Would it be cruel...

4leggedfurries

4leggedfurries

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to leave all my boys unrugged when they finally go out for a hoon tomorrow. Seeing as i dont work over the weekend and the boys are in need of a good stretch (they go out for an hour in the am and in pm on the yard for a wonder) and i'm around to keep an eye on them is it wise to leave rugs off. I know the tb and the shetland feel the cold and the tb is on the skinny side, but i'm thinking that if they sweat up from hooning around with their rugs on, it then seems unfair to then make them stand round in the cold to dry off. Please help as i'm indecisive with things like this. It will only be for about an hour tops as the ground is frozen solid. Thanks
 
No, i would rug, especially the TB. A cold sweaty horse with no rug is asking for trouble. Just change the rugs when they come in and make sure they are aired so they dry for next time. Most modern rugs are breathable anyway.

I personally wouldnt rug a shetland but if he is used to it and needs it then i would rug him too.
 
Trust me they will!!! They've been in all week and the shetland is already hooning around on the yard. He cant get up to full speed as there isnt enough space, and the tb always does everytime they go out! Will have a looksie at what rugs i've got for them then.

Thanks! but the horse isnt mine (i wish it was though) just some random image i found on google...
 
Don't rug them, let them have a good hoon, a roll and a scratch. They'll live, I'm sure, especially the Shetland - just remember where they're designed to live!
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I turned T out around 4 yesterday and brought him in around 5.45 - despite being naked and having a chaser clip, somehow he didn't die of hypothermia
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I intend to turn him out naked lunchtime for a bit and again this evening if I still can. If you're worried, you can alwys stick a rug on the TB one he's cooled down.
 
My boy occasionally has pinged around the field and got sweaty under his rug but as his rug is breathable I do not unduly worry! Just give him a good brush afterwards. Although he his not too keen to ping about much ATM!
 
without rugs with clips this year even if only for an hour i thnk your mad!! I wouldnt like to go out side without a coat on and no wonder there going mad there cold! afterall what do we spend l this money on breathable rugs for if your not going to use them!!
 
Mine are spending a few hours each day without their rugs, when it's sunny and still (it's about -3 at the moment and they are sunbathing). Even if the temperature is low, they stay warm in the sun and it gives them a chance to scratch and lets air to their skin. It won't do any of your horses any harm at all even if they get cold - it's only an hour! I would think differently if it's a howling gale and snow though.
 
If sunny, I always take Harveys rug off, the reflection of the sun on the snow keeps him warm - think of the suntan you get on your face if you go skiing! (Well I did when I went once 20 years ago!)
 
I think it would be pretty crap to have a rug on 24/7 without a breather. I think your horses will live, minus the rug for 1 hr and besides, they'll move around more if they are cold but 1 hr playing out in the snow is not bother. It will not hurt them, but put a cooler on after if they are hot under a rug.

xx
 
If a horse isnt used to wearing rugs and as such is acclimatised then i have no problem with not using rugs. In fact the least rugs the better. However, to put a horse out in a field in minus temperatures without a rug, when it is used to wearing a rug or rugs is rather silly imo. Even more so if the horse is skinny, as with one of the OPs.

a) the horses are likely to be silly anyway and will be even worse if cold. This is increasing the risk of an injury on rock hard ground, when you should be trying to reduce the risk.
b) imagine going for a run, getting sweaty then stay outside with nothing on for an hour. As the horse gradually cools down its muscles will stiffen and it will get very cold. This is how horses get a chill and become ill too. I learnt how to look after a sweaty pony in winter when i was ten years old, its basic horsmanship. Horseman would be shaking their heads at the thought of a thin, sweaty horse being left outside naked!
c) How come there is so much snow about even when its sunny? because the sun isnt strong enough to melt it. So it certainly isnt strong enough to keep a skinny horse warm.
d) Tbs dont usually get very thick coats, so the TB will have minimal natural insulation from its coat and if skinny no ft covering to keep it warm either. It is likely to lose even more weight if it gets cold, even for just a short time.

If horses are having to wear rugs 24/7 they should be changed regularly anyway and if the horse gets a good groom at rug changing then the horse is comfortable. Again, this is good old fashioned horsemanship. They can always be tied in the sun when this happens and quartered to get exposure to the sun without getting cold.

For those who are still unconvinced- strip down to your knickers and go outside. See if you get cold!
 
But one of the OP's horses is a shettie (don't know if it's clipped) so is very unlikely to be cold. The other is a bit prone to he cold, but surely she can just chuck a rug back on when he cools down enough. Even clipped, I think if it's sunny and not windy/raining, no horse is going to drop dead/get ill from cold after an hour or so, especially if they've been in and stuffing themselves with hay; after all, horses warm up internally. I can understand if they were being left out at 7 and brought in at 6, then they'd be cold, but an hour isn't going to kill them.
No, I wouldn't go out in just my knickers (wouldn't want to scare the horses
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), but I don't have a fur coat on. Even clipped, there's still some left and hooning around will keep them warm for a while. Generally, they will have a buck and canter around then settle to graze - they don't run around because they're cold, lol! But then, I'm not one to mollycoddle and insist my horse wers a turnout in the summer or not go out because it's raining, either, and tend to leave rugs off as much as possible. T went out naked&clipped for an hour earlier and is now stuffing haylage in his stable - naked!
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I did say in my earlier post that i personlly wouldnt rug a shetland. my point is its all relative to what the horse is used to, if its used to being naked then it wont miss not having the rug but if its usually rugged then it will.

Its also good horsemanship, as explained above. Personally i like my horses to be comfortable and to minimise the risk of them injuring themselves or getting ill and my management is carried out accordingly. Killing them doesnt come in to it.

And i disagree, horses are usually fresher when they are cold. they also cant graze if the field is covered in snow.

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Flying in and out: I had Little Lad, a Welsh cross with a good coat, rugged and out in-hand in the school. Glad he was rugged - daft bat hooned, and went over on his side. A good whallop! The rug took a fair bit of the force and protected him from any cuts, etc. Rugs will also protect from others kicks.
 
Hiya. well our horses are out all day from 8am till about 4pm and i usually go up about 3pm and take V's rug off as soon as i do he has a quick hoon around a roll etc then i give him a good quick groom and replace his rug. he enjoys it and likes a good scratch otherwise he seems to get very itchy and a bit irritated. i dont see the problem really.
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x
 
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