Would you rug loads to lose winter coat?

I'm a firm believer in turning them out naked to roll it out, followed by a good groom. If you've ever had a grey you will realise that this obviously does the trick, there would be a new patch in the paddock everyday where G had rolled :)
 
monkeybum13 said:
i'm a firm believer in turning them out naked to roll it out, followed by a good groom. If you've ever had a grey you will realise that this obviously does the trick, there would be a new patch in the paddock everyday where g had rolled :)
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Yep, my horse is grey - so know exactly where you're comming from
 
no, i dont over rug and purposely make them too hot, in order to get coats though.

but i DO keep them well rugged all year round, never allow them to get cold, and layer appropriately in order to prevent a very thick coat growing in the first place, and encourage the summer coat through as soon as possible.

i produced show ponies for many years and there is an art to it, and that is def NOT to make them sweat!!!!

mine are never hot/sweaty/itchy, but i can keep a summer coat for HOYS or even olympia,with work.

if rugging up didnt work, show people wouldnt do it. daylight light bulbs can help, but rugging will too.
 
Prince33Sp4rkle said:
no, i dont over rug and purposely make them too hot, in order to get coats though.

but i DO keep them well rugged all year round, never allow them to get cold, and layer appropriately in order to prevent a very thick coat growing in the first place, and encourage the summer coat through as soon as possible.

i produced show ponies for many years and there is an art to it, and that is def NOT to make them sweat!!!!

mine are never hot/sweaty/itchy, but i can keep a summer coat for HOYS or even olympia,with work.

if rugging up didnt work, show people wouldnt do it. daylight light bulbs can help, but rugging will too.
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i've only ever heard of this type of rugging which i don't have a problem with and works well - i've not heard of sweat it out rugging which surly would just deplete the horse of condition and shine etc rather than coat?!
 
oh absolutely, iv never ever heard a showing pro say to "sweat the coat out" but i think people get confused between rugging well, and sweating it out.......i never aim to make mine sweat but whenever i mention how well rugged mine are i get the evil eye on various forums!
 
Prince33Sp4rkle said:
oh absolutely, iv never ever heard a showing pro say to "sweat the coat out" but i think people get confused between rugging well, and sweating it out.......i never aim to make mine sweat but whenever i mention how well rugged mine are i get the evil eye on various forums!
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yeah - i do wonder if people are getting confused with the method you use and assuming it means make them sweat?! or maybe amateur producers are copying and are trying to sweat it off without realiseing theres an art and it's about good rugging not sweating?!

and yup - i've given up posting about my horses rugs = and i remember the slating you've had from your rug posts too - don't worry - i understand your methods and certainly never thought you'd have a sweaty horse ;)
 
For my own curiosity how do you rug to avoid a thick winter coat coming through? You said layering, how many layers are we talking?
 
Unless you are showing I dont believe that it is ever too late to clip - some horses just have too much coat and if competing or working hard they just have to be clipped all year round. My big WB is fine but the Irish horse is clipped all through the summer.
 
My horse is out during the day naked and in a waffle rug during the night at the mo, he does get hot quite easily. His summer coat is nearly through and I was anxious for it after the shocking clip he has been sporting through winter. I certainly wouldn't advocate making them sweat and I think its good for them to be free or rugs for a while but I would be interested in how you avoid a thick winter coat as I don't want to clip my boy this year if I can avoid it.
 
ok, its really not rocket science though.....its just about always keeping them warm and not removing rugs too quickly

when people are getting gung ho about turning out naked(ie this time of year), mine are still in MW combos to keep the breeze and the cloudy spells off them.they barely ever go out naked even in summer (i do sometimes let them have half days together naked, for a mutual groom, as they cant go in together rugged as the two boys trash everything, gits!), LW rugs on breezy days or days its forecast rain, and stiff fly sheets to keep the breeze off on warmer days. they stand in the stable in mesh coolers in the hot evenings, but i go out 10/11pm and put thermatexs on.

i start upping rug weights when most people are only starting to rug at night, and use hoods and neck covers to add *half layers*.

in the depths of winter they will wear at least a thermatex, a normal neck HW stable rug and a couple of HW combo rugs. sometimes wool blankets as extra layers at night, hoods and leg wraps.

it does take work because (in spring and autumn especially) the layers need altering a couple of times a day to keep them warm but not too hot, so mum does the late morning alteration, and then i do late night alterations before i go to bed.

today mine are in MW combos, and tonight will be wearing a LW combo stable rugs when they come in out the breeze, and will have a HW stable rug added around 8pm, and leg wraps.

so takes effort, but means less clipping and smart horses for early shows.

and if i ever feel them and they feel hot/tacky ( IE about to start sweating) i remove a layer pronto.

coen-if you can, he needs to be in a LW rug until it gets really hot, and then on any cool days from June-September he needs it on, minimum of a heavy cotton sheet overnight, ideally a thermatex. use a fly sheet all summer to keep the breeze off him a bit and to stop the sun damaging his summer coat.
as soon as the days drop a couple of degrees at the end of summer get him back in a LW in the day and a light stable rug at night and then each time the thermometer drops...up him a rug weight! you want to avoid him standing out in the cold and rain without a neck cover and keep his legs warm with wraps too.
 
