Would you put a rug on a wet horse?

[Winters100]

I am now thinking (maybe over thinking) about this one. The thing is that I have a lot of really good quality outdoor wear for climbing etc, and I don't know of any jacket that I could put over a wet t-shirt and be ok with. And I still don't believe that anything waterproof can e sufficiently breathable......... if only there was truly independent testing of such products.....

 

[milliepops]

But a horse's coat attached to its skin is not the same as a wet t shirt on your skin. I don't think you can compare the feeling really. For me the proof is in the performance of the rugs, it just works

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I've done it and the horses dried under the turnouts. I have always sweat scraped first as a minimum and sweat scraped and towelled down if possible (if I'm getting the wet off faster than the rain is putting it back again).

 

[DabDab]

Yes.

Also surprised to see how many people still say no to the idea. Arts is very much princess and the pea and is very funny about the feel of certain things on her skin, but even she doesn't seem remotely bothered by it. In terms of comparable feel I should think it is more like us putting a dressing gown on wet skin.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Yes we did it tonight. They were just starting to shiver when we went out to them this evening, so we brought them in gave them their tea and put rugs on, then opened up some more grass, put some hay out and left them out to dry off, within half an hour they obviously felt much better.

 

[meleeka]

I am now thinking (maybe over thinking) about this one. The thing is that I have a lot of really good quality outdoor wear for climbing etc, and I don't know of any jacket that I could put over a wet t-shirt and be ok with. And I still don't believe that anything waterproof can e sufficiently breathable......... if only there was truly independent testing of such products.....

If the choice was to stand in the loo until you’d dried out or just put the jacket on because you were cold and then carry on with your day, knowing you’d dry out eventually , which would you choose?

 

[tankgirl1]

If need be yes, but I'd thatch too with some nice clean straw

 

[Nudibranch]

One of mine can get shivery when wet in her summer coat if we have persistent rain. I chuck a no fill on and she is dry and warm again in well under an hour. Ime a no fill works better if they're not used to being rugged all the time, as there's no filling to get soggy.

 

[Winters100]

If the choice was to stand in the loo until you’d dried out or just put the jacket on because you were cold and then carry on with your day, knowing you’d dry out eventually , which would you choose?

I just don't really see that as the same thing, because for most horses standing in their box or a shelter is not the same as standing in the loo, but appreciate that we all have different opinions on this.

 

[Lillian_paddington]

Well personally I don’t because
- He gets shivery when he is wet, much more so than when the temperatures are low. He will shiver in 24C when it’s raining but is fine without a rug at 8C plus. So I would not be comfortable leaving him wet overnight because he’d need, say, a mid weight whilst he was wet but a fleece or 0g in a couple of hours once he’d dried.
- rugs rub more when they’re wet, and mine gets rubs very easily
- I just don’t need to leave him wet. I’m lucky enough that most days I can spend an hour towelling the horse down, then swapping various coolers and fleeces onto him as he dries.
I can totally understand why you would put a rug on a wet horse if you didn’t have the time to dry them, but for me personally it would not be ideal and I don’t need to, so I don’t

 

[Lois Lame]

But a horse's coat attached to its skin is not the same as a wet t shirt on your skin. I don't think you can compare the feeling really. For me the proof is in the performance of the rugs, it just works

Yes.

Also surprised to see how many people still say no to the idea. Arts is very much princess and the pea and is very funny about the feel of certain things on her skin, but even she doesn't seem remotely bothered by it. In terms of comparable feel I should think it is more like us putting a dressing gown on wet skin.

This is interesting. I suppose I've never believed that these new-fangled rugs could be good, but maybe they are.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

I prefer to thatch with straw and put a fleece on inside however if I couldn’t bring in then I’d thatch under a turnout rug and pop back out.

My old boys hair used to Matt when it got wet. Went almost like felt. I think it was the cushings, instead of the hair getting curly his went soft and wasn’t water proof at all. So I clipped and rugged him in winter.

 

[Gloi]

I am now thinking (maybe over thinking) about this one. The thing is that I have a lot of really good quality outdoor wear for climbing etc, and I don't know of any jacket that I could put over a wet t-shirt and be ok with. And I still don't believe that anything waterproof can e sufficiently breathable......... if only there was truly independent testing of such products.....

Have you tried Paramo

 

[Tiddlypom]

But a horse's coat attached to its skin is not the same as a wet t shirt on your skin. I don't think you can compare the feeling really. For me the proof is in the performance of the rugs, it just works

This. As I posted earlier, I don’t often often put a turnout rug on a wet horse as if I’ve got the time, I will dry them off first, but if needs must the horse will dry out underneath. If it didn’t work and the horse later looked wet and miserable, I wouldn’t keep on doing it . If the choice is putting a shivering horse back out nekked or popping a rug on and turning out, I can’t quite see the problem?

Best to use a rug with some fill though, like 100g upwards. Also I use Rambos, which are very breathable, can’t comment on other makes of rug.

 

[dorsetladette]

I still thatch I'm afraid - you could say its outdated ad I don't need to, but is how I do things and it works for me and my boys. Most of their turnouts are no fill or 100g. I thatch under a fleece then turnout over the top, leave them an hour or two and then remove the fleece and thatching. Most of the thatching has usually worked its way out by then anyway.

 

[J&S]

When I did not have access to stables and in those days the rugs were not so technical, I found that giving my NF pony a bucket of food made all the difference and she would be off out grazing in the rain instead of sheltering under the trees. Nowadays I can bring in and dry out, but if only damp, rather than soaking, I will put on a rug with some fill. This is for my old (23) little horse, the companion pony is tough Bodmin type and not keen on being rugged and always needs weight watching!

 

[PapaverFollis]

I tend to just put a rug straight on a shivering wet horse. Never had an issue? What's the bad thing that will happen? I've only ever been a horse owner in the breathable rug era so I don't know.

I sometimes put a fleece underneath to do the job of traditional thatching. Or what I imagine to be the job of traditional thatching.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

I very rarely do it. Mine live out 24/7 so they are pretty used to just living naturally as horses do when left to their own devices.

However, my older mare will occasionally start to shiver when it is very cold and wet and she is in her summer coat, then I just put a towelling drying rug on with a lightweight rug over it. When she has warmed up and stopped shivering (usually about 30/40 minutes or so) then I take off the towelling under rug and leave her in the lightweight until the weather improves.

 

[Widgeon]

Have you tried Paramo

oooh yes let's open that inexhaustible debate maybe we should start another thread for it in the Clubhouse. I've been toying with the idea of a Paramo jacket for several years now but people's opinions are so polarised I can't bring myself to spend all that money on something that might now work for me.

ETA this was initially a joke but actually I would be very interested in people's opinions. Perhaps I really will start that thread!