Who's rugging and feeding for winter ??

My Barbie is in a 200g t/o during the day, and in at night with a 200g thermoquilt fleecy thing. He's warm enough without being hot, and I'd rather he didn't grow a thick coat that I then just have to clip off.
 
Prince33Sp4rkle said:
the thing is, its TOTALLY different preparing a horse for winter that will mostly live out, do minimal work and is a relatively good doer, to one that needs to be fit, clipped, clean and ready to compete.

there is NO point encouraging the latter to grow a thick coat with minimal or no rugging, only to have to keep clipping it off (which is a PITA job for horse and human alike), far better to keep them rugged a bit to keep the coat down in the first place so you can clip less often, it grows back less often, and you have less sweating when worked (which can lead to muscle / skin problems or dropping condition).

If they are living out on mainly fibre, fine, they dont need extra feed yet, but if they are being kept hard fit and on hard feed already, they probably WILL need extra feed as soon as the temp drops in order to maintain topline.

you cant NOT groom and bath a competition horse, particularly greys or those with a lof of white markings, so again keeping them rugged has the double benefit of a thinner coat which dries faster, and a thinner coat thats easier to keep clean so less bathing required to start with.

no one is saying rug them until they sweat, just as i am sure no one is saying they leave their horse rugless even if they are cold! maybe LISTEN to what people say and stop twisting it............

its ridiculous to suggest that stable competition horses should be treated in the same way that those in very light or no work and living out, should be.
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Well your tb must grow one heck of a thick winter coat if it takes the amount of rugs you use to stop him growing one! Considering tbs generally have very poor winter coats, which is the argument others use for rugging heavily in the first place..
 
oh come off it!
thats no real argument and you know it, nearly any horse, if left rugless will grow too much coat to work without sweating heavily.

because i always rug early mine dont grow much coat, so i can put off clipping for longer, but because they dont grow much coat until later in the year, they generally need any extra layer/go up a level in rugging compared to horses kept naked longer. its perfectly simple to understand if you stop trying to be so smug and right for one single second.

ive never said that people keeping theirs out longer/more/less rugs are cruel or stupid so would appreciate your using your brain and reading what ive said, instead of doing your best to insinuate that i myself am cruel and stupid!
 
It's ok as moomins horse doesn't need a rug, yours clearly don't either PS, it's not like we all have different breeds that we do different things with. Obviously.
 
I have had a fly sheet on my horse all summer due to large number of huge lumps (bigger than my hand) due to insect bites. She is now in a rain sheet when turned out. I haven't put any rugs on her in the stable yet as she is still toasty warm when I see her at 6am every morning. I have fed her all through the summer due to the fact that she is in over night due to lack of decent grazing and the variable quality of hay that was available.
 
Sparklepony said:
It's ok as moomins horse doesn't need a rug, yours clearly don't either PS, it's not like we all have different breeds that we do different things with. Obviously.
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PMSL!

If you took the time to read the thread you would see that my horse IS clipped and rugged throughout winter. Just not with billions of HW's piled on top of each other.

As usual PS is getting her knickers in a twist over anyone who disagrees with her or questions her methods. If she had read my posts properly too, she would realise I NEVER said people SHOULDN'T wash or groom their horses in winter. I merely said I DON'T. Not saying I WOULDN'T. Just I DON'T. And therefore my mare retains natural oils. She does not shiver. She does not melt. If she did shiver, I still wouldn't pile as many rugs on as some people do. She would be allowed to regulate her own body temp.
 
Moomin1 said:
PMSL!

If you took the time to read the thread you would see that my horse IS clipped and rugged throughout winter. Just not with billions of HW's piled on top of each other.

As usual PS is getting her knickers in a twist over anyone who disagrees with her or questions her methods. If she had read my posts properly too, she would realise I NEVER said people SHOULDN'T wash or groom their horses in winter. I merely said I DON'T. Not saying I WOULDN'T. Just I DON'T. And therefore my mare retains natural oils. She does not shiver. She does not melt. If she did shiver, I still wouldn't pile as many rugs on as some people do. She would be allowed to regulate her own body temp.
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As usual? What?

P
 
Cortez said:
First off, it's not winter: it's the middle of September FGS! It's also quite warm, my horses are still on restricted grazing, and there is lots more growth in the grass, so why on earth would I feed porky horses? Horses are waterproof, didn't evolve to be "dressed" and have certainly survived very well for the last gazillion years without wearing "clothes". For goodness sake, they're not barbies!
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and not all horses are the same...some are clipped, some are old, some (as with my cob) require a sweet itch rug but cannot stand all day and night in a soaking wet one so he has a waterproof one....some don't have adaquate shelter etc, etc....
Also, horses weren't 'designed' to stand in stables.....some need a little help keeping warm.
I don't know about anyone else but here in North Devon we've has several hailstone showers so it's not exactly warm...it's flippin cold and wet.
My horses are rugged right now but may not be through winter...:rolleyes::)
 
Moomin1 said:
PMSL!

