Wet pony in at night, rug to keep dry or fleece later

[Sauerkraut]

What would you prefer?

I wanted to keep our little Welsh naked over the winter as the kids don't do much work so she can become a wooly monster . But we get horses in at night to save fields and I don't want to leave her that wet in the stable unrugged. So would you recommend a rug outside to keep her dry or a fleece once in?

Thanks for any answers

 

[dumpling]

Probably a rug outside so your not putting a fleece on a wet pony

 

[Dab]

Neither, if she has a full winter coat then no need. The rug will just flatten the coat and prevent it from working as nature intended.

 

[MrVelvet]

I would leave her naked all the time If she has grown a decent winter coat she will not be wet to the skin and will dry off and be very warm!! People rug up too quickly, Horses are very good at warming themselves up but pretty rubbish at cooling themselves down. Always opt for a bit cooler than a bit warmer. She is a Welshy so designed to be outside 24/7 in all elements she'll be fine!

If you really do insist on rugging her a turnout would be best but will not beat her natural turn out

 

[Cluck]

Neither, if she has a full winter coat then no need. The rug will just flatten the coat and prevent it from working as nature intended.

This.

If she has a nice bed to roll in she can dry off faster that way than with a cooler. With hay to eat she will create alot of heat and dry very quickly.

If she has a proper winter coat I doubt that she would even be wet to the skin.

 

[Sauerkraut]

This.

If she has a nice bed to roll in she can dry off faster that way than with a cooler. With hay to eat she will create alot of heat and dry very quickly.

If she has a proper winter coat I doubt that she would even be wet to the skin.

I know, she is not really wet to the skin. Just think when she is in the stable she can't move as much to keep warm. But yes, you are all right. I keep her naked! We meet daily about 40 wild welshies on our common and they are out in all conditions.

THANKS all

 

[JadeWisc]

I am not sure I see the problem. You bring a wet pony with a winter coat into a dry stable with clean and dry bedding I assume? Why does this animal need a rug at all when it is indoors at night?


I'd leave all rugs off and even then I think it is a pampered pony who will be very comfortable all night long

 

[JadeWisc]

also wanted to add that provided you have field shelter I doubt you would even need to bring the pony in unless you really have to be careful not to trash your grazing

 

[Sauerkraut]

I am not sure I see the problem. You bring a wet pony with a winter coat into a dry stable with clean and dry bedding I assume? Why does this animal need a rug at all when it is indoors at night?


I'd leave all rugs off and even then I think it is a pampered pony who will be very comfortable all night long

Because just because it's "inside" doesn't really mean it's warm. We haven't got a sizzling fire on or underfloor heating

 

[Sauerkraut]

@Jade: Unfortunately YO's decision to stable at night this time of the year to save fields. Welsh weather and lots of clay soil

 

[JadeWisc]

Because just because it's "inside" doesn't really mean it's warm. We haven't got a sizzling fire on or underfloor heating

I get that but still stand my ground. I live in a place where we get the most aggressive extremes on both ends and my horses have to cope. They all do where I live. My animals have to cope with temps down to -35F they stay out about 99% of the time 24/7 . they also have to deal with over 100F in the summer. They all cope and they all survive and you are hard pressed to find blankets, heaters, air conditioners on any of them. I think a dry stall is like nirvana to most horses no matter what the temp is provided they are well fed and have thawed water

 

[nikCscott]

I'm also wondering this as we have on loan a sec a with the fluffiest coat I have ever seen

The other night he came in soaked so left him thinking 'he'll dry out' but he woke up soaked too is this right?

The other problem I had was where he had been lying down wet his bedding (wood pellets) had absorbed the moisture from that one side- forming a hard wood based render eek which was not only a nightmare to get off but wasted a good deal of bedding.

Also only a few more days until the nights start pulling out so hopefully girls can ride more easily after school so all the people saying to OP "leave him un-rugged" are you saying it's ok to ride a wet pony?- I was always taught -not

 

[mulledwhine]

I rug my secs during the day, and stable rug at night.

Wish I did not have to bother, but he does not get a great winter coat, and shivers with the cold. Big girls blouse springs to mind

 

[be positive]

I'm also wondering this as we have on loan a sec a with the fluffiest coat I have ever seen

The other night he came in soaked so left him thinking 'he'll dry out' but he woke up soaked too is this right?

The other problem I had was where he had been lying down wet his bedding (wood pellets) had absorbed the moisture from that one side- forming a hard wood based render eek which was not only a nightmare to get off but wasted a good deal of bedding.

Also only a few more days until the nights start pulling out so hopefully girls can ride more easily after school so all the people saying to OP "leave him un-rugged" are you saying it's ok to ride a wet pony?- I was always taught -not

I think if your pony is still wet in the morning then it is probably not generating enough heat itself, if you are trying to get weight off this may help, but I would put a light rug on so that it comes in dry. I also dont think it is a great idea to ride a wet pony. Putting the saddle on a wet back can lead to a sore back and they may behave as if cold backed when the children get on, which you do not want.

To the OP do what you want with yours, mine is out during the day without a rug and is fine but I am not expecting her to be ridden and if I was I would use a turnout to keep her dry, being lazy she would wear it overnight so I dont have to keep changing rugs.

 

[FanyDuChamp]

Personally I would not rug, Fany grows a hugely thick coat and was out in snow and ice last winter, came in at dinner time and was unrugged, she was fine.
FDC

 

[Turitea]

No need to rug a pony with a full winter coat.

 

[Mare Stare]

I was told to never rug a wet horse (unless it was a cooler or sweat rug) because it would catch a chill. Is this wrong then? Noone else has mentioned it.

 

[Honey08]

Our section A did fine in that situation for the whole four years that we had her. Our stables are facing open fields and get fairly windly some nights. As people said, they roll if they want to. I also found that she was so tiny that most of her was below the height of the door, so out of the wind. Just make sure your haynets are put in a place where they aren't in a draught.

I've never used wood pellets, but it sounds like they're not so good in this situation. Could you give the pony a scrape off and towel to get the worst off as it comes in perhaps? Sometimes they don't dry because their coat is so efficient that the heat from their body stays in rather than gets out - think of the sheep you see with thick snow on their backs, they're just well insulated.. I'd only be worried if they were shivering, losing weight that they needed, or getting rain scald.

 

[mulledwhine]

Scrunchie , I thought this as well, until I was told that it is not so important with modern rugs as they breath, more applicable to NZand the like

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I know, she is not really wet to the skin. Just think when she is in the stable she can't move as much to keep warm. But yes, you are all right. I keep her naked! We meet daily about 40 wild welshies on our common and they are out in all conditions.

THANKS all

Horses do NOT move about to keep warm, they EAT. It does seem to be a common myth on here that horses need to be able to move around to keep warm. If you watch horses which are kept out, they take very few steps, if any, between mouthfuls. If they were going to keep warm through movement, they would need to be galloping around their fields, all the time!
Your pony will be absolutely fine, brought into a nice, dry stable with a reasonable bed and a decent amount of forage. IMO you would be possibly creating trouble for yourself and the pony by rugging, either inside or out.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I think if your pony is still wet in the morning then it is probably not generating enough heat itself.

What it actually shows, unless the pony feels cold to touch behind its elbow, is that the pony's own insulation is excellent and is not letting the body-heat, which the pony is generating, through to the surface.