who is rugging up turned out horses at night (especially veterans)

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gothdolly

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Is anyone else considering rugging up turned out oldies at night? I was holding off because of the so called "Indian Summer" that we were promised but my poor lad was looking a bit miserable and stiff this morning and I think the damp nights are getting to him. I want to keep him out 24/7 as much as possible until we have to bring in at the start of November.

I would not normally rug up in September but everything is just damp and yucky and we dont seem to have had any kind of summer
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Am I being a bit softy?

Cassandra
 
Absolutely not! mine have been rugged up throughout the summer on chilly or wet nights - my little pony has already started going fluffy and changing his coat (he doesn't wear a rug). I think that if it is cold, rug them up....I don't care what the date is!

I lost my old fellow last Boxing Day aged 32 and he always used to tell me when he wanted a rug or not - the system worked well for 24 years that I had him, so don't worry about the "softy" accusation! I don't subscribe to the "if you rug them now they'll be cold later" thing - just put a bigger/warmer rug on in the winter but why be cold now?!

My own stroppy cob (Big Kev!) is the world's most pathetic specimen and really feels the cold....

C.
 
not rugging my two 20 yr olds yet, they have been rugged in the worst weathers but arent needing to be rugged yet. am sure they will be the first to let me know when they want rugging
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if they need rugging i rug them, whatever 'other liveries' might say about it behind my back...
 
I thought about rugging Chex, but he has plenty blubber to keep him warm! If he was skinny I think he would have been rugged on the chillier, damper nights.
 
mine are total wimps!
ive got a WB filly who has a summer sheet on all the time or shes standing at the gate shivering
and my 17yro mare who is slightly underweight has a summer TO on too as she is feeling very cold in the rain.

never had to have rugs on this time of year
 
my 2 have had summer turnout rugs on most of the summer and they are now in at night as well. I just go by how the individual horses are and mine were starting to lose a little weight and were hungry which is why they are in and have the rugs on as they were shivering! its not been a normal summer at all.
 
We have been rugging the two 19yr olds if its raining as they feel the cold alot more then, and they are wussys.
Our 30yr old is still going strong without one though but he does have good shelter and a nice fat belly to keep him going.
 
My old mare is 26 and lives out 24/7 all year round. She is on the side of a big hill just outside Newcastle, so we definately get a lot of nasty winter weather, but she only has her rug on for about 3 months a year. We do have a 6ft hedge round the field, she hates being rugged and only has a very small amount of feed through the winter and keeps her weight on fine and isn't cold

But every horse is different so if you think he would be happier with his rug on then rug him. But he might just struggle when the weather gets worse if he is already rugged this early on in the year. How early do you usually rug him?
 
Ah, glad to see Im not the only one
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Every other year Dom has gone into Autumn in good or slightly overweight condition. This year I have had to be really really careful with his weight due to fears of laminitis and possible EMS, so he has not got the fat on him to keep him warm this year I guess. I normally rug up towards the end of October. But I guess Dom is just feeling his age this year
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He always wears a rug when standing in the stable to keep him out of drafts though.

I have always been told that if you rug up too early you will end up having to put duvets on them by January as their winter coats will not come through - do you think this is untrue?

Cassandra

P.S. I spent all evening sewing up his Autumn turnout rugs last night… my fingers are very sore and bled lots in the process!! What a mess he had made of one - it was like a jigsaw to sew back together
 
My 19 year old gelding is in a L/W at the moment, I worry about him when it is damp as he has bone disease in both front legs and can get a little on the stiff side, he is happy. ALso have my other three mares in L/W as well, but two are full TB's and other is part-bred, but want to hold off winter coats coming through.

But as a few have said, each horse and owner is different and you do what you think is best......
 
I rugged all mine the other night (lightweight, no filling) as I thought it was chilly and it was lashing and none of them are over 12!! But as a rule they're not in rugs yet, only if it's raining or really windy.
 
My TB mare is rugged with a lightweight at night and in the day if needed, she's 16 and arthritic so I sense it's best to keep her warm. It worries me that she's hardly had any fresh air to her coat this year but I suspect it's kinder than to keep stabling her or leave her out shivering. My TBx who's 6 isn't rugged yet as he doesn't shiver as quickly as the mare does in the rain and he also sweats more.
 
My mare comes in at night so is wearing either a summer sheet or thin fleece. If she was out she would definately be wearing one over night. I went and brought her in at 9pm the other evening and it was really quite cold, so dread to think what it would be like at 2am.
 
my part bred tb (20yr) is showing signs of wanting to come in overnight now, he's loitering near the gate for his eve feed and is wanting to have a go at his haynet rather than hurrying back out to the field, as usual.

the tb mare(20 yr still wants to be out, she must be tougher than i thought.
 
my 22yo (he may even be 25 - no one knows) is naked atm. He's changing his coat like mad and I think a rug would just make him really uncomfortable.
 
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