Do horses get cold in the rain

[Mollymoo26]

Hi all,

I have had to move two of my hardy unclipped cobs to a paddock with no shelter as it was the last of the good paddocks until the cold winter months come in. I am at work looking at this terrible rain pour and feeling a little guilty. I am in two minds whether or not to clip them this year as last year one of them lost part of their mane down to a full neck rug and the other ripped 3 rugs rolling I think she just hated wearing a rug.

[Trewsers]

Horses for courses! Our tb oldie gets really angry if you leave him out without rug! He looks furious and quivers with rage come bringing in time!!
Our connie x however prefers to be au naturel - but today I've overidden her and put a rain sheet on! (She does shiver when it really persists down and I don't want her getting too chilly).
By the sounds of things yours should be ok - if not clipped that is. Shame they are serial rug rippers tho - cos rain sheets are just the ticket on days like today.

[Mollymoo26]

I know serial rug ripper haha she cost me a bomb last year in buying and repairing new rugs. The other cob his mane has still not fully grown back to the length it was after wearing a neck rug last year.

Do they feel the cold if unclipped they are both quite fuzzy, the nightmare is bringing them to be ridden and how much they both sweat up. I am in catch 22 to rug or not to rug lol x

[poohsmate]

Rain and cold is far worse than just freezing cold.... i went and took my old boys rug of this morning, and it has really poured since!!!! but it's not really cold so i'm not to bothered. (he might be though)

[Mary Poppins]

Once I went to bring my old mare in out of the pouring rain in the middle of summer and she was shivering. I think that it all depends on the horse and how hardy they are. Generally i would be happier with a light rain sheet when it is pouring but that is always possible to arrange if you are working.

[melmo1313]

My fat share cob has a really light weight sheet on just to keep the rain off because his winter coat isn't thick yet and no shelter!

[Cortrasna]

I tend to find that rain doesnt bother them if its still mildish and cold without rain doesnt bother them. But both cold and rain is a real issue for them - thats when the thick rugs come out of mothballs with mine! But they do live out 24/7.

Have just a rain sheet on the cob - just because he would be too wet and muddy to tack up without it And have put a rain sheet on the filly because she doesnt get much of a coat and doesnt belong to me so tend to worry that she might get a chill and dont want to let her owners down!

The old boy is so hairy and gets so hot as its mild here at the moment - will be getting his rug on when it gets considerably colder.

[Joyscarer]

I have a lovely field with loads of natural cover from wind and rain.

I have two fatty native types who didn't appreciate being rugged when it hit -6 last winter despite my sec d mare having a neck and belly clip

I find my 2 get cold when I bring them into the barn and tie them up to groom and ffed as they can't move about to keep warm so that's the only time I'll be rugging them this year. I'll then take the rugs back off again to turn them out

[LindaAd]

If he's a cob he should have a waterproof coat, with a good lining of fat to keep him warm. Neither of my fatties (one cob, one Haffy) ever see a rug, although there is hedge on two sides of the field (or four, depending where they are) so they have got some shelter.

When you say you've got no shelter Mollymoo, do you mean there's literally just fences? Even so, I'd have thought horses like that would just turn their back to the wind and they'll be fine. If they're feeling cold and miserable, it's easy to tell, and then maybe you could think about rugs ...

[lynnemh]

i have seen plenty of cobs shivering severely in the rain, so yes, i think they do feel cold, espec. as they get older.

[Yann]

My cob absolutely detests getting wet. I half suspect my Tb would stand out in the rain and dwindle away to nothing left to her own devices

[fairlady]

I have a Welshie X Traditional and she HATES the rain. I found her shivering last week and quite honestly she seems to grow very little Winter Coat, she
didn't last year either, so I rug her. She was in a L/W TO M/W and then
I found her HOT I changed her back to a L/W but she wasn't happy
tonight. I didn't move back to the slightly heavier weight rug, thought
I would leave her for a bit longer and she does have shelter.

Shetland, couldn't care less, rain, shine, wind, whatever and has a
really nice thick coat, only problem is he is constantly FILTHY

[vixie]

my fjord boy shivers in the persistant rain and cold despite having a yeti winter coat, but he has a field shelter so its his choice whether he uses it or stads in the rain....either way he has no rug and he has plenty of fat to keep him warm.