If I were to keep a horse turned out 24/7 in all seasons which rugs would I need?If possible, say where I could layer rugs to minimize buying loads of different kinds.Thanks in advance (:
Well, it depends where you live and the horses you have. If you live in the UK, for example, and have cobs which are out 24/7 they wont need a rug for most of the year, unless they are clipped or the weather is exceptionally wet. Perhaps just one lightweight turnout and one heavyweight turnout, and maybe a fleecy underneath for the very cold days.
The bare minimum to keep a horse out all year: 1 x heavy weight winter turnout, with detachable neck. 1 x medium turnout rug, with detachable neck 1 x lightweight turnout, with or without neck 2 x under-rug layer blankets for really cold or in between days. That should be fine, in the deepest darkest winter you can put on your heavyweight with neck and under rugs, when it gets a little warmer you can just put on the heavyweight with no neck, the autumn/early spring you can use the medium, on extra cold nights put on the under rugs, and then when you get to summer you can use your lightweight. Other rugs: Incase your horse ever needs to be stabled, i'd get 1 x medium stable rug. 1 x fly rug/sheet for the summer Also, you might want a cooler fleece that your horse can wear to cool off after exercise etc You can also use a cooler as a travel rug/show rug, or you could buy another one. You may want an exercise sheet, to wear while riding, this will keep your horse warm and dry :) Never put rugs (apart from a cooler) on a sweaty/rained on/wet horse, because he will get a serious chill. If you get in from riding and he's really sweaty/wet, either put the cooler on under the turnout rug, or walk him around for 10 mins till he dries off, and then put on your turnout rugs. If you're on a really tight budget, and you don't ride to compete, and your horse is quite a sturdy, hardy type, you could probably get by with 1 heavyweight and 1 medium turnout, nothing else.
It depends on your horse's breed. If it's a QH or something thicker skinned like that, it won't need a rug at all unless it gets REALLY cold (below 10 degrees is bad for everyone, people and animals alike) or you're trying to keep a nice show coat. If your horse is thin-skinned like a TB, you'll need rugs in the winter. In the summer, you shouldn't need a rug. Once it starts getting into the 40s at night, put on a light turnout rug. When it starts getting into the 20s at night, put on a heavier turnout. If and when it gets pretty cold at night, like below 20, layer the light and heavy turnout rug with a cooler or stable blanket.
A horse turned out 24/7 in all seasons never needs any rug. I have 57 years of keeping horses in climates that range from extremes of heat and humidity in summer to extremes of cold in winter to back up my opinions. My horses have been out in downpours and freezing rain, 40 below zero F wind chills, blizzards and flood conditions, tornado force winds, and anything else you can imagine. I do provide them with 24/7 hay all year round, and it does act as a furnace to maintain body heat through the cold spells. I once bought an Arab show horse who was always pampered like a sissy and stabled with limited turnout while being blanketed for everything for the years before I got him. I had him fully functioning outside with no blankets the first winter after I bought him. Amazingly, the various skin conditions his prior owners disclosed him to suffer from never manifested again after I bought him and kept the blankets off.....not one, never. Anyway, unless you have very good reason to blanket a horse that serves your purposes in training and riding the horse, there is no other reason to blanket. Horses already possess very effective bio-systems to handle being outdoors in all climates. We don't put big fluffy insulated boots on their hooves in winter, do we? How can those thin little hoof walls be enough to keep their little feet warm??