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mine are still rugged too. They are wearing a summersheet and turn out with neck in the field and a summersheet, fleece and combo at night with magnetic leg wraps. They never feel hot. Just warm.
There coats are really good too.
 
Prince33Sp4rkle said:
ok, its really not rocket science though.....its just about always keeping them warm and not removing rugs too quickly

when people are getting gung ho about turning out naked(ie this time of year), mine are still in MW combos to keep the breeze and the cloudy spells off them.they barely ever go out naked even in summer (i do sometimes let them have half days together naked, for a mutual groom, as they cant go in together rugged as the two boys trash everything, gits!), LW rugs on breezy days or days its forecast rain, and stiff fly sheets to keep the breeze off on warmer days. they stand in the stable in mesh coolers in the hot evenings, but i go out 10/11pm and put thermatexs on.

i start upping rug weights when most people are only starting to rug at night, and use hoods and neck covers to add *half layers*.

in the depths of winter they will wear at least a thermatex, a normal neck HW stable rug and a couple of HW combo rugs. sometimes wool blankets as extra layers at night, hoods and leg wraps.

it does take work because (in spring and autumn especially) the layers need altering a couple of times a day to keep them warm but not too hot, so mum does the late morning alteration, and then i do late night alterations before i go to bed.

today mine are in MW combos, and tonight will be wearing a LW combo stable rugs when they come in out the breeze, and will have a HW stable rug added around 8pm, and leg wraps.

so takes effort, but means less clipping and smart horses for early shows.

and if i ever feel them and they feel hot/tacky ( IE about to start sweating) i remove a layer pronto.

coen-if you can, he needs to be in a LW rug until it gets really hot, and then on any cool days from June-September he needs it on, minimum of a heavy cotton sheet overnight, ideally a thermatex. use a fly sheet all summer to keep the breeze off him a bit and to stop the sun damaging his summer coat.
as soon as the days drop a couple of degrees at the end of summer get him back in a LW in the day and a light stable rug at night and then each time the thermometer drops...up him a rug weight! you want to avoid him standing out in the cold and rain without a neck cover and keep his legs warm with wraps too.
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Each to their own I guess. Whatever works for you.

Just remind me to add to my list of questions (when selling a horse) what the purchasers rugging philosophy is.
 
This was one 2 weeks ago:
24861_382238066346_556321346_440229.jpg

He has only had 1 clip all winter
 
Prince33Sp4rkle said:
ok, its really not rocket science though.....its just about always keeping them warm and not removing rugs too quickly

when people are getting gung ho about turning out naked(ie this time of year), mine are still in MW combos to keep the breeze and the cloudy spells off them.they barely ever go out naked even in summer (i do sometimes let them have half days together naked, for a mutual groom, as they cant go in together rugged as the two boys trash everything, gits!), LW rugs on breezy days or days its forecast rain, and stiff fly sheets to keep the breeze off on warmer days. they stand in the stable in mesh coolers in the hot evenings, but i go out 10/11pm and put thermatexs on.

i start upping rug weights when most people are only starting to rug at night, and use hoods and neck covers to add *half layers*.

in the depths of winter they will wear at least a thermatex, a normal neck HW stable rug and a couple of HW combo rugs. sometimes wool blankets as extra layers at night, hoods and leg wraps.

it does take work because (in spring and autumn especially) the layers need altering a couple of times a day to keep them warm but not too hot, so mum does the late morning alteration, and then i do late night alterations before i go to bed.

today mine are in MW combos, and tonight will be wearing a LW combo stable rugs when they come in out the breeze, and will have a HW stable rug added around 8pm, and leg wraps.

so takes effort, but means less clipping and smart horses for early shows.

and if i ever feel them and they feel hot/tacky ( IE about to start sweating) i remove a layer pronto.

coen-if you can, he needs to be in a LW rug until it gets really hot, and then on any cool days from June-September he needs it on, minimum of a heavy cotton sheet overnight, ideally a thermatex. use a fly sheet all summer to keep the breeze off him a bit and to stop the sun damaging his summer coat.
as soon as the days drop a couple of degrees at the end of summer get him back in a LW in the day and a light stable rug at night and then each time the thermometer drops...up him a rug weight! you want to avoid him standing out in the cold and rain without a neck cover and keep his legs warm with wraps too.
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One word - WOW!
Thanks for explaining & the horses in your signature look fab so it obviously works for you but there is absolutely, 100%, no way it would work for my lad - he's sweating in a fly sheet in the summer!!!!!!! He's a very hot horse & doesn't really thank me for rugging him to be honest - his coat always looks great tho so horses for courses I guess!
In the depths of winter he's fully clipped & wears 1 HW rug maximum! Any more than that & he's too hot!
 
