Who else has a naked horse?

Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins

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Oct 10, 2004
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When Ben had his injury and was on box rest I took his rug off. He was getting hot in his stable and didn’t need it.

He is now back out overnight and I have left him without a rug. If it pours with rain I will put a LW on him, but I think that he is warm enough and he could do with losing some weight as well. It’s been pretty mild down south. He was clipped before I got him (probably in September) and I didn’t re-clip him so he is pretty hairy.

No-one on my yard has said anything (which probably means that they don’t think that it is an issue), but I am very aware that I am the only one with a naked horse. Even during the day when it is warm they are all wearing rugs and they all come in overnight and wear thick stable rugs.

I need to know that I am not alone and I haven’t de-rugged him to early. I’m just aware that the grass is coming through and if I keep him rugged up he is going to look like an elephant before April arrives. I need words of re-assurance that I am not being cruel by removing it too early.
 
I don't think you're being cruel taking it off! One yard we used to be on kept most of the horses rugged rather a lot, (not sure if it was because they were clipped?) but we used to mainly leave ours out without - if Ben is out all night, I presume there are shelters or trees in case it gets really torrential?
It is getting milder - even up here in Lancs!
 
A lot of horses at my yard are naked.

My two personally are in l/w no fill rainsheets and that is mainly to keep rain off if there is any (so i don't have to keep making visits to the yard when the weather is changeable) and to keep them clean and allergy free (Harvey needs protection from tree pollen and Ellie is mainly white.

My two are just the rtight weight and definitely not over so if your is still a bit tubby and he doesn't feel cold when you touch him and seems happy as in context with his personality then I wouldn't worry.

Mine are out 24/7 but do come in for maybe one night a week or if it is very wet or cold (as Harvey likes his stable) but then we don't have much grass and i'm still feeding hay even when out.
 
May is naked, she was still in at night but spent last night out naked after some bad behaviour in my absence :redcarded: and she was fine so i am going to push for them staying out at night and I won't bother to rug unless it rains in which case she will get a rain sheet.
 
He will have some natural shelter, but not much really. I will put his LW on him if it is due to rain heavily (as it is tomorrow) but I'm sure that he will be OK in the odd shower.

I guess that lots of the horses on my yard are eventers and are wrapped up in cotton wool a little bit more. The longer I own Ben, the more I am going with the natural way of keeping him. I just want him to be a hairy, happy horse.
 
Sham's been naked for a week or so now, and just has a lightweight on if it's wet, but she does come in at night (and hasn't had her stable rug on for ages).

About half of our horses are naked at the moment, and they love it! The rugged ones look very jealous!
 
I bung a lightweight rug on Littles if the temp drops below 5c at night, it's extended continuous rain or squally.

Joys been clipped with the equivalent of a low trace clip and out naked all winter but is still fatter than she was in summer.

The other 3 on the yard are rarely not rugged, even in summer. We've all been there long enough for them to realise Joy really does better without rugs and that rugging Littles is only an option when I think he doesn't have the condition to drop. If he does then he's rugless too most of the time.
 
Still rugged here but we have had variances of 15 deg to -8 in a week.
Been raining cat and dogs all day and I'm thinking of bringing them in for the night :redface::redface:
I can see Heidi as I type this standing outside with a face on so may have to go and do it. Keeps the greedy guts away from their big round bale too mind you.
 
I see people rug their horses even here in Texas where it rarely gets below freezing. I think it's just something people have gotten used to and continue doing it.
Ours are naked all year round BUT they also always have access to the barn. So if it gets too cold or too warm (in the summer we have large misting fans running int the barn that pull the temps down around 15 degrees compared to outside temperatures) they just go into the barn. Same with rain. If they stay outside and get rained on it's their own decision...
 
Mattie is wearing his LW at night and is naked during the day, but he is an Arab and only gets a little bit of fluff.

Ziggy is, and always has been, naked. And fat...
 
I never rug, except the old pony if it goes below freezing and Jack has a fly rug on to prevent sweet itch.
 
Caymen was naked this time last year but this year it is so wet and the field is soooo ridiculously muddy that I will prob have to keep him in his rainsheet until we move into the summer field. If he rolled it may hinder riding activities so cant have that!
All horses on our yard are rugged and some in heavyweights!
 
Rosie has the remnants of a high trace clip, lives out 24/7 and has been out naked for 2-3 weeks now so no, I dont think you are being mean at all - in fact you've been very very nice leaving it on so long as its been so mild.
 
Our outdoor horses have been naked all winter. The stabled horses are clipped in the winter so have needed to be rugged up - but they're now in their lightweight rugs overnight and naked during the day, whether indoors or during turnout.

My feeling has always been that if I am warm enough to take my coat off then a horse certainly is!
 
rosie has been unrugged all winter and is now in her sweetitch rug.

Moet has a pretty big clip still but is out 24/7 naked now, as is Major.

If rain is forecast and i am likely to ride then i will pop their rainsheets on.
 
All naked at our yard, I only rain sheet if it's due to rain, but if he hasn't got it on and it rains well tough. Been naked about 2 weeks now. You can tell where Max has rolled in the field, there is a big white patch of fur, think having his rug off is helping him get rid of his winter fur :)
 
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Two naked and one rugged as trying to get her to lose as much winter fluff as poss as this helps with her summer itching
 
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