Same rug 24/7?

R

ros

New Member
Jun 9, 2001
1,677
0
0
Saltash, Cornwall
Visit site
OK folks: Mum-In-Law has just returned from her local feed merchant with (apparently) the latest thinking on rugs.

They told her that we are now the only country in Europe where horses go out in a turnout rug, and get switched into a stable rug for bedtime.

Because - wait for it - if you take a nice warm rug off a horse and change him into a cold one, he'll use up his energy in warming the cold rug and lose condition, so it's much better to leave the same rug on him all the time. You take it off, obviously, and groom him, but then you put the same rug back on again.
......................................................

I'm sorry, but am I on my own in thinking this is a load of codswallop? Or is there some very forward thinking going on here that I haven't heard about and that hasn't been explained very well to Mum-in-Law?
 
I have heard the same thing but, unless it is really cold I leave mine rugless for an hour in the stable anyway so they can have a good scratch. By then the rug will be cold anyway. Plus the fact I am forever putting the rugs out inside out to air otherwise they smell to high heaven and cannot be healthy. I can see the logic but question the practicality.
If it is really cold I change rugs the way I make occupied hospital beds, half and half grooming the naked bit on the way past.
 
MOSSY!

I've spent time in hospital, but I've never had my naked bits groomed on the way past as the nurse changes the bed!:D :D ;) Ooh er missus!

Sorry!:)
 
Sorry, I couln't resist that chance to lower the tone...I appologise...a bit anyway:D
 
Trust you Wally
You know what I meant!!!!!! [or maybe that is what is worrying you] Between the pair of us we lower the tone wonderfully.
Returning to sanity? How does the 24/7 ethic cope with wet soggy rugs.
 
Carrie has two lightweight turn out and two medium weight turnouts that cover her for stable and turnout. I swap the rugs round morning and evening - but occasionally if I'm in a hurry I just adjust the rug she's wearing and leave it on. These rugs are breathable and I've found that most of the better fitting stable rugs are very thick (she's a cob not a hothouse flower) and aren't breathable.

To be quite honest if the outside of the rug is wet but she is warm and snug inside, I think it's sometimes better to leave the rug on her to dry rather than putting a damp, clammy rug on next day. The only place I have to dry wet rugs is hung up in the stable or over my feed storage pallet.


Maria
 
With the breathable fabrics now available it makes sense to leave the same one on. In 'the olden days' when people used jute rugs and blankets, it could take ages for the horse to warm the rugs through. It's a bit like getting into a bed with loads of covers on, it does take a long time for your body heat to make a warm space.
Re. 24/7, I think a lot of things determine what you do. Last year I only had one rug for my cob and the waterproofing wasn't exactly 100%. It was a lightweight turnout and to be honest my cob's body heat dried it out in no time at all. If he had been an older horse with circulation problems or the rug had been a very thick one, it would have been different.
 
I think it's all in the modern materials. In the old days heavy canvas was all that was available, and jute was about all you could get stable rug wise. Wet canvas rug is really wet, cold and heavy. The modern ones dry so quickly and are warmer.

I have to say I leave a modern turnout rung on in the stable so long as it isn't wet. If it's wet the evaporation of the water will cool the rug and I think, in turn may make for a colder rug than changing to a dry one.

I think a lot of it may well be image too, who would rather see a horse all bundled up in a clean rug in clean bedding in a clean stable. A muddy rug would spoil the effect.
 
I used to change rugs from the turnout one to the stable rug. But have noticed that now in this f f f freezing weather we have at the moment if I change rugs my horse starts to put her ears back I think anticapating the cold rug. So now like you if her turnout rug is nice and dry I just leave it on. My horse is happier which does make life easier:D :D
 
well mine lives out 24/7 and never has her rugged changed unless it's soaked though which it rarely is even in the worst rain, so i think it's fine to leave it one why not??? it is a newish one and breathable so it dries in about 1/2 hours if there is no rain
they don't get particually dirty quickly,
although i would say they wouldn't waste a lot of heat getting the rug warm, when we put our clothes on in the morning we are cold for what?? about 2/3 mintues before we have warmed it up!!! and horses have hair :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
newrider.com
Top Bottom
Back