Wet horse, advice please!!

J

junglejane

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Went to the yard to check my horse this evening to find him soaked through and shivering which I've never ever seen him do before, hes never been so cold in the rain that hes been shivering!! Hes not one for staying in on his own as hes a fretter so the only thing I could do was have him in for half an hour or so, dry him off with towel and then rug him up with his fleece and lightweight to try and dry off and turn him back out again. Now I'm worrying that I've not done the right thing??! I'm not used to rugging protocol as I dont usually rug, never have the need to, he wintered out with no rug and was never cold, but his winter coat has mostly come out and to see him shivering did make me panic! Did I do the right thing? Will the fleece and lightweight work to dry him out properly? Help!!
 
he should be fine.

My cobs got really wet and shivery several times last year in the summer, i just put there turn out rugs straight on and gave them hay, they where fine after that :) i think most modern TOs have a wickering material inside nowadays :)
 
He will probably be fine, but I would have thatched him if he were mine, as I am bit old fashioned, but find it works as well as any modern rug!
 
does he have plenty of grass or hay to eat in the field? eating roughage is very warming.
shivering warms a horse up too.
if the lightweight is waterproof i bet he'll be absolutely fine, he's probably toasty by now.
 
I've had to do this many times, if the weather turns unexpectedly and they are cold and wet through.

I don't have stables, so just sweatscrape the worst off and rug using a fleece then rain sheet. I then change them into their middle weights in order to dry off the other rugs (the fleece wicks the moisture away, but leaves the sheet wet on the inside)
 
I'm old fashioned too - was about to suggest thatching. Always worked for a shivering horse without over-heating.
 
Thank you so much for your replies everyone!! Feel like I can sleep now without panicing! Hes out in a huge paddock with 6 other horses, grass is coming through but hes definately hungary and had some hay when he came in to dry off to put something in his belly! Hes quite a portly boy *cough* but was definately feeling the cold tonight!! I know its not always good to rug a wet horse but I was hoping the fleece would dry him off but was also worrying thinking 'aahhh hes wet, with a rug on top, what if he doesnt dry out?? what about rainscald?? ahhh'! I am a worrier! And as I very very rarely rug its hard to know whats best and whether you're doing the right thing as I always prefer au natural where possible. To see him shivering like that was a real shock! Bloody horrible weather :(
 
Yes agree thatching is a fab idea but having never done it before and not having any straw I wasnt really equipped to give it a go! Should really look into it more just in case this happens again!
 
I would love to thatch the soggy cobs but i have no straw or stables :(
i used to thatch the TB when she was at livery and came in soaked along with an old string style sweat rug which i still use for cobby after a bath :)
 
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