|
|
Post by racaille on Nov 22, 2009 5:10:54 GMT
How does this work? It's been very warm here recently (when I took the horses' rugs off yesterday morning they were sweaty underneath, but they had been running around like mad things because of a posse of hunters in the woods).
It's forecast to rain today but is still very warm - they cannot keep their rugs on all day, so they will get wet. But they need them back on for the night when it gets chilly. I can't put their rugs on when the horses' coats are wet, can I?
Obviously I don't have rain sheets. Should I towel them dry before putting the night rugs on? Will that be enough?
|
|
|
|
Post by fleabitten on Nov 22, 2009 12:05:02 GMT
I think DB had this dilemma a while back. People had suggested putting straw under the rug to dry them out, would that be possible?
|
|
|
|
Post by spotti on Nov 22, 2009 12:22:33 GMT
Do you not have a fleece or something (sweat sheet?) you could pop on for an hour or so to help them dry off and warm up a bit?
If not, towel drying could work...never had that problem myself though (as I just shove Faith in her fleecy PJs) but it would be worth a try...
|
|
|
|
Post by fimacg on Nov 22, 2009 15:07:55 GMT
my solution Rac - go shopping...
Sorry not very helpful as it wouldn't solve your immediate problem, a sweat sheet for an hour or so would be OK or you could leave it on under the rug
|
|
|
|
Post by racaille on Nov 22, 2009 17:42:41 GMT
Shopping ...... wooooooo......
No seriously, I can't. But I have sweat sheets, so I could put them on under the rugs and then slip them off a little later when the horses are dry? Sounds a good solution. Thanks guys!
PS It didn't infact rain today but it will sometime...... ;D
|
|
|
|
Post by scattymare on Nov 23, 2009 7:53:38 GMT
Rac, do they have more than one rug each? If so I would put the sweat rug on ideally with some straw if you have it, under the sweat rug, then put t/o over the top. You will then probably need to change the t/o a bit later for a dry one.
It is a pain. I've said it before but my thermatex was a god send with P for drying him off - but obviously v.pricey esp if you've got to but two!
Someone here mentioned Bucas rugs - they can be put on a wet horse - that will be my next rug purchace I think (thoughsorry that doesn't help your immediate dilemma)
|
|
|
|
Post by scattymare on Nov 23, 2009 7:56:44 GMT
Sorry, just another thought. If it's quite warm at night still, do they need rugs on atm? Don't know how windy you get it there (we're getting some great gales here!) but I tend to only rug the Doof if its wet & cold or wet and windy. Depends on their coats really.
|
|
|
|
Post by racaille on Nov 23, 2009 9:32:16 GMT
Poor things, they've only got one rug each! And I really don't think I can find any more cash just at the moment .....
I've rugged them up already at night to stop them growing thick winter coats (obviously they have grown some but are not woolly) as it is still very warm during the day and they sweat so much that it is impossible to dry them off before night-time. This way they sweat less and dry faster.
In fact it didn't rain yesterday so the immediate problem was solved. If it rains and is cold there is no problem, I'll just leave the rugs on. It's just that it is unseasonably warm during the day still (but chilly at night).
I don't have any straw so the only solution is to put a fleece sweat rug underneath the turnout rug and then remove it later and dry it out overnight, I suppose. Bit of a pain this rug business, isn't it?
|
|
|
|
Post by fleabitten on Nov 23, 2009 15:51:56 GMT
Why dont you clip them rac? Theyd maybe be all right with a small clip living out and then you wouldnt have to worry about keeping their coats thin.
|
|
|
|
Post by racaille on Nov 23, 2009 17:32:16 GMT
They don't work hard enough to merit a clip, Flea, (and I'd need more rugs) and I'd like to see you get near P with clippers!!  This system works well enough, it's just the warm weather that has thrown a spanner in the works ... but I'm not complaining...... |
|
|
|
Post by spotti on Nov 23, 2009 17:48:17 GMT
Atleast you've got warm weather! All we have is rain, rain and more rain! We're swapping and changing rugs like nobodys business, but like your two, Faith is unclipped as she doesn't really do enough to warrant any type of hair cut and has simply been rugged to prevent the woolly mammoth appearing (so that when she does work, she's quite happy and doesn't sweat).
|
|
|
|
Post by gingernut on Nov 23, 2009 18:07:44 GMT
The Bucas rugs you can put on a wet horse are called smartex - for those of you wanting to know!! Excellent rugs - gutted P's outgrown hers!
|
|
|
|
Post by fleabitten on Nov 23, 2009 18:09:37 GMT
Ive heard good reports about Bucas rugs as well - apparently the lightweight ones are made out of this material that can keep a horse warm down to -18!!!
|
|
|
|
Post by gingernut on Nov 23, 2009 18:17:25 GMT
They have an amazing temperature range although the lightweight smartex ones can't go that low - it can go to about -5 up to 17 but the heavyweight one goes to -20 up to 15!! And the outer is really really robust - better than rambo I think.
|
|
|
|
Post by scattymare on Nov 23, 2009 20:07:37 GMT
PP what size was yours? If it's a 6'3 and you fancy selling let me know ;D
|
|
|
|
Post by gingernut on Nov 25, 2009 12:26:14 GMT
Mine was 6' - she's progressed into a 6'3". My livery owner is having it for a cob of hers. sorry. I had hoped P had stopped growing but nope!!
|
|
|
|
Post by duckles on Nov 25, 2009 21:22:25 GMT
Rac - why rug at all? Their coats are well able to deal with rain and horses can cope with a drop in temp at night. Obviously, I know next to nothing about temps in Provance but here - no one really rugs unless the horse is clipped. (other than a rain sheet if the horse has no shelter and is prone to rain scald - it rains a lot here). I was reading something in the World Horse Welfare (or whatever they have renamed the ILPH) and it advised not to rug - didn't say why.
