Rug advise

[trowaymare]

Hi,

Can anyone give me a quick overview on which rug - type and weight- should be used at each time of year/weather? Obviously the weather varies here in the Uk but just a rough idea would be good.

thanks

[eventerbabe]

entirely depends on the horse. Yesterday my cob was wearing a 350g standard neck turnout, and a full neck fleece under a 350g stable rug at night. Today coz it's so mild he's in a 220g turnout and will have no underrug tonight. My welsh cob doesn't feel the cold half so much so is in a no-fill rainsheet and 180g stable rug. It really does vary horse to horse. Some don't need cosied up, others do.

[Joyscarer]

Ditto eventerbabe.

All horses are different and peoples perceptions of their horses wellbeing differs too.

I personally only rug to keep Joy clean as she is a good doer in light work. She needs to lose her summer weight ready to bung the next lot on again in spring.

Some owners prefer to artifically keep their horses at the same weight no matter what the time of year.

The concept of rugging really doesn't have an easy answer I'm afraid :)

[Mehitabel]

yep, it's really difficult to generalise. i have one out naked and one in a 350g (heavyweight) rug.

[heartofrainbow]

Obviously it is hard to generalise and is entirely dependant on the horse but ...

stable rugs - thickness depends on horse, but generally a heavier one in the winter and possibly a light weight or none in the summer!

Turnout rugs - thickness depends on the horse - mine has a light, middle and heavy weight, you would definitely need a couple of each incase of bad weather!

Sweat sheet all year round for after exercise

Fly sheet - for summer

Cooler sheet all year round

Travel rug - if your travelling

It really does depend on your horse, my friends horse has never needed a rug (BIG cob!) whereas my arab cross pony will stand in the field shivering when there is a tiny light rain shower!

[*Sez*]

I have a thin-skinned TB, but he gets quite a fluffy coat in the winter. I tend to use a breathable rain sheet (no filling) in the spring/summer/autumn time for rain if I plan to ride that day and a lightweight rug if it is going to be cold and wet over night. In early Spring, late Autumn and winter, I mostly use a middle-weight rug with a neck cover if it is going to be cold and wet, and a lightweight if it is going to be wet but not very cold or vice versa. The middleweight stays on until the temperatures reach about 2 degrees or less, when the heavy weight rug and neck cover come out.

The most important thing is to check the temperature of your horse regularly. I like him to be fairly warm over winter, but the last few days (he's currently on box rest) he's only had a fleece on because he is completely sheltered from the wind and rain, and the temperatures haven't been too bad. I wouldn't say he was toasty warm, but he's certainly not cold.
I was taught by the school of thought that horses can happily withstand cold OR wet in their own coats, but not both at once. I like him to be rugged as lightly as possible, and have even been accused of being awful to him when he has gone out naked or in a light rug and everyone else's is rugged to the ears! :rolleyes:

[trowaymare]

Thats great advise thanks.

But what weight in grams do each rug usually equate to eg a heavyweight, medium weight and a summer turnout and the same for a stable rug.

[trowaymare]

Just so I know that I'm buying the correct range of rugs.

[Joyscarer]

I quoted this from a previous thread. I hope bebe doesn't mind :)


It depends on who you ask sometimes but IMO, it goes:

0g to 40g - summer turnout or rainsheet
100g - lightweight turnout
200g - medium weight
300g - heavy/medium weight
400+ - heavyweight

What rug your horse needs depends on how warm he is in general, how much grass/hay he has access to, whether there is shelter in the field, how exposed your stables are, how much condition he is carrying, etc, etc. Only you can really make that call. Is there anyone else on your yard or close by that you can ask? We usually have a "what rug are you doing tonight" conversation at the yard each night, or "how cold is it going to be". I don't rug very often at all now so I don't have to worry but I could generally go a rug weight lighter than most other people because my mare is a very warm horse naturally and keeps herself nice and warm.

[mikh]

I would agree with the above I have:

350g stable rug no neck
3 Fleeces, either permier equine or weatherbeeta with coolmax
Snuggy hood
(Can always double up - e.g fleece and stable rug or two fleeces)

Turnouts:
Lightweight = no fill half neck
Warm lightweight (when there is high wind-chill) = 180grm with neck
Medium = 220grm with neck
Heavy = 320grm with neck
Hopefully for my birthday about to buy 450grm I think Premier Equine stormbuster

Hope this helps you!

[clydesdalelover]

Im a new hors owner ( had loan horses now finally got my own!!)
and buying all the different rugs was a nightmare. If your horse is fairly fluffy or of a more cobby sort rather than arab ten you could do what i've done!
I only have 2 lightweight turnouts, one fleece, one medium weight stable rug and one medium weight turnout. my horse has his fleece or medium weight stable rug at night (depending on how cold it is)
and on warm days a lightweight
on very wet days 2 lightweights
on cold days the fleece/stable rug with lightweight over
on very cold days the fleece with the medium turnout.

Not only do you not have spend a fortune straight away (you can add rugs as you go along) but you can swap and change each day depending on the weather!

[Bertie]

It depends entirely on your horse but this is what I use on my welshxarab who currently has a full clip: -

Now: - Fleece rug with heavy weight stable over the top
Heavy weight turnout with full neck (although last weekend she went out naked :eek:)
Late winter/early Spring: - Heavy weight stable rug only, probably her heavy weight turnout or lightweight turnout depending on the weather
Spring: - Fleece rug only in stable, lightweight turnout in field.
Summer: - naked 24/7 whether in stable or field, although if looks like it might rain and I want to ride later I may out on a lightweight rain sheet to save on grooming time ;)
Autumn: - same as spring
Winter: - Full neck under rug with heavy weight stable rug on top, heavyweight turnout with full neck and if really cold with fleece underneath.