Would you be rugging these two?

T

Tinkle

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Hello all,

Just a quick one to check I'm not a meanie! I have Bianca, an 18yr old TB x Hanoverian, and Rocco, a 5yr old TB x Quarter Horse. They're currently unclipped and unrugged in their stables and Rocco wears a lightweight in the field (mainly just to keep him clean as he's quite revolting about where he likes to lie down). It's v chilly here today (0.5 apparently). Both still felt warm when I felt their flanks and necks this morning. The base of their ears were warm although not as warm as they've felt before. Anyhow Bianca stayed in as it's a little hard for her feet (barefoot for just 2 weeks) and stuck Rocco out in a mediumweight as I'm concerned his lightweight flattens all his natural insulation (coat) and doesn't offer anything else. However, they'll both be naked overnight? Everyone else has got theirs rugged up in heavyweights even when they're unclipped/chest and belly clipped cobby types!

In terms of weight they're both in good weight (just right really). Bianca has been known to lose weight in winter but only when clipped and managed very well naked 2 winters ago. First winter with Rocco but his previous owner had him living out, unrugged. Bianca is out of work and Rocco only gets light work. Both are well fed - big net of haylage overnight along with a (nearly) full trug of HiFi and Graze On mixed for Rocco and just Graze On (about half-3/4 of a trug) for Bianca. Then in their bucket feeds Bianca gets probably around 1kg of Alfabeet and Rocco maybe 0.5kg split across two feeds.

Am I a meanie?!

Thanks all,

x
 
No, so long as they are warm enough without i wouldn't
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My mare and foal are living out without rugs, and look fab and are perfectly happy
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x
 
i think if you are rugging them when out, you possibly should when they come in? They sound fine to be unrugged completely - but if you rug them in the day in the field when they can move to keep warm, inside at night they are stood - to leave them unrugged then isnt really fair imo?
 
No Bianca isn't rugged outside and Rocco ordinarily just has a lightweight on (no filling) in the field to keep the mud off. Today was the first day I put him out with a rug with some filling.

x
 
Not at all. If in overnight, just check them in the morning and if cold, pop a lightweight on. If you cant get to see them maybe ask another livery to check for you.

As long as they are warm, they should be fine. There's a reason that they grow those thick coats!
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Ok...so a mixed (mostly rugging up) opinion. I'll see how they feel tomorrow. As I said above, they both felt warm this morning. I guess it's just become far more 'the norm' to rug them up.

Thanks - all opinions much appreciated.

x
 
It really depends on the temperature in your stables - are they in a barn or loose boxes? If they are in a barn with others then they should be fine without because there will be heat from the other horses to keep them all warm. If in loose boxes you should really keep them similarly throughout the day and night. If you rug them during the day then take the rugs off overnight then the horse could become cold; not a big deal as a lead up to winter, but this will be counteracted by his daily wearing of a MW rug through the day; so you would be better to keep coverings fairly consistent rather than rugging and not rugging as his internal body systems could become confused and you may see weight loss as a result. As said in another post which is on the go right now, horses do have the ability to warm themselves, they're just not very good at cooling themselves down so whatever you decide just try to keep it level.
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My horse was (until this weekend) totally roughed off after having had an abcess, and needing some time to get over it. With the weather having turned so dry (if frosty), and with him not having been clipped he hasn't been rugged for two months. A 3/4 TB he grew an enormously thick coat, and has been as warm as toast - happily getting fatter, despite the now lack of grazing and cold temperatures.

I would always have a little feel of him under his elbow, as I find it much better place to gauge their warmth - and he's been as warm as toast.

If your horses look well, and feel well and have good coats on them then I wouldn't rug. However, if it looks like torrential rain I probably would.

If you do leave them unrugged - don't brush them. Hard as it is, it's much better to let their coats build up greese and a little dirt to keep them toasty and protected from the elements.
 
No they dont need rugs.they are not clipped and have by all accounts good thick coats unless you want to put more condition on them id leave them unrugged..your not a meanie they are horses.horses were designed to survive and thrive without rugs..
 
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