I am not been critical - I know you all rug on this forum - I am just wondering why.
My horses are clipped and rugged and out 24/7 and most of their field mates are not clipped or rugged and they show no ill effects other than being filthy- even though the weather has been very bad and some of them are very fine. JB is the only one losing weight. Not rugging is widespread everywhere I know. Occasionally TBs are rugged but mostly not. I suppose we are more careless but honestly it doesn't seem to have bad results.
Interesting that you mention rugging early to prevent winter coat growth - I have heard theories that coat growth is associated with other seasonal factors such as light etc and am just wondering if the early rugging does work with coat growth??
|
|
|
|
Post by fleabitten on Nov 25, 2009 21:28:25 GMT
Thats a good point duckles about hair growth and the light. I think that the coat growth depends on the amount of light - thats why show horses have the lights on all the time in the stable to make it like its summer/daytime etc. Round here - well. Most people i know rug. One of my uncles used to give off at us rugging our ponies - he said it was cruel. But hes not even horsey and he wasnt really serious i dont think.  Whatever lol! |
|
|
|
Post by mossh on Nov 25, 2009 21:31:58 GMT
I rug to keep condition on Mattie, he feels the cold and the wind and is miserable and unhappy.
It doesn't matter how much I feed him, he wouldn't cope without being rugged
He wasn't rugged before I got him and he was the thinnest mankiest looking horse because of not being rugged and fed.
|
|
|
|
Post by fleabitten on Nov 25, 2009 21:39:18 GMT
It also depends on what theyre used to - they could be a cob but still be a ginny cos they have been used to being wrapped up. The TBs where duckles lives are probably used to little rugging.
|
|
|
|
Post by duckles on Nov 25, 2009 22:03:18 GMT
I think you are right Flea- a lot of people here are fairly 'rough and ready'!!!
Mosh - I know some horses do need tender treatment like Mattie (and JB) but in my area, most do have to cope without it!!!
Please don't think I am being anyway critical of people rugging - I know you all do what is best and necessary for your horse - I was just 'discussing' it as its so different where I am.
|
|
|
|
Post by mossh on Nov 25, 2009 22:08:56 GMT
Oh I know you are discussing it! I know you're not being critical!
Mattie is indeed a wuss but if i had a native then unless they were completely naked (hair wise) I wouldn't be rugging!!
I had a cob who didn't need rugging and my friends horse is complewtely naked apart from legs and he only has a rain sheet and that is only to keep him dry so she can ride!
|
|
|
|
Post by racaille on Nov 26, 2009 4:41:12 GMT
You've raised a good point Duckles and no, I don't think you are being critical at all! If we can't have proper discussions about things it would be a poor world! You might remember that I am a newcomer to rugging so this is a learning curve for me. When P was on livery he was stabled at night until last year when, in an experiment, he was rugged and left out at night. He was better for it all round and in fact we then went on to leave the colicky TB out (rugged) and she gave up having colic. R was out 24/7 unrugged as he is a little rustic boy. But he grew a huge woolly coat to compensate, obviously. The problem with that though, is that we have a lot of warm winter days and as soon as the horses just stroll down the lane, they sweat up terribly and it can take hours and hours for them to dry off properly. If you can ride early in the morning then they have all day to dry off and it isn't a problem, but often the only time I can ride ATM is the afternoon. Then there isn't enough time for them to dry off before nightfall and the temperature (with clear skies) plummets fast. (minus 15C is not unknown) So the idea of overnight rugging is to keep them warm at night and prevent too much woolly hair - I don't know the mechanics but yes, it does prevent a huge winter coat - they are both slightly furrier than in summer but quite sleek for all that. So when they do sweat (it is still 20C here in the daytime) they dry much faster. Obviously the RC horses are all out, unrugged, and are huge woolly mammoths but they do have shelters (which I don't, just trees). The wind here is a problem. So I'm just trying out solutions. I would prefer not to rug as it is a chore. I think I did start too early but we had a cold snap and once started I felt I had to go on. Certainly in January and February we would expect some nasty weather and I would have to provide something for the boys and two rugs are a lot cheaper than a field shelter (wood is wildly expensive here, despite all the pine trees  ) Forgot to say that winter is our competition season too so the boys work if anything harder than in the summer when it is too hot to do anything but swim in the river. But I'm open to new ideas if anyone has one? ;D |
|
|
|
Post by brigadier on Dec 2, 2009 18:11:49 GMT
Rugging certainly does seem to keep the coat finer and sleeker, its much easier to groom a hairy horse thats rugged, than a hairy horse that is unrugged. Theres less grease in the coat., the old string vest type sweat rug was ideal for putting under rugs when horses are wet, but Ive not seen any for sale for ages, the cooler type that wick moisture away are less helpful as they simply make the rug wet again, but they do keep the horses dry. the best solution is to have a change of rug but thats expensive. The other thing you could try is a large square of cactus cloth under the rug to allow an air gap so the skin and the rug can breathe but it may end up in the mud after an hour or so.
|
|
|
|
Post by racaille on Dec 3, 2009 11:21:38 GMT
Cactus cloth? ? What? And where??? Actually I do have two string vests around, so that's great. Thanks for that!!!!! But yes, I am having to go down the two rugs route .... the standard necks are just not coping with this driving rain ......  |
|
Whatever lol! 
)
for so much hard work we thank ye!!
