Why are most horses so 'Over' these days...

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Barefoot Endurance

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I can't quite believe how many horses are over rugged these days (I feel many are over shod and over bitted but that's another thread...)

There are many horses on my yard unclipped or just with a little clip wearing heavyweight full neck rugs! And it's not even below 5 degrees tonight! :-/

Why do people humanise them so much?
 
Or because people sometimes feel pressured into it by other people on the yard making comments. I always have to reassure one young girl that her cob will survive in minimal rugs :)
 
If the horse aint suffering then its nobodies business.

his type of thread is just why i dont do yards. If somone questioned my horse care they would be told to butt out politely the first time then less politely the more I had to tell them.

If the horse aint dying or showing detrimental effects of over rugging/bitting/shoeing then leave well alone, ou wouldnt like folk pulling apart your horsecare.
 
I was going to say because everyone in the equestrian community knows how to care for every horse better than its owner. Ah well, as long as my girls are healthy and happy, can't say as it bothers me a great deal what others do with their horses (as long as there is no blatant cruelty involved obviously, then I still wouldn't feel it to be my place to get involved any further than reporting to the relevant authority and letting them deal with it in an appropriate manner.)
 
Was asking the very same question to myself last night.

My big lad is in on box rest just now, he's naked....and his window is open!! Shoot me now :D

Xmas beastie is right though, if the horse isn't suffering then really it's not our problem. I can't help wonder at times though, what the horses would say if they could talk?
 
On the one hand I do think too many people over rug these days. On the other hand, different horses have different requirements. Of our two at first glance most people would assume the larger was over rugged, & the smaller under rugged. When really they both just have different needs, & are rugged accordingly.
 
I don't know. I've heard the less your horse has on it in terms of rugs/ bits/ shoes, the more smug you can be and the more you can judge others... But we have 3 horses, all in shoes, rugs and bits (one even hunts in a Dutch gag. Oops.) so I don't know really ;)
 
Quote "If the horse aint suffering then its nobodies business.

his type of thread is just why i dont do yards. If somone questioned my horse care they would be told to butt out politely the first time then less politely the more I had to tell them.

If the horse aint dying or showing detrimental effects of over rugging/bitting/shoeing then leave well alone, ou wouldnt like folk pulling apart your horsecare." End quote...

Because they are suffering... In silence!!! How would you like to be wrapped up in a sleeping bag and not let out even though you were absolutely boiling?
 
Have you gone round and felt them all? We do, and then adjust appropriately. Even if sticking your hands under Bee's rug is akin to poking an angry bear...
 
Oh this subject is getting boring now, each horse is an individual and more often than not the owner knows what rugs needs to go on their horse, yes some people wrap them up in cotton wool and over rug them, but lets face it id rather people did that than some of the cases that come in to the charities!!! There is worse things to be moaning about!!
 
I think it's my absolute pet hate. I know of a very overweight in clipped native who is stabled at night and wears a stable rug. Must. Not. Remove..
 
Maybe it's to do with people's own personal experience of their own horses' personal needs? My horse has a full winter coat and a heavyweight full neck rug on to live out 24/7. It's been dropping to -7 up here and when it does she gets a medium weight rug on underneath her heavy weight.

No, I don't have 'no basic stable management experience or common sense' - stick your hand down under your horses rug and gauge their temperature and then rug accordingly, that's what I do and all mine are happy and still standing!
 
Quote "Oh this subject is getting boring now, each horse is an individual and more often than not the owner knows what rugs needs to go on their horse, yes some people wrap them up in cotton wool and over rug them, but lets face it id rather people did that than some of the cases that come in to the charities!!! There is worse things to be moaning about!!" End quote...

But blatantly not... The owners know very little of what is actually 'good' for their horse... The unclipped native fat pony does not need a heavyweight full neck rug in a stable... Plus many other examples like this!
 
Tinsel Town said:
Oh this subject is getting boring now, each horse is an individual and more often than not the owner knows what rugs needs to go on their horse, yes some people wrap them up in cotton wool and over rug them, but lets face it id rather people did that than some of the cases that come in to the charities!!! There is worse things to be moaning about!!
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Couldn't have said it better myself. This topic has been done to death, I doubt many people really care what you think about how they look after their own horse, I can't imagine you would be too impressed with anyone badgering you about how you do things your way and why! I know I certainly hate it, I know what I'm doing, my horses are happy, I'm happy, a happy life for all!
 
