Why do horses have rugs on when owners are in t-shirts?

I started doing what those research geeks did. I walk towards the horse, lugging a rug. Watch carefully for response. Big hairy wb takes off, no way does he want a rug. Finer built ISH looks interested, but declines and bogs off. Easy!!
 
The thing is it does get to that early afternoon but it takes all morning to warm up, and I cycling home at 5.30 I almost put my jumper on :p.
 
Mine is out in a medium at night and naked in the day. The temperature is dropping 8/9 degrees at night here, it's freezing when I get to the yard first thing.
 
ester said:
The thing is it does get to that early afternoon but it takes all morning to warm up, and I cycling home at 5.30 I almost put my jumper on :p.
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I was jumping pony tonight at 6pm in a t-shirt and did put jumper on at 6.45 when I finished! Pony was sweating even though she has trace clip. I did put jumper on when I finished and 50g on pony for night!
 
Pingu42 said:
But I'm not talking about wet and cold weather! I'm talking about 17 degrees and warm and sunny! Banging my head against a brick wall! If people want to rug their horses when warm and sunny then they should be wearing at least a jumper and anorak themselves and walking around a field to understand how a poor horse feels!
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Oh mind your own business!

I will manage my horse as I feel is in her own best interests. If that involves rugging then I will rug, even if you think it is t-shirt weather you don't know my horse's particular requirements.
 
Whereas I lunged at 6.30, hairy welshie and no sweat, 100g rug on and out for the night.

I also don't think he walks around the field fast enough to get work up a sweat :p
 
Reading through this and wondering if I should go out and check my neddies are warm! They are all still out 24/7 but with plenty of grass and tree/hedge shelter if required. None are rugged. According to met office it's about 12 degrees atm falling to 9 over most the night but about 7 early morning. When I checked them at 8pm ish the base of their ears are warm. I will move them to fields with shelters overnight soon and hang haynets. The difference in temperature inside the shelter is really noticeable. I've read that no fill turnouts defeat the object for cold as they flatten the coat? Is this right?
 
Hayjay said:
Reading through this and wondering if I should go out and check my neddies are warm! They are all still out 24/7 but with plenty of grass and tree/hedge shelter if required. None are rugged. According to met office it's about 12 degrees atm falling to 9 over most the night but about 7 early morning. When I checked them at 8pm ish the base of their ears are warm. I will move them to fields with shelters overnight soon and hang haynets. The difference in temperature inside the shelter is really noticeable. I've read that no fill turnouts defeat the object for cold as they flatten the coat? Is this right?
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Yep, that is the research that I have seen to which is why I have thrown my no fills away! My part clipped mare has a 50g on but only at night and my retired mare is hairy, happy and no rug! They would choose food over a rug to keep warm! And the way to test if they are warm is at the base of their ears or under their elbow and not under the rug whether they are probably roasting!
 
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Pingu42 said:
Yep, that is the research that I have seen to which is why I have thrown my no fills away! My part clipped mare has a 50g on but only at night and my retired mare is hairy, happy and no rug! They would choose food over a rug to keep warm!
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Thanks Pingu. Mine seem happy enough. My old shetland has never been rugged. I shall be quite happy when my mare and my girls 12.2 do need rugs.....they are both greys and like to fund the muddiest patch to roll in 😬
 
Hayjay said:
Thanks Pingu. Mine seem happy enough. My old shetland has never been rugged. I shall be quite happy when my mare and my girls 12.2 do need rugs.....they are both greys and like to fund the muddiest patch to roll in ��
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My retired mare has done three winters without a rug although previously when in work, was clipped and rugged! She does come in at night though from Nov to March and seems perfectly happy without a rug! Haha! So glad that I don't have a grey! I have my mare who is in medium work clipped in winter and rug accordingly but she tends to do most of the winter in a MW combo turnout unless it drops below -5!
 
I'm so lucky to have mine on assisted livery where they would go and take the rugs off if it suddenly warmed up. My cob is a very warm horse, hes currently wearing a cotton sheet overnight and a no fill turn out only if its cold and torrential rain. Mainly to keep him clean and hopefully keep his coat down a bit. Half the yard are in MW TOs and alot have been in no fill TOs all summer. Mine would have melted :lol:
 
Mine has been in his lightweight the past couple of weeks and I put on his 80g overnight last night- but it's a vain attempt to prevent the FUZZ! Imo he would look rather silly clipped and isn't a really sweaty boy anyway. This is Scotland though I know of some out in their heavyweights just now... it's Baltic.
 
We are on a hill on the NE coast. Always cold always windy. 6of mine winter out, 1 section A, 1 BRP (18 years), 1 Welsh C, 1 IDxTB mare who is 28 years old and one TB mare who is now 16. Not one of them will wear a rug.
I used to rug them but the last 3 winters I have left them unrugged and they have come out of the winter looking way better than when they were rugged - the Welshies far TOO well in fact. If they are not rugged they develop a better winter coat and I don't think any rug can better what Nature has provided them with.

If people want to rug their horses that's fine. but really anything unclipped has no need of a rug in September (unless unwell and also I'm all for rugging to keep clean too.)