If you took the time to read the thread you would see that my horse IS clipped and rugged throughout winter. Just not with billions of HW's piled on top of each other.

As usual PS is getting her knickers in a twist over anyone who disagrees with her or questions her methods. If she had read my posts properly too, she would realise I NEVER said people SHOULDN'T wash or groom their horses in winter. I merely said I DON'T. Not saying I WOULDN'T. Just I DON'T. And therefore my mare retains natural oils. She does not shiver. She does not melt. If she did shiver, I still wouldn't pile as many rugs on as some people do. She would be allowed to regulate her own body temp.
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please show me where i have taken offence to anythign said by anyone other than YOU?! i have already said i accept that plenty of horses can and do live happily un rugged for the majority of the time, and at no point have i said ALL horses should be wearing the same rugs as mine.

you on the other hand just keep making up more and more ridiculous,and sarcastic, arguments, to try and prove your none existant point. I havent been rude, or insiuated any other poster is not doing their best for their horse, you have, multiple times.

its no skin off my nose, i know my lot are happy healthy and succesful but i do take exception to being told i disagree with anyone who doesnt agree with me! i just disagree with you :)
 
My 2 year old is currently rugged up at night (he stays out at night and in during the day) due to the fact that we have 1 more show left and I dont want him growing his winter coat yet! Saying that though its only a lightweight. Other ponies on my yard are in thicker rugs and still growing coats!
 
Prince33Sp4rkle said:
please show me where i have taken offence to anythign said by anyone other than YOU?! i have already said i accept that plenty of horses can and do live happily un rugged for the majority of the time, and at no point have i said ALL horses should be wearing the same rugs as mine.

you on the other hand just keep making up more and more ridiculous,and sarcastic, arguments, to try and prove your none existant point. I havent been rude, or insiuated any other poster is not doing their best for their horse, you have, multiple times.

its no skin off my nose, i know my lot are happy healthy and succesful but i do take exception to being told i disagree with anyone who doesnt agree with me! i just disagree with you :)
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Oh I'm pretty sure that isn't quite the case! ;-)

And no, you rugging your horses up to that extent is NOT doing what's best for them. As you have pointed out, it's down to YOUR competition desires why your horse is rugged up to that extent (though god knows, I know plenty of people who compete to similar levels who don't feel the need to rug to anywhere near that extent).:)
 
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Moomin1 said:
Oh I'm pretty sure that isn't quite the case! ;-)

And no, you rugging your horses up to that extent is NOT doing what's best for them. As you have pointed out, it's down to YOUR competition desires why your horse is rugged up to that extent (though god knows, I know plenty of people who compete to similar levels who don't feel the need to rug to anywhere near that extent).:)
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Are you actually for real moomin? Sh hasn't got her horses best interests at heart? U r a joke, have u seen her horses???
Would fat rather have my horses on her yard than shivering out in the field in tour yard!
U r actually ridiculous
 
Sparklepony said:
Are you actually for real moomin? Sh hasn't got her horses best interests at heart? U r a joke, have u seen her horses???
Would fat rather have my horses on her yard than shivering out in the field in tour yard!
U r actually ridiculous
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Yes, he erm, looks like a horse?

And yes, I am for real. I wouldn't let my horse be managed remotely in the same way as PS. :-)

Each to their own however.
 
to a certain degree, we all have horses to suit US, they would all rather be eating and ******** and nothing else.

whatever horse each of us has, has to fit in with our life, our desires, our routine etc. CS has EPSM, he needs to be kept warm to stop him being sore when worked. He isnt an easy horse and he cant do the job he was bred for, so this is a bit his last chance saloon really. He wouldnt take to retirement because of previous stifle issues he HAS to remain in moderate work, he cant happy hack without looping the loop,and in any case he's super talented and i adore riding him.
so, in order to meet my (utterlay horribly selfish)desire to compete, he is kept warm enough to keep his EPSM under control (along with his diet). If he wasnt kept as warm as he is, he would be permanently sore and miserable.

So I agree that every person who rides a horse selfishly keeps them in the way that allows that rider to enjoy them the most, but please point out at which point i do not have this extremely difficult horses best interest at heart?

