought her she came with a medium weight, full neck rug - that previous owner said she had worn all winter.
Rug far to big - came down below her knees and over her ears when her head was down. Also I thought last winter was quite mild - so suprised a native needed a medium weight.
Owner was lovely but very novicey ( pony arrived to her in bandages and she had left them on until they came off in the field as she was scared of going near her back legs to take them off!).

Anyway my question is - should I rug a section a? I've bought a rain sheet for when the weather is vile. Will she need more than this?

Pony will be out in the day and in at night. I do love a rug - have a tb with a full wardrobe, so far resisting the temptation to buy teeny, tiny rugs. I'm aware over rugging is not good, hence resistance so far!
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We use a saracen rug fits her well she is 12hh welshy A also Rambo fit her though donkey uses it not the new Rambo amigo the old one, the other company you can use is Dinky rugs. My welshy has a light med and heavy weight.

Fal fit her nicely too she wears a 4 ft 9 she is 9 years old
 
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The pony is only just four so I think I'll try her out with a light weight and see how we get on. Will have a look through at suggested brands. Thank you all so much for taking time to reply.
 
Rapidash said:
I think most welsh As would be a bit offended if you put a rug on! He'll get a thick coat don't you worry.

Having said that, I rug mine when it gets bad but he is 36 so he needs a bit of help! I use one meant for foals as I also had a lot of trouble finding a rug small enough.
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Most??? don't see how you can say that based on what facts????
 
I'm perplexed by all these shivering horses everywhere...I have yet to find one in shiver in this weather in 26 years of horse experience..unless ill, old, underweight, or mollycoddled so they can't regulate their own temperature.
 
Moomin1 said:
I'm perplexed by all these shivering horses everywhere...I have yet to find one in shiver in this weather in 26 years of horse experience..unless ill, old, underweight, or mollycoddled so they can't regulate their own temperature.
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Well that is life some do feel the cold more than others, and I have over 45 years experience and have seen many shivering ponies of various ages / breeds / husbandry.
Well come see mine and she is a good weight not ill and not mollycoddled, and if she shivers when I check her at night eg: now 10 pm and if she is she will have her rug on.

I see no harm is putting a rug on a pony no matter what breed - age or type, regardless what some think they should or should not have. The fact is if they are cold we rug them, to leave one off when its shivering is unkind IMO
 
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HGA-12 said:
Well that is life some do feel the cold more than others, and I have over 45 years experience and have seen many shivering ponies of various ages / breeds / husbandry.
Well come see mine and she is a good weight not ill and not mollycoddled, and she shivers when I check her at night eg: now 10 pm and if she is she will have her rug on.
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Fair enough. Just saying, I have yet to come across any.
 
Mine was shivering - when we had all the thunder storms. Was out overnight! It first thing in the morning, she was in a fly sheet and soaked through. She is 23, a tb and is definately mollied so probably a problem of my own making, but she was shivering.
She is a diva and makes her feelings known. :)
 
Rain sheet only to keep wind out. Natives don't need to be Molly coddled.

Never rugged any of mine ever, but that was in the days before horses melted if they got wet. In those days Few ponies/horses out were ever rugged.
 
Evie91 said:
Mine was shivering - when we had all the thunder storms. Was out overnight! It first thing in the morning, she was in a fly sheet and soaked through. She is 23, a tb and is definately mollied so probably a problem of my own making, but she was shivering.
She is a diva and makes her feelings known. :)
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I can fully see why you would rug your horse.
 
Tnavas said:
Rain sheet only to keep wind out. Natives don't need to be Molly coddled.

Never rugged any of mine ever, but that was in the days before horses melted if they got wet. In those days Few ponies/horses out were ever rugged.
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Whether they do or don't, that does not make them less of a caring owner than those who do not rug. Its personal choice, the owner has rights to pamper or to harden their pony. I prefer to know my pony is stabled and rugged when she is cold. I always rug to how my Equines are not to what the temperature is which too may people do, they rug according to the temperature and not to how the individual horses warmth is.

They say "oh the temperature is cold or dropped I better up the rugs"! this really bugs me when I go out and check late night and horse is sweating under its 4+ rugs.

I feel my Equines ears - under the shoulder of their rugs and over the back, if they are warm I leave them if not I up a layer. Its misconception to up rugs to the outside weather and not horses body temperature.
 
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HGA-12 said:
Whether they do or don't, that does not make them less of a caring owner than those who do not rug. Its personal choice, the owner has rights to pamper or to harden their pony. I prefer to know my pony is stabled and rug when she is cold. I always rug to how my Equines are not to what the temperature is which too may people do, they rug according to the temperature and not to how the individual horses warmth is.

They say oh the temperature is cold or dropped I better up the rugs, this really bugs me when I go out and check late night and horse is sweating under its 4+ rugs.
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OP asked a question I answered, with the benefit of 45years of experience of caring for horses and ponies in large numbers on both sides of the world. In my reply I certainly didn't tell the OP that she was a bad owner, no idea what gave you that impression.

All answers are given by anyone here are based on a persons preferences. I'm totally against the over rugging of horses as I've seen that the majority of horses/ponies can generally winter very well with minimal rugs or no rugs. Eg, the school horses were low trace clipped and wore one wool lined canvas cover - right through a traditional UK winter.

Here in NZ I see them double rugged and this area doesn't even get snow, and very few frosts.
 
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