What problems does over rugging cause ?

It Might be for genuine reasons though...my boy looks a picture of health but he has been diagnosed with RER and has to be kept overly warm otherwise he ties up...he's always in a rug above all the others, even though I generally believe in slightly under rugging as a rule!
 
Why don't you wear a puffa coat on a hot day and see what problems it causes you. Common sense really - sorry but they will get hot, sweat, lose condition and basically feel very uncomfortable.
 
Can also cause heat bumps which I think are pretty harmless but they are uncomfortable, the remedy is to cool the horse down. I will be honest and I have always worked the rule better a warm wet horse than a dry cold one.

The way I test is put on the rugs and then feed, I potter around for about half an hour then push my hand right in along the horses shoulder and feel how warm they are... We had a horse on our yard that was seriously over rugged and when I could not hold my tongue any longer I got told in no uncertain terms to 'Bog off and mind my own'....
 
Just to add to mine, to clarify, when I say he is over rugged and overly warm, he is never sweaty or uncomfortable!
 
Just trying to get info as to if it could cause probs really. It is my horse, who is on loan to someone else, therefore I know, having owned him for many years, what his rugging needs are. He is young, fit, well covered and a good do oer. However I don't want to be insensitive to the loaner, but neither do I want my horse uncomfortable, particularly when I know he is not keen on being too hot. We have discussed it a few times but the message doesn't seem to be getting across, we had to request his rug be taken off on the hottest day of this year so far when the weather was in 20s. Tonight he is in a medium weight, and def getting on the sweaty side of warm. I have no probs with the way he is cared for, but think the rugging could become an issue.
 
There is research going on at the moment to test the theory that over rugging is linked to equine obesity.

Sweating = loss of electrolytes, possible rubbing, and since the horse's energy is going into producing sweat the could end up dehydrated (which if left untreated or if electrolytes are not replaced proportionately could lead to toxicosis as bacteria in the hindgut die off. Toxicosis could lead to colic or laminitis, and death in extreme cases). A horse whose energy is going into sweating is not using their feed to maintain their body condition.

In extreme cases of overheating, if a horse cannot cool down the proteins which make up the body's muscle tissue de-animate (think that's the right term) and can cause death.
 
Ludo said:
Just trying to get info as to if it could cause probs really. It is my horse, who is on loan to someone else, therefore I know, having owned him for many years, what his rugging needs are. He is young, fit, well covered and a good do oer. However I don't want to be insensitive to the loaner, but neither do I want my horse uncomfortable, particularly when I know he is not keen on being too hot. We have discussed it a few times but the message doesn't seem to be getting across, we had to request his rug be taken off on the hottest day of this year so far when the weather was in 20s. Tonight he is in a medium weight, and def getting on the sweaty side of warm. I have no probs with the way he is cared for, but think the rugging could become an issue.
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You are still his owner, you still have a right to say how your horse is cared for. Perhaps you need to be a bit firmer and say what you have said above. You know your horse and you are not happy with the way he is being rugged. Tell your loan that you are not doing/saying this to be a pain but to ensure the welfare of your horse and to ensure his future happiness.... You need to nip this in the bud before it becomes a serious problem. It will eat away at you if you dont do something (I bet you think about it all the time).....
 
As I understand it, if you consistently over rug, the horse loses it's ability to self regulate it's temperature. For example if a horse is cold it can shiver to warm up. But if the ability to self regulate is taken away then it won't be able to keep itself warm should the need arise.

Talk to the person straight and say this is a serious health concern and you would like the horse to wear its normal level of rugging. She's not/shouldn't be concerned as she clearly cares for him, as this slightly misguided action shows.
 
Ludo said:
Just trying to get info as to if it could cause probs really. It is my horse, who is on loan to someone else, therefore I know, having owned him for many years, what his rugging needs are. He is young, fit, well covered and a good do oer. However I don't want to be insensitive to the loaner, but neither do I want my horse uncomfortable, particularly when I know he is not keen on being too hot. We have discussed it a few times but the message doesn't seem to be getting across, we had to request his rug be taken off on the hottest day of this year so far when the weather was in 20s. Tonight he is in a medium weight, and def getting on the sweaty side of warm. I have no probs with the way he is cared for, but think the rugging could become an issue.
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Def intervene! That is WAY over rugging, even my pansy of a horse had no rug on over night, let alone in the daytime, over the last week. The temps have now dropped and there is a chill wind but he's still only in a no fill rain sheet to stop the wind getting to him. My young horse is still nekkid.

Maybe I don't over rug as much as I thought after all! Lol
 
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