Rugging

[Jay.o]

Who is rugging already ?
Bearing in mind I live down south here, not in the bleak part of scotland :D ;) .
Last night was wet, windy and cold. A really horrid night in general. I was thinking aobut Mysy as she hasnt got a particulary fluffy coat yet and dont know if she will grow one. I was wondering whos rugging already ?

Now I am not tlaking rugged 24/7 already as some up the road are ! :rolleyes: And also a whole riding school has EVERY horse rugged all day already too - crazy

All i am thinking of is night time, and off during the day ? It got to 2 degree on sturday night i think (if i remmeber correctly) which *is* cold !

[Gypsypoop]

Well I haven't just yet, I think I will rug Gypsy up probably next month, but some of the horses down the yard already have rugs on here!!

[alexa]

In the past I did not usually put on rugs at all until mid or end October (earlier if he was clipped earlier but this was unusual) so last Saturday he was not rugged. My instructor rode him for a while and asked if he was rugged earlier when I said no she said I should as she could tell from his way of going that his back was cold, luckily she did this as the weather got even colder on Sunday. It is just a light rug when in the stable and one of those waterproof but no filler ones when outside, just like a windbreaker really. She said since he was getting older that he would need rugging earlier than in previous years (obviously taking into consideration the outside temperature). This was something I had not thought of and I would not have taken action at this time if she had not told me. Maxim being you need to decide based on temperature, how much coat the horse has and also it's age.
regards
Alex

[Yann]

Some at our place are and some aren't, there's no exact science to it as when and how much unless your horse is obviously suffering the cold. Rio's now out in a lightweight to keep the wind and rain off her a bit as I've clipped her.

The best thing is not to worry about what everyone else is doing and do your own thing, if you think she needs a rug pop it on and monitor things. You're unlikely to cause any harm by it:)

People do seem to get worked up about the subject sometimes but at the end of the day it's between you and your horse. Bear in mind that early ruggers might be doing it for various reasons - chances are the riding school horses have all been clipped out by now so need what they've got on. Some horses do feel the chill too and lose condition quickly, and others might be trying to keep coat growth down. OK some people do over rug, but as long as the horse isn't suffering, so what?

[CarolineR]

We've not rugeed any of our 3 yet, ages 5, 9 & 15, to cobs and a TB. They have plenty of grass and field sheltered from prevailing wind by the Forest, so I am holding out at long as possible.

Temperature not that cold yet so we feel they are fine, but I agree with Yann, do what you think is best, your horse will pretty much let you know if they are cold and need a rug.

[Showjumper]

Dolly isn't rugged up. The Thoroughbreds on the yard are rugged up at night, and the horses up the road are in Middleweights, night AND day :eek: !

[AJB]

my boy will be rugged 24/7 when he is clipped at the end of october ish but in the meantime remains naked and I ride him most nights-if its really wet I just lunge so its not a problem...however if im off for an early lesson I will put a lightweight on from now on to keep him clean but as im clipping anyway I dont have a problem with him growing a nice winter coat!!!-natural for as long as poss is better for me and for him I think...mind you hes a 6 year old ID X so hes well able to live without a rug!!!

[Big Ears]

My two cobs have been rugged for the last few days, in lightweight rugs, and last night in heavier rugs as they don't have much shelter and it was howling a gale.

One morning they certainly had very cold ears, so we will probably rug intermittently from now on, depending on the weather.

Our donkeys are in New Zealands today also.

Big Ears

[tarkia]

I use rugs just yet, give it another month or so, there are still warm days... hopefully ;)
I was angry to see a horse about a month ago in a winter coat while it was boiling, the poor thing must of been on fire!

[Gemma16]

Hi there, Taffy is rugged up now at night. He also had it on today cos it was FREEZING! Well not quite but it was cold wet and windy. Its not a heavyweight though.

Mysy isn't very heavy built is she and she hasn't got excess weight so maybe a rug at night would help.

Tarkia-Just out of interest where abouts are you in the north west?

[Jay.o]

Ok thanks every one !!!

