Horses that are clipped under the weather or elderly for example will require more rugging through the colder winter months than good doers native breeds and those that are unclipped.
Rugging older horses.
We mustn t forget that horses are designed to use fat reserves over winter to keep warm.
Dr marlin s article titled the science of rugging.
The health of the horse a horse in good health will need less rugs than a horse that is unwell.
You will also want to keep an older horse in good condition eating and holding their weight not having to use energy to keep warm.
Over rugging can not only lead to difficulty in managing the weight of your horse or pony with risks of metabolic disorders and laminitis but can also lead to the horse overheating.
Over rugging may also mean the horse warms up under the rug but not in other exposed areas.
Dr marlin is co author of equine exercise physiology a book that shows how to achieve the highest standards in your competition horses this book is useful for horse enthusiasts and students as well as experienced trainers.
Don t rug horses based on how cold you feel older horses young horses thin horses and clipped horses will need rugs first for most horses unless clipped and living out 24 7 rugs should not be considered before temperatures overnight begin dipping towards 5 10 c ideally start with lighter rugs and move to thicker rugs as it gets colder.
The age of the horse an older horse is likely to feel the cold.
Generally it is better for horses to be slightly too cold than too hot.
We are called out to horses displaying signs of colic but.
If he is hot under his rug his ability to cool down naturally is lost too.
When to rug and what with was published in horses and people july august 2019 magazine.
Over rugging or putting a rug on too soon can compromise a horse s ability to do this.
When horses over heat they divert blood to the skin surface so that they can lose body heat by sweating.
Combined with which rugging is very different for every horse as it depends on breed weight climate his work load and even their coats themselves.