What rug for this driving rain on unclipped horse?

[Cobiau Cymreig Wyllt]

I am not prone to rugging..so bear with me for the basic questions..have natives that live out 24/7 with huge unclipped coats...BUT arrived tonight to find Sec A looking soaked through and miserable compared to this morning...he is on loan so has a LW rug with him..dried him off with cooler and put LW on...sec D boy by comparison was still looking (and feeling) perfectly toasty round the ears and on his dry bits and fluffy belly-wise and on close inspection of his coat, the rain was parting the top layer of his coat but poke a finger through it and the underneath bit was dry..BUT if this weather keeps up, I want to have something to hand to at least allow him to dry out...so, for a youngster who has never been rugged (he has had rug 'training' tho but with the loan pony's too-small rug, just to get him used to something rustly on and off him, he's v spooky) - what would you suggest would be most versatile? Would you go lightweight as its purely to keep the driving rain from penetrating a good coat?
OH was contemplating tyeing his coat around ponyboy's shoulders to keep him dry, but I have patiently explained this is not a good idea.....!
Plum vodka to anyone who replies!!

 

[Slinkyunicorn]

I would leave him naked regardless to be honest My cob - in my siggy - was naked althrough last winter. their coat is more than adequate to keep him warm and dry You will be doing him no favours rugging him

Our Section A is out naked - as is the elderly mini shetland - and will stay like it all winter - again

 

[Cobiau Cymreig Wyllt]

I would leave him naked regardless to be honest My cob - in my siggy - was naked althrough last winter. their coat is more than adequate to keep him warm and dry You will be doing him no favours rugging him

Our Section A is out naked - as is the elderly mini shetland - and will stay like it all winter - again

I wouldn't normally - last year the same sec a who is now back on loan with us stayed out through all that snow and I never once caught him looking miserable - his coat is amazing BUT today...he was actually soaked through and shivering...and being that he is on loan and was supplied with a LW rug by owner who said 'only put it on if the rain is terrible', so I rugged him. I am just doing the 'what if' scenario with sec D - basically I don't want to be caught out with nothing whatsover to hand if this driving wind and rain keeps up. If there is no need for it, it won't go near him and it will come off again as soon as it stops, honest!!!!!

 

[Supertrooper]

Personally I don't mind horses being out unrugged at all unless it's relentless wind and rain together. The big lad has no rug on unless it's like this but we have no man made shelter and not great natural shelter.

He's in a 100g turnout but as soon as the wind/rain stops it'll be off xx

 

[Slinkyunicorn]

Tell him to man up

 

[Cobiau Cymreig Wyllt]

Tell him to man up

Hehheheh - maybe that's the problem, he had his bits last year but this year he's so gelded!!!!!!!!
It is quite a change from when he was happily surviving -14!!!

 

[Cobiau Cymreig Wyllt]

Personally I don't mind horses being out unrugged at all unless it's relentless wind and rain together. The big lad has no rug on unless it's like this but we have no man made shelter and not great natural shelter.

He's in a 100g turnout but as soon as the wind/rain stops it'll be off xx

Yeah - this is my thinking...their natural shelter is bit inadequate for this speed of wind and rain, although I did feed them down the one end of the field that is not insanely battered by the wind tonight, in the hope they would stay there... so, because I don't understand rug terminology (never having done it) does that mean your lad is wearing a turnout with 100g of fill? is that a lightweight then...or??????

 

[be positive]

I would get a lightweight, not a no fill rain sheet as these offer very little warmth and can cause the pony to get more chilled, getting wet and cold is not really a problem, provided they have some natural shelter. However the rain we are currently getting is driving and you run the risk of rain scald developing if they do get soaked too frequently, the sec A is probably used to being rugged in really bad weather and last year the cold and snow was not such a problem.
My natives are not rugged but are in at night, on diets, so can stay dry then.

 

[Cobiau Cymreig Wyllt]

I would get a lightweight, not a no fill rain sheet as these offer very little warmth and can cause the pony to get more chilled, getting wet and cold is not really a problem, provided they have some natural shelter. However the rain we are currently getting is driving and you run the risk of rain scald developing if they do get soaked too frequently, the sec A is probably used to being rugged in really bad weather and last year the cold and snow was not such a problem.
My natives are not rugged but are in at night, on diets, so can stay dry then.

True true, last year the sec A was unrugged but he did have a really good choice of natural shelter including the backs of barns for windbreaks and in the worst weather we moved him to somewhere to bring him in for the night.

So you would advise a bit of fill? Like what weight?

It is the driving nature of the rain I am bothered about...plus high speed wind chill...when I was feeding this am my long-length muckers were completely soaked through from the driving rain

 

[be positive]

I think the most available are 100 gm fill, you can get lighter but they seem to be more expensive makes. The cheap and cheerful Saxon rugs are useful, they are good value if not using much, I think they sell them as med. weights but they are not overly warm, I have one on one of my PBAs that does ok until he needs a heavyweight.

 

[Cobiau Cymreig Wyllt]

I think the most available are 100 gm fill, you can get lighter but they seem to be more expensive makes. The cheap and cheerful Saxon rugs are useful, they are good value if not using much, I think they sell them as med. weights but they are not overly warm, I have one on one of my PBAs that does ok until he needs a heavyweight.

Marvellous, thanks - will take a look at them - sod's law I will get one, the driving wind and rain will stop and it will stay in its bag but heyho!!

 

[saffytessa]

Has anyone ever tried one of these?

http://www.intelligenthorsecare.co.uk/coolheat-rugs

It basically lifts the rug off the horses coat so that they can self regulate their temprature underneath the rug, meaning you can use it in a range of tempratures.

Seems an interesting concept but I just wonder how comfy it would be..?

Dizzle posted this ^^^ earlier asking about a possible solution. It seems good, if it works like it says it does. I like the idea of having one rug regardless of how cold it is and it keeps them clean and dry enough to ride bonus
Might need to win the lottery first though because £125 seems a lot for a rain sheet

 

[Clippy]

The Amigo Mia is no more than a waterproof sheet and they're pretty cheap to buy. Perfect when the weather gets extreme and you have a field full of hairy fatties

 

[only_me]

I would be careful with no fill waterproof sheets - they don't stand up to heavy rain much! I have an old amigo rainsheet and is brill, never let's the rain in and I also have a newer version of the same rug and it's only showerproof really!
The problem with no fills are that it does keep the horse dry (ish!) but stops the horse using their coat to regulate warmth; they are always colder than the unruged horse imo.
My uncoupled boy is in a 100g
turnout as they are more waterproof ( he lives out and has worn it for about 2 and a Half months and stayed dry even in our never ending relentless rain!) And it has been well tested - I live in ireland and don't know what a dry spell is
The 100g provides enough warmth to keep him warm and "replaces" the warmth his coat would generate

 

[only_me]

Unclipped not uncoupled!!

 

[horserugsnot4u]

If you are going to use a lightweight rug, as mentioned previously make sure it has some 'fill' in it as in my experience the completely no fill ones get soaked and then they 'cling' to the horses body making them very cold and damp. Might be okay in wet summer weather but more of a hindrance than a help in winter - I had a pony who was obviously shivering in one. The more expensive rugs might be okay, otherwise you can get lightweights of various brands in 40, 70 and 100g fill (maximum I'd use).