Rug filling?

[Ms Kitty]

I am looking into buying a HW winter rug in the next couple of weeks so it will be ready for when the weather starts to get colder. So I was thinking..

What amount of filling would be enough for a fully clipped TB good-doer who is out 24/7 and what would be an overkill?

At the moment I am contemplating between 200g and 350g rugs.. My plan was to buy a HW rug and then put an under rug on as well, after I have clipped her. The under rug I have been eyeing is 200g itself. Would a combination of 200g outer rug + 200g under rug be enough? And if not, would 350g outer rug + 200g under rug be a complete overkill?

Oh, and if the outer rug is size 6'0", what would be the correct size of the under rug? Same size or one down?

I hate rug shopping.. :o

Thanks,

Nina x

[Ms Kitty]

Anyone, please? I have never had to worry about this as our horses back home are never clipped and I don't want the mare here to freeze during winter, nor to be cooking inside her rugs.. :o

Nina x

[Stormin]

It's a difficult question that you've asked with many variables, and THE question : What kind of winter will we have ?

I can tell you that I have a QH, unclipped but has a "summer coat" all year round. He's stabled at night and turned out during the day. He can feel the cold quickly even though to feed, he almost lives on fresh air (don't know if that classes him as a good doer or not, feed wise certainly but not at all for his horsey wardrobe !! :p )

Last winter, I mainly used the Weatherbeeta Orican which is a 360 g rug and the Landa standard which is a 220 g rug.

I don't like to pile up rugs personally - find they're more prone to rubbed shoulders and it interferes with the self-righting : if one rug slips over, it tends to take everyone with it. However, I have put 2 rugs on when the main rug was being washed. In that case, the rugs are the same size (allows you to use them seperately) but the one which goes on top, I undo the front of the rug by enough holes so the rugs are aligned over the hind quarters. (This might be a problem with certain rugs, like the Horseware "V front closure system" which aren't adjustable).

When we had minus 13 degrees the year before last, mine had 400 g rugs on, in the stable as well as during turnout. I think I even put a 180 g rug on top for a couple of particularly cold nights as mine was in a drafty stable. :rolleyes:

If the winter is as mild as last year, then you should be OK with the 200 g I guess. Maybe a neck cover could be interesting for you, not only the horse stays clean but it will avoid the "cat hairs" growing back onto the clipped neck too quickly. The horse will also feel warmer with it's neck covered (the difference when you put a bonnet on and when you don't).

I don't know if you already have rugs for your horse but don't forget to have a second rug on hand in case the first gets soaked through or damaged or if you need to have it cleaned ... ;)

I hope we have a cold winter to kill all these bugs !! :D
Good luck and happy shopping :)

[coss]

i personally think 200-250g is a mw rug... heavier is a hw. i have seen HW rugs that are 400g so your 200+200=one rug ;)
i would go for the heavy weight, 300+ and you can put a cooler under it if a little more heat needed or your underrug if it is chilly.
most horses can cope with the cold or wet or wind but if you combine them thats when they feel the cold. last year, my mare was NOT clipped and she had a 360g rug on with a neck rug at times but was mainly in a 200g with neck. the neck bit of the rug made and incredible difference.
i bought my gelding a new 200g rug that has a detachable neck for this year. last year he had an old 220g (so prob only 200 ;)) rug on and he is a good doer but when we had snow, rain, hail, sleet and wind all at the same time (strange weather) he did feel the cold a little and i put a cooler underneath and eventually he had dawn's rug with neck while she had a her thicker rug as it was getting to him.

i also don't like to pile the rugs up as one can slip back or twist and its harder to tell... one of my friends thought their horse had had a stroke as she was walking so crooked (and was well into late 20's) and they were getting ready to ring the vet only to find that the under rug had slipped so she couldn't walk properly :eek: horse was fine though :)

for every layer of hair you take off you are supposed to put an extra rug on (i saw one horse who had been clipped twice - beginning of winter and late winter- who had over 400g of rugging on and she was stabled! she is a good doer. it also depends what clip you have- she had a hunter clip.
in my area it in unheard of to leave a clipped horse out rugged or not.

i definately think you'll need a neck rug though and 400g+ total wouldn't be overkill depending on the how warm obviously, but average winter.

[Stormin]

And why not ditch the under rug and get the 200 g AND the 350 g (if your budget will allow you to) ?
I only have turnout rugs (as mine's an expert for lying in his poo corner :rolleyes: as he knows I hate dirty rugs) and I've piled them up without too many complications ...
Would also mean you have the 200 g to start with, evolution to 350 g and 550 g when it's very cold.

[Ms Kitty]

Thank you very much for your answer, it has given me lot to think about! :) I am definitely going to get the neck cover, it will be beneficial in many ways, and horses do lose a lot of warmth through their necks.

I am looking at buying FAL rugs which have the under rug attached properly to the outer rug, so that should help with the one rug slipping and pulling the other one at the same time - issue, but might go for the heavier rug anyway, as there is not much difference in the price, and then see if I need the under rug at all or add it only if the weather really gets cold. She was rugless last winter and had only LW rug during the winter before that, but she was not in use during that time and was hairy as a woolly mammoth.. :o She is also a South American TB so she probably has some Criollo blood in her, she is hardier and more thick skinned than your average English TB, so that will hopefully help me with this rugging issue. :)

I would love to have a cold dry winter, to kill the bugs like you said and after the wet summer, I really don't want anymore rain! :p

Nina x

[Stormin]

I would love to have a cold dry winter, to kill the bugs like you said and after the wet summer, I really don't want anymore rain! :p

Nina x

But without rain, what will my moss-garden become ? LOL :D

[Joyscarer]

Of course, we are blessed with mild winters where we are too. You have to be very unlucky for the temp to dip much below -5 at its worst and even that sort of temp is a rarity :)

[Ms Kitty]

True! I don't think the temp has gone below zero many times during the three years I have lived here! It is always a shock to go home to Finland for Christmas with the temp going down to -30' for the New year's Eve.. :eek:

But it is the dry coldness there, so completely different weather for rugging, which is why I am so at a loss with it! :o

Thank you all for your help! :)

Nina x

[coss]

Of course, we are blessed with mild winters where we are too. You have to be very unlucky for the temp to dip much below -5 at its worst and even that sort of temp is a rarity :)

True! I don't think the temp has gone below zero many times during the three years I have lived here! It is always a shock to go home to Finland for Christmas with the temp going down to -30' for the New year's Eve.. :eek:

But it is the dry coldness there, so completely different weather for rugging, which is why I am so at a loss with it! :o

Thank you all for your help! :)

Nina x

as you say, cold and dry is different to cold and wet... a lightweight-mw + a heavy weight would be good as you then use one or the other and if one rug leaks you have a water proof one below ;)

joyscarer- you are lucky with your temps... it is regularly down to -15 where i am :( cold and wet in scotland... don't like the sound of -30 though!

[Joyscarer]

joyscarer- you are lucky with your temps... it is regularly down to -15 where i am :( cold and wet in scotland... don't like the sound of -30 though!

You know you can always visit us in Hampshire and wouls be more than welcome to work your schooling magic on Joy :D

I thought I'd better mention the temps as Nina and I don't have to deal with the more extreme conditions you you must have to face, I don't even want to think about what Wally has to deal with :eek:

[Ms Kitty]

I don't even want to think about what Wally has to deal with :eek:

Hear, hear! :eek:

Nina x