A few years ago our Vet went nuts with one of our liveries (also his client) after seeing her Shetlands in the paddock with rugs in. He told her in no uncertain terms it was ridiculous and there was just no need for it. I must admit when I see people asking rug sizes for Shetlands my eyes perform an involuntary roll.
 
See our Shetland gets rugged on a semi regular basis - but we do the same as a prior poster does, if we go up and it's torrential rain or freezing cold then we walk towards him with the rug - if he stays still he gets rugged if he runs off he doesn't - simple! Trust me if he does want rugged then you've got no chance of catching him!

But every horse is different and every owner is doing the best they can...in the grand scheme of things there are far worse things happening to horses than someone misjudging the weather report that day!!
 
Well thank god for this thread. It has inspired me to resign from my job, construct a small hut in the horse field and sit in it all day with a pile of rugs waiting for any significant change in weather conditions so I can dash out and change the horse's attire accordingly. I am going to be homeless and destitute but thank goodness total strangers on the internet won't be able to criticise me unjustly for my rug choice. I will sleep happier in my hut in the knowledge that I am truly the best horse owner ever and they (being everyone else in the world) are infinitely more negligent and cruel than I.
 
minesadouble said:
W

If people want to rug their horses that's fine. but really anything unclipped has no need of a rug in September (unless unwell and also I'm all for rugging to keep clean too.)
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I tend to agree, but my cob was in a 40g rug last night, and v glad I did as it was 3 degrees with frost on the grass at 7 this morning.
Yes, he's a cob, yes he only has a small clip, but I know my horse and he needs to keep warm at present to stop him frm hoolying around to warm up, due to recent treatment. This on Vets advcie :)

Never judge OP, till you have all the facts :)
 
Fun Times said:
Well thank god for this thread. It has inspired me to resign from my job, construct a small hut in the horse field and sit in it all day with a pile of rugs waiting for any significant change in weather conditions so I can dash out and change the horse's attire accordingly. I am going to be homeless and destitute but thank goodness total strangers on the internet won't be able to criticise me unjustly for my rug choice. I will sleep happier in my hut in the knowledge that I am truly the best horse owner ever and they (being everyone else in the world) are infinitely more negligent and cruel than I.
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:D :D

Fwiw I don't entirely agree with the no fill flattening the coat, mine just doesn't sit like that, it keeps a wind chill off and keeps the horse dry - a wet horse can often be a cold horse (depending on current coat/shelter options etc etc).
 
The Fuzzy Furry said:
I tend to agree, but my cob was in a 40g rug last night, and v glad I did as it was 3 degrees with frost on the grass at 7 this morning.
Yes, he's a cob, yes he only has a small clip, but I know my horse and he needs to keep warm at present to stop him frm hoolying around to warm up, due to recent treatment. This on Vets advcie :)

Never judge OP, till you have all the facts :)
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But my horse is clipped and in 50g at night when it's cold but rug is off in the day as it is currently warm and sunny! I'm only debating the fact that people have got horses in rugs during the day when it is warm!!!!!
 
MotherOfChickens said:
I have to agree with this. Still, glad we have this first-of-the-winter rugging threads done, looking forward to the weekly ones from now on in :p
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Sorry :( I'm not normally one to moan! But can't stand seeing poor horses stood looking miserable with rugs on when it is 17 or more degrees, bright blue sky, sunny and so warm like today! I just don't get it!!!!
 
I can assure you may horse won't be looking miserable in a lightweight turn out, he's an arab and feels the cold.

Each horse should be rugged based on his / her needs..
 
Fun Times said:
Well thank god for this thread. It has inspired me to resign from my job, construct a small hut in the horse field and sit in it all day with a pile of rugs waiting for any significant change in weather conditions so I can dash out and change the horse's attire accordingly. I am going to be homeless and destitute but thank goodness total strangers on the internet won't be able to criticise me unjustly for my rug choice. I will sleep happier in my hut in the knowledge that I am truly the best horse owner ever and they (being everyone else in the world) are infinitely more negligent and cruel than I.
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Brillaint! :D
 
Pingu42 said:
Sorry :( I'm not normally one to moan! But can't stand seeing poor horses stood looking miserable with rugs on when it is 17 or more degrees, bright blue sky, sunny and so warm like today! I just don't get it!!!!
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oh I wasn't getting at you, if it hadn't have been you it would have been someone else. And if you'd posted the same on another day, 95% of posters would've agreed with you. Start one in the depths of winter, see who's multi-layering 300g rugs with necks, and then the fights really begin :p
 
Apache Warlord said:
I can assure you may horse won't be looking miserable in a lightweight turn out, he's an arab and feels the cold.

Each horse should be rugged based on his / her needs..
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What even when warm and sunny like today? He must have needed a rug all Summer then! Just glad mine can survive without a rug on when it is warm and sunny!
 
Pingu42 said:
What even when warm and sunny like today? He must have needed a rug all Summer then! Just glad mine can survive without a rug on when it is warm and sunny!
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The winds still chilly though, not warm like summer.

Nothing wrong with putting something on a clipped horse. Mines in a no fill during day to keep the chill off in the wind. Sun or not, the winds cold and he has no coat now.
 
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