| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| jaj |
Posted - 02 Nov 2010 : 5:48:01 PM
My little chap is 18 months old now, stabled at night and out all day with his mum (weaned etc).
His mum (you may recall  ) will not wear a rug out in the field and she will not tolerate bad weather of any description. I was thinking that in the winter months I could let her stay in and he could go out with a rug but tried this on a wet Tuesday last week and he wouldn't stay out without her. If he wants to be in too is there any point in me buying rugs for him at all? Should I just let him get uber furry and be his own rug or perhaps just rug him at night? <pondering>  . |
| 24 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Kharidian |
Posted - 05 Nov 2010 : 12:46:54 AM
Thanks, jaj. Your signature pics are rather lovely too!
Caryn |
| jaj |
Posted - 04 Nov 2010 : 11:49:48 PM
Caryn your pictures are gorgeous  ! |
| jaj |
Posted - 04 Nov 2010 : 11:48:26 PM
I definitely think something happened Lynda, wish she could tell me bless her  . She was at a livery yard when she first started the behaviour and they did present me with a torn rug one day so who knows. She's always been such a careful horse but something clicked a switch in her head and she's been troubled about it ever since.
I can't believe how scarily mild it is at the moment speaking of rugs. I've just come home from the theatre and it was 15.5 degrees at almost midnight in November  ! |
| Kharidian |
Posted - 04 Nov 2010 : 6:26:02 PM
Chips (17 months) is still out 24/7 in a very sheltered >1 acre paddock, thank goodness (it's not funny doing stables etc given the manic NHS shifts I work). He's unrugged at the moment as it is dry and mild but has been rugged when cold rain was forecast.
When the weather turns and he and his companion move to their winter paddock they will be out during the day (rugged except on mild days) and in at night. I remove rugs at night because the stables are in a large, well ventilated but substantial barn and therefore stay warm and do not get draughts/lashing rain etc. I do appreciate what others have said about not being able to move around to warm up when stabled and, if the stable was outside, I would agree and leave him rugged, however a wooly, dry yearling is plenty warm enough in a barn with 6 other large equines keeping the atmosphere toasty.
As in most scenarios, there's no hard & fast rule!
Caryn |
| LYNDILOU |
Posted - 04 Nov 2010 : 5:15:16 PM
could she have had one come loose , and drag behind her? that can have devastating consequences sometimes |
| jaj |
Posted - 04 Nov 2010 : 3:31:09 PM
Weird thing is that she wasn't scared for the first 7 years after coming to me so goodness knows what happened there?! Think she just got older and grumpier like the rest of us ! |
| LYNDILOU |
Posted - 04 Nov 2010 : 12:23:13 PM
shame Jen, I am sure its psyological and in time she could be taught Rugs are not monsters on her back , but you know your horse best. I bought a mare once( from a famous large stud) with this same problem terrified of rugs, it took a long time , but in the end we got there , she now goes out with a rug on like all the others and has a full life.
Trouble with these large studs that breed loads of horses is they dont have the time to give each animal individual attention, and they are all individual , just like us. |
| Valentine Arabians |
Posted - 04 Nov 2010 : 12:09:39 PM
Ours isn't rugged and won't be. She goes out with her Mum just long enough for the stables to be mucked out and then has adlib hay to keep the 'fires stoked'. She is developing her own winter rug and is quite happy. We tried several years ago, rugging a foal, he (7) now eats rugs for breakfast !!!
The only 2 horses that we rug are our veteran gelding (don't want him to thin down too much) and our No. 1 stallion, to keep him clean. |
| jaj |
Posted - 03 Nov 2010 : 10:27:23 PM
Blimey Lynda that is tempting !
Honestly though, when it started we had vets look at her, she was taken up to the clinic for internal examinations, I had a wonderful animal pyschologist work on her, put her on every potion under the sun, you name it we tried it. The girls at the yard used to take her out on a lunge line to try to get her to stay by the hay in the middle of the field but the minute you unhooked her from you (her safety) she would bolt and fly like the hounds of hell were after her. It was terrible to watch and people wouldn't believe it unless they saw it with their own eyes. Have to admit it took a while to work out that it was the rugs <dim> but we then did a few trials with her in the safety of the school and she reacted just the same. She did it once when she was in foal and galloped onto the yard in the ice, fell onto her side and slid into the horse walker. Not funny  .
I wouldn't put her through it again to be honest, she's too precious . |
| LYNDILOU |
Posted - 03 Nov 2010 : 10:13:48 PM
send her to me Jen I will bet I can get her to except them, ( there thats the challenge  ) if I am not successful I will give you your next cover for free |
| jaj |
Posted - 03 Nov 2010 : 8:13:38 PM
Lynda the rug thing is a bigger issue than getting her used to them. I won't bore you but I'm sure you remember me on here about 4/5 years ago worried to death about the state she was getting herself into. She practically became agrophobic (hell even Princess Alia posted on that thread bless her ). So no rugs outside - she has injured herself badly before bolting (in the literal sense of the word) through electric fences, fell over and slid under the farrier's van ..... sorry promised not to go on, but definitely not just a case of being a bit funny about them.
