When should I un rug my gelding?

[dodgers89]

Hi all. I have a thoroughbred x Oldenburg gelding. This winter he's mainly been in a medium weight rug, sometimes with a fleece when it snowed. Generally he stays warm. Yesterday was really sunny and fairly warm and it's looking similar today so I swapped his medium weight for a light weight. I wondered if I should un rug him altogether but I don't want him to be cold. What guidelines should I follow re un rugging? Thanks

 

[Goldenstar]

You can't make firm rules you have to look and feel and decide .
My horses rugs are coming off today.
If the weather changes they will be back on tomorrow .

 

[Westfield]

I think it is now time to get the rugs off and get some sun on those backs .I know I will be unpopular with some but remember they are hardly animals and have evolved to live without a rug.

 

[SpringArising]

I think it is now time to get the rugs off and get some sun on those backs .I know I will be unpopular with some but remember they are hardly animals and have evolved to live without a rug.

This.

Take his rug off and let him get some sun on his back! That will be far more beneficial to him than wearing a rug.

 

[Ponycarrots]

I think it is now time to get the rugs off and get some sun on those backs .I know I will be unpopular with some but remember they are hardly animals and have evolved to live without a rug.

Yes! I hate driving past fields and seeing horses in HW turnouts because it's technically still winter, even though it's 12 degrees C, sunny and there's no wind. Can't stand mollycoddling animals

 

[paulineh]

My 3 competition horses have m/w with necks on at night (1 is hunter clipped, 1 trace clipped) and L/w - rain sheets on during the day. My other 2 L/w at night and no rug during the day.

Mine all live out 24/7

 

[_GG_]

Well, I've listened to the horses here and they've been naked for over 6 weeks now. One of them was even fully clipped in October, but after picking up his MW rugs off the grass every morning, I put him in a LW and had to pick that up off the floor every morning so I checked his coat had grown through enough to be waterproof, which it had and he went naked. Next was Binks, who is a HHO horse...same again, only he was ripping ruds to get them off and I was worried he would hurt himself. He was next to go naked, quickly followed by the others as they would just sweat, even in LW rain sheets. I've popped the LW's on when we've had awful forecasts, only to have to remove them 20 minutes later when the horses start to roll constantly to get them off...they sweat so much that it's not healthy, so they are naked.

They're not exactly suffering on it...they are all really rather fat and happy!

All fat and happy

If they need rugs on, they will have them, but at the moment, they don't. My advice with rugging is ALWAYS listen to what the horse needs, not what you or anyone else wants or thinks is right

 

[Follysmum]

Rugs off in day, get some of that sun on their backs. I rug at night if needed for clipped horses.

 

[Pinkvboots]

Both of mine were naked today and they have a thin rug on at night.

 

[PorkChop]

It depends where you are in the UK, how much shelter/breeze there is etc

Fwiw mine are in MW with light necks at night, out early with LW, necks off at 8.30am, changed for fly rugs at 10am, and backwards along the process from 5pm

No hard and fast rules though, we had snow last week, this week is really warm - rug according to the conditions, but I would rather they were a bit too cold than too warm.

 

[DD265]

My boy has been out without a rug yesterday and today and also one day last weekend. That doesn't mean the turnout can't go back on if the weather changes.

 

[Orangehorse]

Are you wearing a coat? No? Then the horse doesn't need a rug. Get them used to it gradually. Swop a med weight stable for a light weight and then choose a nice sort of mildish day and turn them out without a rug. They can stand a bit of cold and they won't melt if it rains. In the spring you do have to watch the weather, because if there is a really nasty wet cold day, then pop on a rain sheet to keep them clean and out of the wind.

It is harder for livery yard people who have to see to their horses early in the day, when it can be quite nippy, but remember that WE don't have a hairy coat and a thick hide, but horses do.

 

[Nudibranch]

The weather forecast is your friend. Mine are unrugged all the time at the moment, including the TB. If it goes cold again I will put lightweights on but no more than that. They were sweating at 8am in 100g rugs on the day I took them off! Moulting is also more pleasant for them unrugged.

 

[Princess16]

My Connie has had his rug off since last weekend. Yesterday when I felt him he was really warm so lord knows how those with them still on with that lovely sunshine yesterday felt.

Gotta say though he is moulting like there is no tomorrow!

 

[eggs]

Mine are all fully clipped and have been out without their rugs a few times this year. Yesterday and today they went out unrugged although they are rugged when they come in at night. There were a couple of sunny days last month when they went out in their rugs as it was chilly in the morning and I then took them off late morning.

 

[HashRouge]

My own horse has been out naked most of the winter. My boss's SJ horses (all fully clipped inc head and legs) have been in the field today with no rugs, they looked super happy