Yann you said something that caught my eye :
Some horses do feel the chill too and lose condition quickly,

I think mysy is loosing condition :( I have no idea why though apart from the weather. She just seems a little bonier which she shouldnt at three. Nothing noticable to anyone else but only to me as i see her everyday. Her withers and shoulders (the top bit where its near the withers) seem a little pronounced. I have upped her nuts more to try and keep it on. Hopefully to get better again. please dotn get me wrong - I am NOT neglecting her, shes by no mean underweght in the slightest !

Mysy isn't very heavy built is she and she hasn't got excess weight so maybe a rug at night would help.

From Gemma ^
She isnt that heavy built no. shes not a cobby type really, but maybe a lightweight cob :rolleyes: . She has no excess weight, if anything i would say she needs a tad more 'insulation' ;)

I asked Louise at the yard today when she was going to rug. She suggested mid-late october for mysy as thats when shes doing her welsh. Her arab already is as he hasnt got a hint of a winter coat yet :rolleyes: .

I think its just for peice of mind really. I am snug as a bug at home in bed and mysy out in the cold - giving her a rug will make me feel alot better and also hope she would appreciate it :D

[AJB]

Jay O-its best to hold off as long as you can if your not going to clip as you should allow them to grow a winter coat...too many people rug from September and then complain there horses havent grown a winter woollie....when the reason they precisely havent is because of the rug-!!!!:rolleyes: try to avoid the mistake of humanising horses, you werent designed by nature to stand in a field in the middle of winter naked, however they were!!!-sorry bit a bad example but just cos we are putting the heating on at home doesnt mean winter for horses is here-and remember its still nice and sunny often during the day and if you cant get back to take a rug off they cook-better to leave well alone for a while=there will be plenty of time to use your new rugs from now til April!!!!!

[Bebe]

I haven't rugged Bebe yet even though she's got a small bib clip. She's pretty hairy everywhere else and is carrying a decent amount of condition (although she has lost about 15 kgs over the last month).

I don't really want to rug her yet but last night I was awake for a few hours listening to the wind and hail lashing onto my bedroom window and I felt awful for her. Had to keep repeating "she's a horse she'll be fine" in my head! Got there this morning and she came straight over for breakfast but she was warm when I felt her armpits.

I'm considering leaving her in tonight rather than rugging, we don't have a lot of grass left and it's the lack of something to digest and keep them warm from the inside that worries me the most. She came in on Saturday for a few hours and seemed much happier for it so I think she'll start coming in for a night or two in the week and then for a few hours over the weekend so she can fill up on hay. Would rather do this than rug at the moment as if I rug too early she gets grumpy. Plus if it stays wet I need to get her legs dry to put her anti mud-fever goo on.

I did notice she looked a bit stiff through her back this morning and I think that is because of the cold and rain, so I will rug her at some point, probably within the next 2-3 weeks, but it won't be so heavily as last winter as she has more coat.

[Lgd]

Mine are rugged now 24/7 but that might have something to do with a close encounter of the clipper kind :D
The girls are both clipped out now, so they are out by day in 7oz turnouts, in at night in 12oz rugs. With the sort of work they are doing it is a necessary evil to clip - how much do I hate all that hair down my neck!

[HAYLEY GITTOES]

I have clipped my horse fully out, so yes she is rugged up, she has been rugged up for neally a week now, we have a TB on my yard, and he is rugged up at night.

[Pixie]

I clipped my girl a fortnight ago full clip as she is in regular hard work and competing at weekends. She goes out in day in medium turnout all day every day and has middleweight quilt and cooler on at night in stable, she only came in at night at weekend previous to that she was out 24/7 in lightweight t/o and medium weight at night. I rug her purely on how warm she feels she lets me know if she is cold!!:D

[shandy84]

Heya, well my new forest filly isn't rugged up yet but probably will be at the start of next month but my arab x hann is already in light stable rugs and turnout but not all the time, I try to get her to go as far as possible as then her coat comes through fuller which she needs throughout winter as she does feel the cold.

[H & Bailey]

Ive had bailey rugged for a couple of days now.my main reasons are so that he doesnt get too much of a winter coat so i dont have to clip!It seems to be working as he isnt sweating up at all when we go out.Plus with him being coloured he stays clean!

