Why do so many people care whether other people's horses wear rugs?

Starbucks said:
Because I would genuinely like to know!

Found out now so all is good. :)
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That's good to know.
Sometimes I wake up at night thinking - oh, I can't put rugs on my horses, it's not natural.
But then I think about fencing, and stabling, and riding...none of them are natural either.
What to do?!
I think I may have to just 'liberate' them - shouting 'Run free and unrugged, oh nature's equid' as I liberate my Tb onto the Pentlands in winter. :p
I have to admit that part of me thinks that all the people who protest against rugs are those who are too..well... cheap to buy them. :D
S :D
 
Gossiping curtain twitchers, absolutely!:)
I like mine without rugs where possible, but my big girl is rugged in winter and if it's cold and wet (11 months of the year where I live) in summer she gets a rain sheet on. My ponies, on the other hand, are left to freeze bare naked all year round! (They have shelter and plenty to eat - before someone berates me for neglect!)
Now excuse me while I go back to my curtains - I have neighburs to watch! :)
 
fireflymac said:
Gossiping curtain twitchers, absolutely!:)
I like mine without rugs where possible, but my big girl is rugged in winter and if it's cold and wet (11 months of the year where I live) in summer she gets a rain sheet on. My ponies, on the other hand, are left to freeze bare naked all year round! (They have shelter and plenty to eat - before someone berates me for neglect!)
Now excuse me while I go back to my curtains - I have neighburs to watch! :)
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You are not suggesting that geography plays any part in the varied rugging decisions that people make, are you? :D
I can't believe that the Shetland isles are any colder than Dorset - and I am sure there's no difference due to different altitudes, or greater or lesser rainfall!
Next you'll be suggesting that native ponies may not need rugged due to their Yak-like coats and fat genes, whereas Tbs do need rugged due to lack of coat and genes for muscles rather than fat?
Ridiculous! :p
S :D
 
i long ago lost the ability to care too much what other people do with their horses, barring cruelty and neglect, etc.,
i just take care of mine and get on with it, and right now that means no rugs (tb's x) and perhaps it is because i am too tight to buy a gazillion rugs in varying thicknesses to suit every eventuality, or perhaps its laziness ;P
 
Shilasdair said:
You are not suggesting that geography plays any part in the varied rugging decisions that people make, are you? :D
I can't believe that the Shetland isles are any colder than Dorset - and I am sure there's no difference due to different altitudes, or greater or lesser rainfall!
Next you'll be suggesting that native ponies may not need rugged due to their Yak-like coats and fat genes, whereas Tbs do need rugged due to lack of coat and genes for muscles rather than fat?
Ridiculous! :p
S :D
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Aah - you've met my Highland:D Given her appearance it could well be argued she should be rugged!
 
Your horse, you do what you think as their owners what is best for them.

It's up to you if and why you rug or don't rug your animals you don't need to justify yourselves if you do or don't rug.

Some horses/ponies need a rug at different times of the year and others don't.

I treat my horses individually regardless of their breed, age, colour etc and depending on the weather depends on what they wear, if anything.

I also stable or turnout depending on the weather and the horse, as a horse owner you know your equine and what they do and don't like/need.

Not all cobs can stay out 24/7 365 others can, some TB's can live out all year...annoys me when people tar a whole breed by the same brush.

Rug or don't rug it's up to you.
 
Ah but what do we think about people who rug just to keep their horse clean? Isn't the poor creature entitled to be a horse and get dirty now and then? Feel the air in its coat? Make vitamin D from sunlight? Have you noticed how incredibly difficult it is to find a good stiff mud-removing dandy brush these days????
 
We don't really Shills, just like to provide you with reading material.

26 year old arab currently living out without a rug and has been for weeks. She's looking fab and has put weight on since winter, when she was well rugged.
 
I suppose we could always branch out and start a mammoth debate re: "Why do so many people puts boots on their horses?"

It's personal preferance and dependant on the needs of the horse. I have a horse who over reaches, so he wears over reach boots... I have a horse who gets cold, so he wears a rug - genius, no?!
 
fireflymac said:
Surely it can't be that simple, Starzaan. Hmm - what will we curtain twitchers gossip about now? :D
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"Simple" does not come into it my friend! I thought we had all agreed that this is a VERY complicated subject!
I'm off to crawl back into the hole I came out of where people eat when they get hungry... WILD I know...
 
Cos basically we are a load of old self rightegous curtain twitchers at heart. We all love to gossip about our horsey mates, what they are doing wrong, and how right we are to do what we are doing. Come on, we are all guilty of it! I personally couldnt care less what rugs my horsey friends put on their nags - I have one fat git of a cob to worry about and a warmblood with sweet itch who takes one looks at the cold weather and drops weight, and scratches for england without her boett on in the summer. Reckon I have enough to worry about with my own horses rugs somehow.
 
You're all wrong! All horses need several rugs all year round as they are precious little flowers and will freeze and die if naked- anyone who doesn't rug up well should be shot! And then shot again!!
 
Farrierlover said:
You're all wrong! All horses need several rugs all year round as they are precious little flowers and will freeze and die if naked- anyone who doesn't rug up well should be shot! And then shot again!!
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Absolutely. You must have seen my rug collection then. Both of mine are precious little flowers, and the cob in particular will wither and die unless he has a pile of rugs on his fat ass.

I must also add that he is not really fat, he is a cob and has a large ass! I dont want people to be outraged that I have a fat cob. That will probably start off another new thread of those outraged.
 
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