Fig is a VERY poor doer, the worst doer ive ever met, so he too is always kept rugged enough to not need to use calories to keep warm. He is used to the climate in Oz and the humidity in Japan, not the UK!
Bruce is suddenly looking old this year, so he is in sort of MW/HW rugs, stable rug doesnt have a neck cover etc. he isnt clipped so will probably go up to a full neck HW and that will be it.

i shouldnt have to justify myself but for anyone not aware, i just wanted to prove moomin has got more of a personal vendetta than an educated argument :)
 
Prince33Sp4rkle said:
to a certain degree, we all have horses to suit US, they would all rather be eating and ******** and nothing else.

whatever horse each of us has, has to fit in with our life, our desires, our routine etc. CS has EPSM, he needs to be kept warm to stop him being sore when worked. He isnt an easy horse and he cant do the job he was bred for, so this is a bit his last chance saloon really. He wouldnt take to retirement because of previous stifle issues he HAS to remain in moderate work, he cant happy hack without looping the loop,and in any case he's super talented and i adore riding him.
so, in order to meet my (utterlay horribly selfish)desire to compete, he is kept warm enough to keep his EPSM under control (along with his diet). If he wasnt kept as warm as he is, he would be permanently sore and miserable.

So I agree that every person who rides a horse selfishly keeps them in the way that allows that rider to enjoy them the most, but please point out at which point i do not have this extremely difficult horses best interest at heart?

Fig is a VERY poor doer, the worst doer ive ever met, so he too is always kept rugged enough to not need to use calories to keep warm. He is used to the climate in Oz and the humidity in Japan, not the UK!
Bruce is suddenly looking old this year, so he is in sort of MW/HW rugs, stable rug doesnt have a neck cover etc. he isnt clipped so will probably go up to a full neck HW and that will be it.

i shouldnt have to justify myself but for anyone not aware, i just wanted to prove moomin has got more of a personal vendetta than an educated argument :)
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A personal vendetta?!! Do you actually know what one of those is?! I don't even know you. Never met you. I certainly have no interest in any personal vendetta against you.

I just strongly disagree with your horse's management, I think it's severely OTT. Sorry about that. You can't win 'em all eh? I do however, have utmost respect for you in taking your horse on - you are certainly a lot braver than I am. :-)
 
can you point out what is OTT?

lets say the horse is visibly cold, looks tucked up, the base of ears and armpits are cold, the horse is known to suffer from a muscle disorder. He is already in a full neck MW and the forecast for the week is stronger winds and prolonged rain.

would you really advocate leaving him in the current rug, or would you up him to a HW to try and keep him warmer and thus his muscles looser and thus him happier?

the horse is out from 6.30am-3.15pm currently. he has plenty of dairy quality grass so is not lacking in fibre,and can see but not touch other horses as he is a bully, he is not stressed in the field.

he works 4 or 5 days a week, one of those is a hack or an easy canter session in the field.

he has ad lib haylage and appropriate hard feed.

which bit of his management is OTT?!
 
Prince33Sp4rkle said:
can you point out what is OTT?

lets say the horse is visibly cold, looks tucked up, the base of ears and armpits are cold, the horse is known to suffer from a muscle disorder. He is already in a full neck MW and the forecast for the week is stronger winds and prolonged rain.

would you really advocate leaving him in the current rug, or would you up him to a HW to try and keep him warmer and thus his muscles looser and thus him happier?

the horse is out from 6.30am-3.15pm currently. he has plenty of dairy quality grass so is not lacking in fibre,and can see but not touch other horses as he is a bully, he is not stressed in the field.

he works 4 or 5 days a week, one of those is a hack or an easy canter session in the field.

he has ad lib haylage and appropriate hard feed.

which bit of his management is OTT?!
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One HW if he has a muscle condition seems relative, it's when you are getting up to 5 or more with fleeces etc that I just think is ridiculous, muscle condition or not. If his condition is that much of an issue to his welfare, then should he really be doing the level of work he is, if it means he has to be managed the way he is in order to fulfil that duty?

Anyway, I'm leaving it at that because we are just going to disagree whatever.
 
but he wearing 1 HW currently? so are you trying to start an argument based on what has happened in the past and what you think will happen in the future rather than facts? because that would seem slightly ridiculous.....

when it gets down to -15 yes he does wear multiple layers, again he is never over hot, and is rugged only to the point of keeping him happy, which i dont think is OTT?

i take it you dont know much about ESPM. if managed correctly the condition does not cause an issue, if managed incorrectly it will regress very quickly. There are not really degrees of it affecting them, its either present or it isnt but if managed well and caught early its 100% reversible.

theres no shade of keeping him warm either, he's either warm, or he's cold and sore, so if he needs 3, or 4, or 5 rugs who are you to say otherwise? how is trying to keep him comfortable a welfare issue?!

i think its obvious you are going to imply im cruel and selfish whatever facts i put across, you are determined to make out that im irresponsible without even meeting the horse or seeing him work, or indeed knowing anything about his medical issue..... that stinks of a personal vendetta to me.............................
 
They have no fill sheets on. No need for hay or extra feed as tons of grass. They get a handful of chaff to put their supplements in. When they are both fully clipped I will rug them up a bit more as they will live out all winter. Ironically the Connemara x feels the cold more than the 7/8 TB one. He needs rugging far less than I had imagined!
 
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