When To Rug Your Horse

If it feels cold then you may want to consider a thicker rug.

When to rug your horse. Feeling your horses legs face or ears is a poor indicator of how warm it is. Rugs prevent any cooling. A horse naturally has a sleek coat which reflects the sun and a horse will seek shade when they are hot as a natural response. The body weight of the horse.

The horse s age health body condition environment hair coat and nutritional provision all influence the lower critical temperature of individual animals. Make sure that your horse. A rug is like a blanket for horses and ponies and is designed to keep them warm in the chilly winter months. Fitting a horse rug.

So knowing when your horse s ancestors come from gives you an idea of how much protection they may need. When looking for a horse rug there are several things to keep in mind. Rugs are measured in feet and inches from the point of the horse s shoulder to the end of the hind quarters but depending on your horse s conformation you may fine one 6 6 rug does fit whereas another does not so good advice from a saddlery is often very helpful when it comes to sizing and make. When putting the rug on a horse be sure to fasten the straps securely and not leave any dangling free.

They only get the chance to get rugged if its windy wet and cold. One of the best ways to assess the warmth of your horse is to slide your hand under their armpit which may jut become your new favourite glove. But bear in mind that they will have aclimatised by being born in your locality. If they walk off twice don t put it on.

Mine are natives with bib clips and live out at 1000 feet. First you want the rug fit to be impeccable with no chafing especially around the withers. So you ve measured your horse taken his build into consideration and bought a fabulous new rug now you need to make sure it fits. Placing your hand under the rug behind the withers is a good spot.

They have a field shelter and some drystone walls but exposed to the north. Many people rug a horse by putting a rug on at the outset of winter and leaving it on throughout the winter regardless of the weather. When trying a new rug on your horse it is best to try on over a clean cotton sheet this will prevent the rug getting dirty in case you need to return it and exchange it for a different size. Any horse that your vet says is at risk of hypothermia dangerously low body temperature selecting and measuring for a horse rug.

Using rugs on horses in summer can be a welfare issue. Rugs do not keep horses cool. Don t tie them up to rug if they sidle up to you when the rug appears put it on. It will be an ongoing muse whether to rug or not to rug your horse however we ought to give more credit to these clever animals for being able to survive with or without the love and tlc of us.

Rainsheet to 50g max no neck covers.