I am just starting to get back into horses again after about 5 years and at the moment i am looking after a friends horse while she is away on holiday.. feeding them etc.one of her hoses has an unwaterproof rug. I asked her if it rains hard, should i take the rug off to dry, if i didnt get the chance to put the waterproof rug on (the waterproof one, can only go ontop of the unwaterproof one lol)She said don't worry about it, it will dry on the horse.Well it rained really heavy over night and has been raining on and off today, i am wanting to put the waterproof rug on when i feed them dinner, but i am just wondering if i should put the waterproof one over top of the already wet unwaterproof one... if that makes any sense??
take the wet one off and put the waterproof one on, when the wet one has dried you can have both of the rugs on
If you put a waterproof rug over the top of a wet rug- you're asking for some problems. 1. Its uncomfortable for a horse. You know the feeling of having wet clothes on- it's not nice! 2. The water can't evaporate- this can cause skin infections and a build up of bacteria. Rain scald is a big problem! If it's not that cold- and you can't put on the waterproof on without the other rug- just let the horse go without a rug until you've dried the under coat. Well, that's what I would do anyway!
Definately take his wet rug off before you put the waterproof one on. Can you put the horse in a shelter whilst you swap rugs so you can towel dry his coat before putting dry rug on?
My inclination is to take the rug off and give it a chance to dry as well as to allow the horses coat to air out and dry. The heat generated from the horses body will eventually dry the rug, but will have a difficult time. After the rug and horses are dry, then you can properly put the rug on and then the waterproof topping on. Good luck. Janet
