How many rugs!!??

[Candypony]

I've always been of the belief that over rugging is very easy and almost as bad as under-rugging - and that actually people can go over the top on how many rugs their horses wear (we're on a showing yard - you can imagine!).  But this week has been a real eye opener for me...

Firstly, Candy wearing two rugs (350gm with fleece under during the day, 300gm + 200gm overnight) was suddenly getting through her night's ration of hay in before 7.30pm.. eek.

Then my friend who does her during the week said she was cold yesterday morning so really rugged her (300gm + 350gm + 450gm !!!  ) ) - which she then got put to bed in.  What was interesting was that this morning she had hay left... so first thought is that being warm meant less hay required.... lesson learned.

Today I turned her out wearing the 300gm + 450gm for literally 3 1/2 hours.  Brought her in about 2.30pm (she was standing looking miserable in the corner of the paddock) and realised that she was actually shivering violently.  Poor pony.   Threw the 350gm over the top and wrapped her legs.. still shivering in her stable 30mins later, showing little interest in food....  so bit the bullet, stripped them all off and added a sweat rug to trap some air, then a fleece, then all three big rugs (all have necks!).  Finally she stopped shivering.  Now she looks utterly knackered - which I suppose is to be expected - being very cold is very tiring.

Now, she was fully clipped over Christmas, but I have NEVER had to rug her like this.  Last year, she wore the one 450gm rug all during that snowy period - but then I suppose they didn't really go out, and they were indoor stables. What the hell Iam I supposed to do if it gets REALLY cold!?!? 

(it is cold, no water on the yard all day, sugar beet frozen in tack rooms, 4 inches of ice in field troughs!! - but only what, -3 at 9am this morning? +2 at midday)

[whisper's mum]

Does she move around when she is outside? It has been very cold here this week (-10 last night and -7 the night before) but mine live out 24/7 and are warm in just one MW rug (they aren't clipped at all mind you)but they run around a LOT and I think that keeps them warm. Drummer isn't rugged at all and he is warm as toast.  Sounds like you are doing a great job, perhaps she is just a sensitive petal.   

[ChrissieW]

I don't think its the actual temps as much as the severe sudden drop. I don't usually over rug and tend towards under, but my girls have gone from 70g and 100g to 270 and 450 respectively cause they were cold.

Mind you both are now moulting!

Just started snowing here 

[Larri DB]

For the first time in forever I have a horse wearing a HW turnout rug. 

Bally was coming in cold and grumpy in her usual MW. Previously out in a 17 acre field in a herd meant she kept much warmer than she does in the paddock at the yard with Lindt so I had to bite the bullet and wrap her up...much happier!

The littles are in MW's out in the big field and feel fine - even though it was still -6 at 8.30 this morning!

[cirocco]

I don't think Jim would have been rugged up if he hadn't been into rubbing his mane off. But he also rolls in the stable, covering his mane in shavings that are awful to get out of his thatch. I have a thermometer on the wall in his stable, it was sub 6 tonight, so i was glad he had good rug on. Trouble is when they are in a stable they don't move about, so cant generate heat.

[kezshad]

Blooming Nora!! That is lots of rugs bless her. Mine's gone the other way this year. He's in a 200g stable rug at night and then a 100g turnout in the day and is very happy and warm enough. I've over-rugged him previous years which made him tetchy and itchy so I decided this year I'd be tough with myself.

Have you thought of blood testing to be on the safe side? Or is she very thin skinned so feels the cold easily anyway?

[winnieandben]

Jinx is fully clipped and in a medium weight combo Ben is not clipped and very hairy in a Heavy weight with no neck, they are all different I suppose.

That does seem a bit extreme though 

[happy-horses]

She's not ill is she?

[catkin]

My Welsh Princess is a chilly mortal - she likes to be more heavily rugged than any of the TBs I've had! Boy - does she tell you that she's cold too!!!!!

They are individuals - some like it hot

Riding horses that are well muscled have big muscle masses over their backs - they are not the same shape as those not in work and those muscles are happier warm.

PS: My girl has 'discovered' exercise sheets too - they are an absolute 'must-have' now!!!

[Casey76]

Bloomin heck... none of the horses on our yard have rug on at all (except coolers after exercise until they dry out) and it was -15°C today.

Mind you, none of them are clipped either.

[ukica]

Its freezing in Croatia, about -12.  Water frozen solid in the mornings and really cold wind.  None of our horses are clipped and usually dont have rugs but this year they all are in a light weight.  The horses dont seemed bothered at all and are doing well.  Just a bit concerned they are not drinking enough, so bought them lukewarm water today. 

Its too cold to do any training though because of the wind and my hands are still swollen from the cold from 2 hours at the stables this morning  (with thick 40g gloves).

I have the farrier tomorrow and i am wondering how he is going to be able to work in this cold 

BTW  everyone (rejoined as free member for now)

[Thinkerbell]

Candypony, can you feed ad lib hay? My Dad always taught me that (unclipped) horses don't get too cold as long as they have something to eat. While that isn't entirely true for all horses, there are always exceptions, I've found horses to handle dry cold pretty well as long as they're well fed. Good luck with the heating up.

[Mossy]

My two went to bed last night in a wicking rug with a cheap duvet, and a fleece to keep all in place. Cue two toasty horses and two tidy beds. They are out tonight in the rain with a fleece each under their rugs. Hay in the field  and they were fine. I think it is getting the balance for each horse that is the important thing.

[Candypony]

ooo good thought.  last year she was ad libbed on hay - but was eating 32lb of haylage per night (seriously, she's only 15.1 and not huge) and not surprisingly came out of winter looking fat so has not had that much this winter. 

Good point about the muscle mass though - she's seriously strong these days - so that's another factor - plus I think the point about the suddeness in the change in temperature is a good one.

I don't think she's ill, but she did scare me today and there has been viruses going around.  I really have never had to put on more than a rug with perhaps a fleece under before today - I don't believe in lots of rugs normally (I worry about pressure points, weight of rugs actually squashing warm air out etc) but it would have taken a heartless person not to put more on when confronted with a pony standing on the yard juddering all over as if I'd poured ice water over her!! She's toasty now 

[thecatsmother]

ooo good thought.  last year she was ad libbed on hay - but was eating 32lb of haylage per night (seriously, she's only 15.1 and not huge) and not surprisingly came out of winter looking fat so has not had that much this winter. 

Good point about the muscle mass though - she's seriously strong these days - so that's another factor - plus I think the point about the suddeness in the change in temperature is a good one.

Don't forget muscle weighs more than fat, and takes more calories to maintain, so even if her size is the same if the proportion of muscle to fat is higher then she'll need more calories to maintain that muscle. So she may well need 32lbs of haylage (or even more) just to maintain her current physique. Plus muscle has a better blood supply so will lose heat radiating through the skin more easily than will fat, which has a far lesser blood supply (which is why my bum is always cold  )

She's toasty now  wub

Sounds good  - shivering is the first sign of things going badly wrong so it's far better to keep her warm enough to not shiver (through internal and external warmth) than hav her digesting her own muscles to keep warm.