Anyhow I think things may be ok because she had to be in for an hour or so this morning for the vet to do her teeth and jabs and he was out and fine about it after an initial panic. Heather yes I definitely want him out exercising his little self so I think it will work ok and he will get used to it. Fortunately I have a lovely set up with the two stables, a little fenced yard around the stables and the field leading directly off it so they can come and go as they please - bit like those figures on the clock that go in and out with the rain ! He's quite independent thank goodness - the pony has gone back to her owner unfortunately as there just isn't enough land for 3 but I think we can work something out to keep them both happy and sane .
|
| Zan |
Posted - 03 Nov 2010 : 7:45:32 PM
Have you still got the pony companion Jen? He really would be better off out during the day exercising and building strong bones so maybe he would stay out with the pony? Failing that leaving the stable doors open in the hope he will at least venture out away from his mum some of the time would be better than shutting them in. A breathable rug that works indoors and out would be my choice. |
| LYNDILOU |
Posted - 03 Nov 2010 : 7:33:48 PM
they need protection from the cold wind and rain Jen , so best get him a rug , but its not that he wants to be in with her , its he wants her to be out with himyou should get her used to rugs though if you can, otherwise its gonna be a long winter for you all |
| Quarabian |
Posted - 03 Nov 2010 : 11:11:52 AM
Agreeing with Mrs Vlacq, they can't run about in the stable to keep warm. I have two youngsters. Arri had his stable rug on for the first time yesterday. It was very chilly. Mistral didn't need it. So I would say it is an individual thing. Feel their ears. If they are cold or their coats are fluffed up then rug 'em up.
Even if they don't wear rugs all my babies get used to having them put on and taken off as part of their education. Mind you, they get large plastic bags put over their backs too! |
| pinkvboots |
Posted - 03 Nov 2010 : 09:41:23 AM
Where I am working at the moment she rugs her all her babies in turnouts and they have quilts, although none of them have leg straps only a fillet string even the turnout rugs, she has had a foal get its leg caught in leg straps so she wont use them now until there a bit older. |
| nikki83 |
Posted - 03 Nov 2010 : 09:04:37 AM
Mine is rugged inside and out. He only has a thin stable rug though, stables are old and very thick walled and are actually quite warm, hes always toasty in the morning
I was given a MW turnout and on the first time of wearing it, the strap came undone, I was watching him in the field racing around and didnt realise he was trying to run away from the strap!
Its come undone a couple of times since then, hes not bothered in the slightest by it now that he knows what it is!
Nikki x |
| jaj |
Posted - 02 Nov 2010 : 11:13:48 PM
Ok back to the rug shop it is then! I do love a good purchase so never hard . |
| Zannyzan |
Posted - 02 Nov 2010 : 10:45:53 PM
My 16 month old wears a stable rug at night and a turn out during the day :) She is an angel to change rugs them over and it has definitely helped her to be more confident. |
| xsara |
Posted - 02 Nov 2010 : 10:22:42 PM
I rugged mine in the stable and tend to use turnout for top rugs and layer with the stable rugs means when they are turned out no need to change ruggs and kepts them cleaner and dry |
| maryann |
Posted - 02 Nov 2010 : 6:35:45 PM
We rug all of ours ..Do tend to use t/o rugs because of the time they go out in the morning and on limited time... |
| maryann |
Posted - 02 Nov 2010 : 6:33:57 PM
We rug all of ours ..Do tend to use t/o rugs because of the time they go out in the moring and on limited time... |
| Suelin |
Posted - 02 Nov 2010 : 6:33:37 PM
I rugged Joe at night from 6 months old. I do think that they make better use of their food if they are warm to begin with so I would always go down this route.
ETA that it is good education also. |
| jaj |
Posted - 02 Nov 2010 : 6:29:54 PM
Funnily enough I bought him a MW turnout the other day but it didn't fit so took it back. He has got a LW turnout which he wears quite happily and is very good with leg straps etc (although can imagine the carnage if one was to flap about ). Maybe I will get him another MW one as I have a little yard attached to the stables so if I leave the field gate open then they can wander in and out as desired and hopefully he will gain the confidence to pootle off into the field without madame having to lower herself to stepping in mud  ! |
| Mrs Vlacq |
Posted - 02 Nov 2010 : 6:23:23 PM
we tend to as in a box they can't move about to keep warm. It also helps keep them clean as we are on mostly rubber mats. We don't have time to be endlessly changing rugs so MW turnouts are a good choice - you can always whip it off once the days get warmer.
It's good for them to learn to wear rugs, and how to cope with the occassional loose strap etc too. And get used to the birds sitting on their rumps when zzzzzz on the mats too! |
