please tell me how to tell whether or not to put a rug my horse, she lives out she is not clipped but she will be soon i live in cavan ireland so it can get cold so could someone tell me what signs i should look out for to tell when is the right time to put on a rug.p.s my horse is an irish sports horse if that makes a diffrence
Well when she is not clipped only put it on if you are positive she needs it. When in doubt go without. When she is clipped it depends on what short of clip if it's summer just get a lightweight cotton rug if it's winter get a good heavy rug. Remember though for when she is not clipped her hair acts like a heater and an aircon Remember for when she is not clipped When In Doubt Go Without Feeling the bottom of her ears is also a good indication of weather she is cold or hot.
Personally, I'd have her in a rug right now. I'm in Scotland and both mine are in middleweights - its dropping to near 0 degrees at night already and I wake up to frost. When she gets clipped she MUST have some form of rug on with weight in it unless its gorgeous weather - when you take away their coat its like taking away our clothes and expecting us to stand in the cold - we can't heat ourselves up and so we get cold very quickly. This is what I said for another answer. Weather for no rugs / fly rugs - HOT weather with no / little breeze. Weather for a rainsheet - Rain but no wind. Weather for a lightweight - Rain with wind, or just wind. Weather for a mediumweight - Rain with a lot of wind, just wind or cold temperatures (basically, as I don't feel the cold, the minute I need to be putting on a jacket is mediumweight weather) Weather for a heavyweight - The coldest it gets. Snow. Below freezing temperatures. Last year in the worst of it I did put a heavyweight stable rug under a heavyweight turnout, it got that cold.
