help- does my horse need rugs??

[tuesdaybeau]

My horse has his neck and belly clipped and has been wearing a m/weight rug at night and going out field with l/weight turnout. Now I am wondering what rugs to use, if any. He will be out most of day and in overnight in an enclosed barn in a stable. I have an extra lite jasper rug which i was going to use overnight from now on and a weatherbeeta fly rug for turnout. but my YO doesn't think he needs any rugs on now.

I am on full livery so YO turns out etc and although i asked YO to start putting fly rug on a few days ago it still has not been removed from its' packaging so he's been going out without it.. The thing is he is mainly white coat and pink nose/skin and aren't light skins prone to sun burn? I have never owned a light coloured horse before so not 100% about that. Also i don't know if he's ever had sweet itch but isn't it better to prevent by wearing a fly rug than cure and he did have some bumps on neck when i bought him (looked like h/fly bites). He is on holiday at minute and i would hate to start riding him again to find he has a sunburnt back from being out without rug! Our temps are max 22degrees at min so could that burn him (no shade in field)?

And then what about night time- does he need a rug? temps now about 5 degrees but can be ground frost. YO says barn is warm enough not to need rug. But other experts have stated the contrary. So confusing! Please advise me on what to do as I just want wants best for my horse and don't want to undermine YO as she does know alot about different types of horses (has 50 of them).

[Tots N Dots]

I think a lot depends on how sheltered the field is, what breed your horse is etc, mine is an Anglo Arab and he is now out 24/7 with no rug, he is dark grey and also needed to loose a little weight :o
it also depends what your horse is being fed etc so it is a bit of a tough one,
but I would say that if you are paying for full livery in my view they should be doing as you ask with your horse (within reason of course) ;)

[jovi_y2k2]

my horse who is a total wimp usually for being cold, is now totally rugless with a blanket clip and he's fine. I would definitely say that he wouldnt need one during the day if temps are reaching that high, and maybe just a thin summer sheet on at night and see how he goes. Horses cope much better being a little bit cold that being a little bit too hot.
with regards to sunburn, yes horses with pink noses and eyes can get sunburn, there are masks available to prevent this or good old sunblock, but it is just these pink areas that are likely to burn and not skin that has hair on it so dont worry about his back.

[tuesdaybeau]

He's an Irish sport horse, in good condition- extra bit weight as on hols ... good doer on 2 scoops mix, grass and haylage. He was sweating up in his medium weight rug last week but to go from that to nothing at night? My last horses have all been dark, fully clipped and not prone to fly bites so i knew what to do with them (I def would have had a jasper x lite rug on at this stage) but I am at a loss at whose advice to take over my new partially clipped white boy! Does yours ever get sunburn and is he pink or black skin under hair?

[jovi_y2k2]

Star fortunately is black skinned so doesnt get sunburn and out of all the horses on the yard (he is the only grey) he doesnt get attacked by flies as much as the others!

[doris]

I've never know my two horses to get sundburnt on any other place except on their pink noses!
I use baby sun block on the noses once a day and this has always kept the sunburn at bay.
I would think your horse should be fine without any rugs on at this time of year in the temperatures we have been having.

[tuesdaybeau]

You and Star are lucky jovi! Well, I have heard people say that sun burn can go through the hair and burn pink skin anywhere on body that's why worried about back but none the less do you think i should wait and see if he gets bitten or burnt before insisting that the YO puts the rug on like i asked? And could he do without one at night? I hate yard politics!

[tuesdaybeau]

thanks doris. good tip bout baby sun block. Maybe I will just leave the rug off then, apply some sun cream, and if i notice any bites etc then i can insist the fly rug worn. Still not sure about night time though... I would hate to think of him shivering about 3 in the morning! But maybe the barn is warm enough...

[coss]

my first grey didn't get sun burn as her skin was black. my horse does get sweet itch and i am not putting the fly rug on until he has fully cast as i think he will be more irritated with one on... unless your horse looks to be irritated by the flies then don't put a rug on... horses need the sun (for vit D like humans) so it is good if they can manage without.
over night, i wouldn't rug unless the horse starts losing condition from being cold. mine arabs are out 24/7. harry has no rug on in an exposed field. if it was going to be persistant rain then he would have a rain rug on but he needs to lose weight and is coping with any cold weather, we had -5 and he wasn't bothered. obviously different horses have different needs though :)

[Jessey]

Horses skin if pink under the fur can burn anywhere on the body - as can black skin but that is less likely.
TBH at this time of year I would be putting him out rugless as much as you can - as the flies get worse as we get into summer then he may need one but 99% of horses much prefer being without a rug where possible :p so let him have a break from rugs while you can, then rug up later if you need to :p
At night I wouldn't worry about rugging esp if he is a good doer, my anglo arab who was clipped is rugless 24/7 at the moment and very happy about it :D

[tuesdaybeau]

Well how hot do you think it would it have to be for him to burn then? As I was saying before I would hate for him to burn, be in pain, and then not be able to ride him because of that. That was one of reasons i was going to put fly rug on as has UV protection. Do you think 22degrees would burn (won't get much hotter than that in Uk spring)? His field has no shelter.