Why do people?

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Foxhunter49

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Why oh why are people still having horses out in the field with full necked rigs on?

Beautiful sunny day, warm enough for me to be wearing a short sleeved T-shirt, yet there are horses turned out fully dressed. They were not horses in poor condition but all looked well rounded.
Fair enough they were not sweating but they were not comfortable either.

Horses have a natural insulation in the hair on their bodies. If they get cold this stands out forming air pockets - doesn't work in torrential rain driven by a hard wind but plenty ample for a heavy shower.

To my thinking it is a form of torture to have them rugged in fine weather.
 
Had rugs on this morning as it was my mare and foals first night out and got down to about 1'C but went and removed this morning and they had a lovely day in the sun
 
Just read that back after posting, it isn't meant to come across quite so bluntly, sorry!!
But if you are genuinely concerned, speak to the owners or YO??
 
RiderLizzie said:
Voice your concerns to the owners then if you feel it is cruel to the horses.
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No one around or I would have!

Thanks, never thought you were abrupt!

mynutmeg said:
Had rugs on this morning as it was my mare and foals first night out and got down to about 1'C but went and removed this morning and they had a lovely day in the sun
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You have obviously never seen a foal hanging from the X straps of a rug.

I have been in the TB industry for many years and foals born in Jan/Feb were never rugged and nor were the mares.
 
It's more than annoying, it irritates the heck out of me to see ex LWVTB boy in a rug today with the sun shining down and everyone in shorts and t-shirts, but at the end of the day, their horse, their rules :(
 
I've given up saying anything. The livery I share a field with has been told by the vet her horse needs to lose weight yet continues to rug him at the slightest sniff of rain or temperature drop. It wouldn't be quite so bad if it was just a lightweight but last week she put a 100g Amigo complete with neck.
 
I do agree, and am not a fan of over rugging to say the least. Just as an aside though, I didn't rug my lad much over winter (only if it was cold enough to warrant it, imho) because I think he prefers no rug, as long as it's not cold. But he did get a bacterial skin infection which has been the bane of my life as a result of getting wet. So I do have an amigo Aussie fly rug which is water resistant, and if there's a hint of a shower he will be wearing it! Although it's a full neck, it's as light as light can be! Maybe not today as it was sunny, but sometimes there is a reason.
 
How could you see their body condition if rugged? I'm sure you could get a general impression of shape-bit surely not condition score from outside a rug...?!
 
They might be no-fill and lightweight.

Have to say though I have seen some sweating horses in high neck thick rugs recently. The weather does not help.
 
Could it have been one of these fly rug/sweet itch rug contraptions that resemble an equine scuba suit? My gf's horse has one and it can be a pain sometimes haha!

If it was a full turnout rug with a neck and everything, I don't think there's any way to justify it.
 
I rugged mine today!! They had lightweights on with a fleece underneath. I had a feeling they may of been over rugged but at 6am this morning when I turned out before work it was still only 4 degrees!!! And all last week even tho the weather said 15 it still felt cold so I had no idea wot to do for best. Unfortunately it was a lot nicer than I thought and by that time I was at work so had no choice but to leave them as they were. So in some cases it more a matter of not knowing what to do for the best in this good old British weather. Damed if you do and damed if you don't
 
Maybe there's a good reason? Of course, some people are just silly and ignorant, but Neddy had 2 rugs on yesterday (rain sheet and lightweight) and he was STILL shivering! It was extremely windy and peeing it down.
This weather is just awful though. One moment it's baking and the next it feels like winter!
 
JackAT said:
Could it have been one of these fly rug/sweet itch rug contraptions that resemble an equine scuba suit? My gf's horse has one and it can be a pain sometimes haha!

If it was a full turnout rug with a neck and everything, I don't think there's any way to justify it.
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I would hope that most folk on here could tell the difference between a fly rug, even a KKK setup with ears and the works, and over rugging on a sunny hot day.

It made me sad to see ex LWVTB boy wearing a lightweight today in the sun, yet naked in the rain a couple of weeks ago :( Some people really are just clueless :(
 
I think it may have just been a case of being caught out by the weather, it was freezing here yesterday and windy, torrential rain, so this morning when it was still cold we turned out with no fill turnout rug but then really warmed up later on so in he came and was turned back out naked. The weather kept saying it was going to be 16c all last week but barely went above 12c just think we don't know where we stand at the moment.
 
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