[AJB]

my boy will be clipped this weekend so rugs from then on:( ..I intend to clip myself for the first time ever and have planned a blanket but may end up full!!!!-we are also clipping a friends horse and thats the same-blanket first but maybe full-her horse is hard to clip!!!!

[rache]

i have started from the middle of sept or end of sept forgotten already a light weight on at night and still have but from 2mro he is having it all most of the time cause he will loose too much condition otherwise, its still only a light weight too

[Big Ears]

I am trying to avoid clipping my two cobs who are in light work so have begun to rug at night (lightweight rug no filling only) to stop them getting cold and not to encourage too woolly a coat.

They are in a field with limited shelter and the wind blows up the valley, so it can be very cold - we also have no grass due to lack of rain, so have now begun to feed them a little hay morning and evening - they have had hi fibre cubes twice a day all year.

One of them is in perfect condition, not fat just nice for a cob but I wouldn#t like her to lose any more weight as she is lean enough - the other was enormous when I got her ealier in the year and is steadily losing a bit of weight.

They will eventually switch to 4-6 oz rugs at night but for the moment just keeping the chill off them, and during the day they are not rugged unless it is very cold. Today there was a little frost, and their ears were just warm, so have left the rugs on and may take them off a little later when it warms up.

My donkeys are in Nzs some of the days, and one is in a thermal at night as she has arthritis - she will now be rugged day and night from now on, as she is lame with the arthritis.

I think you have to treat each horse as an individual, depending on the work they are doing. Mine are only hacking out a few days a week, so if I can avoid clipping them, and prevent too huge a coat, then they can be turend out during the day if it is nice without rugs, and rug only when necessary

[Esther.D]

Ours are not rugged yet and are busy growing their winter coats...will probably go into lightweights in November (depending on the weather) and then heavyweights mid-winter. The shetlands don't get rugged...although I have a little Rhino just in case any of them suddenly start feeling the cold (Bobby did last year).

[lamprellsarah]

i have to hold my hand up, this year i started rugging early, a month ago, it was only at night but for the last two weeks it has been dueing the week in a middleweight turn out.
she has been clipped so she definatly needs something plus if she feels the cold in the slightest her rear end just drops off of her and she looks really thin, then it's a battle to try and get it on again. she is also thin skinned as she's a TBx
today i was going to turn her out for a few hours without a rug, however her ears were cold and her field certainly gets caught by a strong wind!!!

[showjumperchick]

ha ha i beat everyone for rugging up -my 4 have been wearing lw turnouts all summer except that really hot 2 weeks and thermatexes at night when they were in! wimpy lot! they are already wearing two rambo wugs at the mo and 3 stable rugs at night, but they are all full clipped so i dont want my babies to get cold! our vet is amazed at their extensive wardrobes- in the dead of winter last year they had 6 rugs on all the time, he always jokes he's amazed they could walk! i guess it just depends on your situation, mine work 6 days a week and compete every weekend so i have to keep them clipped and tidy, but i do love to see horses looking like teddy beats, soooo cute!

[Horsey Bird]

Well mines not clipped as she's only hacked a few times/week. I'm going to avoid clipping her if at all possible because she will be living out this winter with access to stabling in the field but she may not use it as she's not a fan of stables.

So far I havent rugged her because I want her to get as fluffy as possible for her Big Winter Adventure! Its working....she's turned from Flipping Big Bay Mare to Redish Brown Yeti in the last 2 weeks!

We've had some cold nights here recently but she's not suffering for it. Then again, she has quite the Beer Belly to keep her warm having puffed up all summer...even on the starvation paddocks :eek:

[showjumperchick]

iv only got one un-clipped horse, my 5 year old. it took us 5 hours to do her last year and so neva again! but she doesnt grow a winter coat at all, just a few cat hairs round her head that i trim off, so its ok coz she doesnt get sweaty at all, even at shows. and i hate the colour chestnuts go when their clipped, kyri looks gorge with her bright red chestnut coat at the mo!