I have a mini and was wondering if during winter he'd be warm enough with these two rugs:a 270g polyester ripstop combo sheet rugand then a cotton combo rug underneath the sheetAny help would be appreciated,Thanks
synthetic water proof rugs are great! I clip horses and have a few myself! New Zealand is a little different in climate, but anyways, here is what you need to consider.... What kind of clip the horse will have, this is generally govened by workload. More hair removal = more rugs, of cause! How often you can attend to your horse. Natural fibres are more breathable, so wool under rugs are a good option. Wool aslo stays warm if they get wet, synthetic rugs can be a bit sweaty on milder days. Wool however, can cause more rubs, anti rub vests are advised. Extra blankets at night, and remove one during the day. Some horses naturally feel the cold more than others, Some will only need a heavy 300g fill waterproof cover, others may need extra.. such as an additional 220g underrug with neck rug, day and night, or just for night. Some may even need a third rug if fully clipped out. You will be better to wing it and learn as you go once you have your horse. Budget for the worst and hope for the best ! Hope that helps !
Horses don't need blankets/rugs. Unless they have just moved to a colder climate, or have health problems, or are severely underweight, or you are extremely stingy with hay/forage, your horse does not need blankets. Especially minis, who have so little surface:mass ratio and SO much hair. Please don't create unnecessary problems by putting any sort of rugs or sheets on your mini. They create more problems than they help. Add: I assume you mean mid-teens Celsius? I have kept horses in places with temps much colder than that, with their fuzzy coats and all the hay they want to eat, and they stayed healthy. Try below zero Fahrenheit. If they have their natural coat and are acclimated to the weather, blankets are not only unnecessary but can make a horse sick. The horse has evolved for millennia to adapt to its environment. It can fluff up its coat or lay it flat according to the hourly changes in weather. When you put a blanket on, you interfere with that ingenious design. The horse can overheat and get chilled very quickly. Let your horse regulate its own body temp. If you see him shivering, THEN see about adding layers. Horses are most comfortable around 40* F. This is the temperature at which scientists have measured, it takes the least effort for the horse to regulate its body temp. To start blanketing at that temp is blatant interference with the horse's bodily functions. (Yes, I know lots of people who do that here in the USA too. I used to work at a stable that used that as their standard to blanket for turnout - if they'd even let the poor things go out.) Sorry if these facts don't agree with some of your opinions. My shoulders are broad and my skin is thick; a few TDs from uneducated folks don't hurt a bit.
How do you cause problems by blanketing your horse? I don't think you do. My horse always has something on in the winter, and always has a sheet on until summer.
Since you didn't give any hint of where you live or how cold it gets, or rain or snow or shelter...let me just respond by saying the favorite temperature for a horse is about 55 degrees.
Unless you're dipping into the twenties and teens, I would use only the polyester rug - that is, if it's totally necessary. If you're not showing this mini, leave the rugs off. He will be plenty warm with just his coat. I have a trail mare that I left unblanketed into the low twenties this year, and she grew an appropriate amount of hair and was perfectly fine - she was even warmer than my show horse gelding, who was rugged up in slickers and heavy blankets. EDIT: If your mini is body clipped, and kept outside, you should definitely put at least the sheet and rug on. I would recommend getting a neck cover as well if it gets into the mid teens. Put the slicker on only when the weather is very severe.
