What rugs or lack of rugs are you using for horses out 24/7?

Id is naked and has been for about a week now and the tbs in a rain sheet, although will be whipping it off tomorrow as weathers meant to pick up!
 
Alternating between naked, no fill and a 200g when raining...I need to get a 100g (his field mates trash his rugs...3 broken in 1 month!)
 
My NF is in a fly rug and mask during the day (he is prone to flies and there are a lot where he is) and a very light wind sheet during the night, mainly to keep the chills off and the dew.

The fly rug and mask is on at 7.00 in the morning and replaced with the wind sheet at 7.00 in the evening :)
 
I despair when I see natives - or most horses out in rugs at this time of year. There is no need IMO - unless they are old (and unable to maintain condition - not just if they are old), or they have an underlying condition which means they struggle to keep condition on.

My mare has been without a rug since beginning of March now - and she was chaser clipped.

The temps up north are about 10 degrees minimum at the moment - and I haven't noticed it drop below that even at night time.
 
Connor has gone out naked today. He was clipped in March and hasn't finished growing his summer coat yet, so has had a lightweight rain sheet on until now. He's out 24/7.
 
Was in medium weight until a week ago as it's still been cold at night here. Now in lightweight..she's a connemara so could probably go naked but she's a softie :)
 
Moomin1 said:
I despair when I see natives - or most horses out in rugs at this time of year. There is no need IMO - unless they are old (and unable to maintain condition - not just if they are old), or they have an underlying condition which means they struggle to keep condition on.

My mare has been without a rug since beginning of March now - and she was chaser clipped.

The temps up north are about 10 degrees minimum at the moment - and I haven't noticed it drop below that even at night time.
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temperature last night was 2.5!
 
Mine are naked but some horses near me are still in HW's - they have been on them for months. Feel sorry for them - they must be roasting today poor things.
 
Mine's unrugged, but if I had a horse that was cold or just clipped it would be rugged, so what everyone else is doing is immaterial anyway, as always it depends on the individual horse.
 
Moomin1 said:
I despair when I see natives - or most horses out in rugs at this time of year. There is no need IMO - unless they are old (and unable to maintain condition - not just if they are old), or they have an underlying condition which means they struggle to keep condition on.

My mare has been without a rug since beginning of March now - and she was chaser clipped.

The temps up north are about 10 degrees minimum at the moment - and I haven't noticed it drop below that even at night time.
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Where we are at the moment, the temperature at night is around 3-5 degrees and my native gets rugged in a 100g as he as just recovered from a life threatening illness so his immune system is low...

On the days where there is no flys, he is naked but when there are, he gets very irritated. I also cannot afford him to get a bleached coat as I regularly show him to a relatively high level and his coat at the moment is stunning so therefore I wouldn't like it pale, scraggy and fly bitten. He also isn't clipped as he doesn't over heat.
 
Mine finally went naked yesterday, up until then they've had their rainsheets on overnight due to the constant rain over the last month! I'm soft, they should've been naked for a month by now at least :o
 
Moomin1 said:
Still wouldn't rug. :)
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What is wrong with dealing with the horse as an individual and rugging to requirements?

Mine would look like a hat rack if I left her out naked in the weather we have had recently on our exposed hillside fields. I'll continue to do what is best for my horse thanks, you can despair all you like!
 
Kat said:
What is wrong with dealing with the horse as an individual and rugging to requirements?

Mine would look like a hat rack if I left her out naked in the weather we have had recently on our exposed hillside fields. I'll continue to do what is best for my horse thanks, you can despair all you like!
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Totally agree, if you read my post about my native, I do it for his requirements not based on what everyone else is/is not doing :mad: Most people where I am are still rugging as its a competition yard and we want to keep them in the best shape possible (not that they should be pansied just because they compete, just because it keeps them healthier) xx
 
Kat said:
What is wrong with dealing with the horse as an individual and rugging to requirements?

Mine would look like a hat rack if I left her out naked in the weather we have had recently on our exposed hillside fields. I'll continue to do what is best for my horse thanks, you can despair all you like!
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And what is wrong with me saying I wouldn't rug?!! Do I have to agree with rugging?! :confused:

As I said - if a horse has a veterinary condition which means they aren't keeping the condition or warmth then fine, or if they are old and unable to keep as much condition.

IMO all this talk of horses 'shivering' in average British temps when not rugged is the result of over rugging horses from an early age. We are in an over rugging 'culture' these days. I for one never recall seeing horses years ago that needed rugging half as much as the horses these days.
 
Moomin1 said:
I despair when I see natives - or most horses out in rugs at this time of year. There is no need IMO - unless they are old (and unable to maintain condition - not just if they are old), or they have an underlying condition which means they struggle to keep condition on.

My mare has been without a rug since beginning of March now - and she was chaser clipped.

The temps up north are about 10 degrees minimum at the moment - and I haven't noticed it drop below that even at night time.
Click to expand...

love this and totally agree - don't think the horses on the Highlands pop to Robinsons when the weather gets a bit chilly!
 
Naff all. My rising 3 yr old has wintered so well that other than one night when it was blowing up a storm and raining like someone left the tap on, he has not had a single rug on all winter!!!
 
Horses-heavyweight full necks at night and middleweight with neck during day

Ponies-middleweights at night, off during day if warm and not wet and windy

Minis- as above but donkey in h-w combo at night!!

Meant to warm up this week tho so will re-asses!
 
It is dependent on soooo many factors!

1. The horse, type, coat, age, condition.
2. What shelter they have if any
3. Position of field (and if any shelter)
4. Amount of grass/hay available.

Many livery yards have turnout for 1-2 horses...small paddocks with no shelter...so an owner has to rug accordingly.

I have a TBx retired mare...I have never 'over-rugged' and always provided a good shelter....but my Friesian youngster seems to feel the cold! I tried him without rugs a few months ago but my YO intervened and said she found him cold a few times so we put the rugs back on...he is naked again now.

I think there are too many factors to consider for people to be generalising.
 
Mine are both naked will only rug them now if we get prolonged heavy rain as both hate that and look throughly miserable when wet and cold!
 
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