Would you rug this mare?

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PStarfish

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Elderly shetland (don't know how old but is pretty ancient I reckon). Has a coat like a yak, bright eyes, coat not dull, but....has recently lost a fair bit of weight. Teeth are poor and she is not managing hay well - this is now being addressed with fast fibre and dietry advice from A&P & Dengie.
I am unsure whether to put an extra layer on in these cold temperatures. She doesn't feel cold under her thick coat and the frost was laying on the outside of her coat which suggests she is well insulated. So I don't want to make her too warm but am concerned that until she gains weight again she may feel the cold easier. She is out 24/7 with access to a field shelter.
What do you think?
 
I don't rug my minis but I might do if yours was mine! it might be worth sticking a rug on tonight and seeing how warm she is in the morning! if she's really warm then she might not feed it!

I think its supposed to get milder towards the weekend so if you don't have a rug then I wouldn't go out and buy one just yet?
 
I think if you did put a rug on her it would flatten her nice thick coat so she would not be getting the natural insulation from her coat any more. So unless you put a really thick rug on her she wouldn't be any warmer than without a rug on. It is also supposed to be warming up a bit again tomorrow.
 
Get her teeth done by a vet or EDT, altering diet will help but not fix a tooth problem. If you "fix" her teeth she could eat suffiecient hay to keep her warm, so I would get a dental done and rug up if needed. Agree with above cant be a thin rug though prob a med weight at least.
 
I would imagine if she is ancient she probably hasn't many teeth to sort out, hence the reason op is going down the fast fibre route! IMHO
 
If she's been loosing weight, then yes I would. Make sure it's a rug that has some fill in it though, rather than just a rain sheet.
 
If she's a yak, then she's probably better insulated than any rug. Ensuring she can eat enough would be better really even if she needs lots of mash type meals in between whatever forage she has.
 
I probably wouldn't if she is seemingly bright and happy tbh.
The horses coat works so incredibly well as an insulator, that by putting a rug on all you will do is flatten the coat and prevent it working as it should.

If you do decide to, you will need to use a HW one IMO.

Priority is a fibre source the pony can eat and digest, so it sounds like FF is now meeting that need. If you see no improvement you may need to get a vet out for other health tests.
 
I don't know. I can't feel her.

I'd check the mare and feel if she needed it.

If she does careful not to underrug and flatten the coat so she's colder than without.

I'd probably look at upping forage she could manage with her teeth.
 
PandorasJar said:
I don't know. I can't feel her.

I'd check the mare and feel if she needed it.

If she does careful not to underrug and flatten the coat so she's colder than without.

I'd probably look at upping forage she could manage with her teeth.
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Me too. I wouldn't be wanting to rug tbh. Since these last winters have been so hellish I have really learned the benefits of feeding for warmth and not rugging. If you do have to rug then use at least a MW and regular check for lice. These have become a serious problem to many (I had never even heard of them 3 years ago) and are not helped by rugging/elderly/poor.
 
scarymare said:
Me too. I wouldn't be wanting to rug tbh. Since these last winters have been so hellish I have really learned the benefits of feeding for warmth and not rugging. If you do have to rug then use at least a MW and regular check for lice. These have become a serious problem to many (I had never even heard of them 3 years ago) and are not helped by rugging/elderly/poor.
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We have a couple of oldies who only need rugging when it's tipping down. Last year you could count the days (and total hours of the days) on one hand for which they were rugged.

Cold shouldn't be an issue if feed is correct and coat has been allowed to grow.

I'm far more worried on overrugging than under when allowed to grow a decent winter coat!
 
PandorasJar said:
We have a couple of oldies who only need rugging when it's tipping down. Last year you could count the days (and total hours of the days) on one hand for which they were rugged.

Cold shouldn't be an issue if feed is correct and coat has been allowed to grow.

I'm far more worried on overrugging than under when allowed to grow a decent winter coat!
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Absolutely. We are in Aberdeenshire and its been below -5 every night. All mine (including WB foals) are unrugged and all really toastie ears in the morning. Wow does it cost in haylage though :eek::eek:

I did rug my elderly TB mare when it was driving rain (not just cold) and will do the same if any of my other rapidly ageing population need it but suspect the exception not the rule.
 
Thanks for all the replies. Bit of a mixed bag which is how I have been feeling. To clarify re the teeth, it is lack of teeth causing the chewing problem. She grazes OK but cannot manage long fibre. As the grass is poor she is now being supplemented with as much Fast Fibre as she can eat and also is having two feeds of Alpha oil and Dodson & Horrell Sixteen Plus cubes (soaked into a mush). I will be switching these to A&P Veteran Vitality as soon as I can get a bag. It was A&P who also recommended the Alpha Oil (most impressed with a feed company recommending anothers feeds!)

Still confused whether to rug her though! She doesn’t feel cold under her coat, isn’t shivering at all and generally looks bright and happy. I just don’t want all this fibre fuel being used to keep warm but equally so don’t want to make her too hot or flatten her coat and make her colder!
 
I am prob going to get shot down for this but... I would clip her and rug TBH... thats what I used to do with my old pony (34) and he did much better then going unclipped and unrugged.

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It will stop her getting too hot with a rug on unclipped and will allow you to be able to manage her temp with layers so she doesnt loose anymore weight by being too cold or too hot.

I am talking from experiance, this worked for my oldie so might help yours.

(thats on top of what others have said about teeth and diet ect)
 
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I have got a shettie x with a mammoth coat and she gets very itchy and unhappy if I put a rug on Her. she is 17 but in good condition so not quite the problems that you have got but the snow lays on her coat and doesnt melt as there is so much insulation. I think I would give the new feed regime a bit of time to work, if she is bright and happy then it is unlikely that she is cold. Good luck with whatever you decide is best for her.
 
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