I keep mine lightly rugged at this time of year - they are in no fill t/os and at night in 100 g stable rugs this week. The reason I do this as I find if I keep them warm - but not hot, their summer coats come through finer than if I were not to rug at all.

I normally full clip them in January but Farra this year had a blanket in October and has not been clipped since so she is a bit hairy but not bad as she has been rugged with MW rugs and the occasional HW when it was below 0 this winter.

In summer they wear Snuggy Bodies for their mild SI which also keeps their coats in great condition. However, they get some time every day with no rugs so they can have a mutual groom all over before I then groom them.

I personally avoid layers and prefer to have weights from no fill, 100, 200 and 300 rugs and at the most will put a fleece or the 100 g rug underneath if it is really freezing, but never more than two and my gypsy cob and clydesdale have lovely silky coats for their type.
 
thanks for explaining whats involved its certainly too much for me but Im sure your horses look impeccable throughout the year, mine will have to be a fur ball in winter. Come Autum when I have to start rugging him he hates it and for the first few wks will grind his teeth kick out ect so think he prefers roughing it. Will have to improve on last years clip tho it was scandalous.
 
i feel your pain, my previous mare was a witch to clip (rearing, boxing with front legs, throwing herself on the floor, whilst sedated!!!!) and the first year i managed to get a strip off each side her neck, which didnt meet in the middle! second year did manage a full clip except for huge circles round her elbows and she had half her neck and head still on! her final winter with me i got the head off but the elbow circles remained!!!!
 
amymay said:
Wow, that's really sad to read.
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I agree. Its amazing the lengths people go for appearance!
I would much rather my horse got to behave like a horse - have a good scratch & a roll & groom each other. I actually put a light rug back on his this morn as it was chilly & windy across our field - the look on his face was sheer horror! It'll be coming off again shortly!
Its a theory which I dont think would work for many. My TB for a start would be as miserable as sin. Rugs aren't his favourite thing at the best of times. He is much happier naked. Layering is definatley as issue. Anything stretchy pulls back on him - like fleeces. Big withers & shoulders makes these a no no.
The amount of rugs being suggested sounds remarkably heavy & uncomfortable for any horse & I am mystified they dont get hot at some point!
 
No, best way for them to shift the hair is to have a good roll and bit of mutual grooming. Old Mare is 3/4 TB and 1/4 Yak (well 1/4 exmoor pony actually but the hair growth is similar) and she is well on the way to her summer coat unaided by me or heavy rugs that just make them itchy when the hair is coming out.
 
i should have clarified that one of the two big horses wears a muzzle to control his weight, and if he goes out with my horse, my boy takes the muzzle off.

better to be segregated than to have lammi i feel.....so not sad at all.......

my horse HAS to wear a fly rug as he comes up in huge weeping welts if he gets bitten and mums horse returns the muzzle favour by pulling on his fly rug until it rips and comes off, and i cant afford a new fly rug every week, or a horse that has to have weeks off work when the bites are under his saddle area.

stop jumping to conclusions people!

yes, the fly rugs help their coats, but they have to be segregated for other reasons, and thus i think allowing them half days together with no muzzles and rugs, only on days when there arent many flies, is really pretty nice of me!!!!!

anyone who thinks i should let my horse get bitten to pieces and mums get lammi, just so they can be au naturel,well, words fail me.....
 
yes, the fly rugs help their coats, but they have to be segregated for other reasons, and thus i think allowing them half days together with no muzzles and rugs, only on days when there arent many flies, is really pretty nice of me!!!!!

anyone who thinks i should let my horse get bitten to pieces and mums get lammi, just so they can be au naturel,well, words fail me.....
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Ah, righto.

And of course no one thinks your horses should suffer - you just didn't say that in the original post you made.......
 
no, i didnt, perhaps i should...i guess i just expect people to think about why i might be doing what im doing rather than jump on the bandwagon and start berating me!

i fully accept that i rug up a lot more than most people,but my horses are perfectly comfortable and healthy......maybe one day ill have a really hot horse and i ll have to adapt the way i work,who knows.
 
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