Lolo said:
Even if sticking your hands under Bee's rug is akin to poking an angry bear...
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angry bear???? that nothing........ starving hungry man eating shark! with snappy teeth!!!!! you dont even need to poke this one ;)

each horse needs different rugs....... or no rugs at all if that is your choice....
 
Barefoot Endurance said:
Quote "If the horse aint suffering then its nobodies business.

his type of thread is just why i dont do yards. If somone questioned my horse care they would be told to butt out politely the first time then less politely the more I had to tell them.

If the horse aint dying or showing detrimental effects of over rugging/bitting/shoeing then leave well alone, ou wouldnt like folk pulling apart your horsecare." End quote...

Because they are suffering... In silence!!! How would you like to be wrapped up in a sleeping bag and not let out even though you were absolutely boiling?
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Ok how do you know that? Are the horses dripping in sweat? Are they showing signs of dehydration? drinking too much? Loss of sparkle, dull coats anything that shows that they are suffering?

If the answer to that is no then im afraid I cant really see any signs that the horses are suffering BE :)
 
The thing is though, it does vary from horse to horse.

I have a New Forest who has a funny bib/trace clip - last winter, he was over weight and survived quite happily un-rugged or just in a lightweight.

This year, he is already in a lightweight turn out rug (and was in a medium weight during the cold spell) and either in a fleece/lightweight stable rug.

Most people would consider he "should" be hardy and not need a rug - but unrugged he was miserable, cold and tucked up.

In a rug, he is much happier and not yet been too hot.
 
TandD said:
angry bear???? that nothing........ starving hungry man eating shark! with snappy teeth!!!!! you dont even need to poke this one ;)

each horse needs different rugs....... or no rugs at all if that is your choice....
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Baha! Bee is lovely, nearly all the time. She just likes her personal space... (we love mares. Reg pretty much lets you drape yourself all over him without batting an eyelid!)
 
I hate it when the rugs come on - but then I work full-time and don't want to spend hours scraping off mud to enjoy my couple of hours riding at the week-end riding my nags......but I do only put on a basic NZ rug in about Oct - clip them Nov, add a sheet and only add another stable rug if it is very cold when they come in. Come May, hopefully thay are naked again - no light turn-out rugs / fly rugs etc.
My theory is that because people mostly live in centrally heated houses / work in ditto offices, that they feel the cold, so my definition they feel that their horses do too......the easy way (when clipped) to see if your horse is cold - is to notice the cat hairs that they grow and the weight that they lose.......mine are fine!
 
My poor mare must be so depressed, unclipped but rugged, fully shod and ridden a pelham, but that must mean the little naked, barefoot, turned away for the winter cob must be too as they both show the same demeanor and are both 'chirpy' (if you can call a horse chirpy?? Best way I can think of to describe them).

Without knowing the reasons behind people's individual horse care choices I really don't see how anyone can judge each other :/
 
Pearlsacarolsinger said:
This.

The best way to judge a horse's temperature is not to stick your hand under the rug but to put your hand on the SKIN through the hair behind the elbow. If the skin is warm, the horse is warm enough.
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I was always told it was ears - but then that is a bit daft, as the ears are exposed, unless you put a hood with ears on them.......I suppose that some do?
 
Lolo said:
Or, you don't know as much as you like to think about each of those horses? :D
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When I was managing OHs yard I had to get owners to walk up to the field with me and actually feel how hot their horse was when requesting to rug up. They then saw my reasoning and dropped rugs down. All it takes is one comment on how cold it is and they're all out in HW's :( Too many people rely on others or temperatures rather than feeling the horse.

Logic doesn't even work half the time. Last March when it was rain non-stop for 3 days with wind but not particularly cold, some horses started to shiver. Problem was any rug on and they would swelter because the wind was cut out, smart horses got under the shelters, the rest shivered a little and carried on grazing. Only a couple were rugged, (including ours) but trying to explain to the owners with a LW on that a M/HW was not needed in this...

The main logic I had was that 'I'm cold'. :confused:

I have no problems with horses rugged (or unrugged) appropriately. I have a big problem with the number of people who lob a rug on and don't bother to check their horse.

FWIW mine are all unrugged and toasty, from tb's to cobs. If any feel differently they'll be rugged. It rarely happens over winter though, more often in spring/autumn. And all are out 24/7 unclipped.
 
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