# Do you rug your horses when it rains?



## TequilaMist (5 June 2009)

As title really when it starts to rain do you  put a lightweight rug on or leave them naked afterall it is summer


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## jordanross (5 June 2009)

this is an interesting question id also like the answer to

just started raining here * or more of a sunshower* this is the first time ive had rain since having daphi and didnt know what to do... so i brought her in!   she has rugs for outside... but i felt sorry on her 
	
	
		
		
	


	




    plus she was waiting by the gate so i brought her str8 in! 

i will in future however rug her just in case it rains.


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## Pixxie (5 June 2009)

mine just gets a waterproof rain sheet, no filling in it
if it rains and im not there because of school he gets brought in as soon as i can get there, thermatex on till he drys off and then rain sheet on and back out
x


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## JoBo (5 June 2009)

Only when I want to keep them clean, but they are both out naked tonight, its still rather warm here.


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## _April_ (5 June 2009)

Tara is looking very well - some might say a bit *too* well 
	
	
		
		
	


	




 at the moment so I will not be rugging her unless weather gets much worse.

I don't think a bit of rain will make much difference if overall temperature is still ok.


(although If I am going somewhere the next day I might put a fullneck lightweight on as she is grey after all 
	
	
		
		
	


	




)


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## Hels_Bels (5 June 2009)

If its warm but raining then they get left without, but if its cold then they get rugged

If it's a shower left without is it's prolonged then rugs put on


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## JessPickle (5 June 2009)

Well I have tonight, but thats purely because pickle has a lesson early tommorow morning and I want him clean otherwise its a pain in the ass! generally he is kept rugless as he is a hardy boy.


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## TequilaMist (5 June 2009)

Was just thinking as its raining here as well and know some folk that will have run up to yard and rugged their horses cos of rain.Am itching to do that myself tbh but think to myself to get a grip they are horses  .
If torrential driving rain no question they will be either rugged up or even brought in if really bad.
And remember from when a kid if it rained it rained no rugs etc ever unless snow


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## hoggedmane (5 June 2009)

They are horses!!! They can survive rain outside!!! I never rug in summer even in a downpour. When I was a child virtually nothing wore a rug all year round unless it was kept as a hunter. We molycoddle them too much and worry about them too much. If I put any rug on my mare at the moment she would sweat which IMO is much worse. Even my TBs don't get rugged in summer. When my TB had a tumour on his side he wasn't rugged all year as it rubbed it and he was fine! Fine use a rug to keep them clean if you are going to a show but any normal horse can cope with rain.


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## Ottinmeg (5 June 2009)

mine have rain sheets on tonight as they are off to a show first thing.Normally i don't bother.


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## ISHmad (5 June 2009)

Ours aren't rugged in the summer when it rains.  There's lots of natural shelter in their field though.  If they were in an area with no protection then I'd probably stick a rainsheet on them.


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## Pixxie (5 June 2009)

wanted to add that mine is only kept dry as possible because their field is very exposed with no natural shelter just fields and fields and well more fields either side so is usually very windy and gets quite cold

x


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## legaldancer (5 June 2009)

I think they only need rugs put on if its windy &amp; cold too. I once had to put a rug on a shivering TB on 21st June, but rain when its warm is fine. After a winter in rugs I'm sure they'd rather not wear any.
Imagine if farmers ran out &amp; put rugs on all their cows when it rained!


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## rocketdog69 (5 June 2009)

Not a chance, its summer!  If it was torrential and non stop for several days, I might think about it but certainly wouldnt actually do it!


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## H's mum (5 June 2009)

It depends - if it's torrential before I've put them out I'll put a lightweight turnout on but generally I don't - they've been out today with nothing on and it's totally pouring down - they could do to lose a few pounds though so I'm hoping it'll help! 
	
	
		
		
	


	




Kate x


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## badgerdog (5 June 2009)

Not unless I'm going to a show or it's torrential rain for days on end.


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## ladybones (5 June 2009)

I went out about half an hour ago to put summer sheets on them, they were all quite happy to stand around while i faffed with their rugs.. came to put Inka's on and she was having none of it.. trotted off everytime i went near her (she is normally the most nosey of the bunch) its only slightly raining so she can get damp.. im not chasing her on soggy grass!


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## MrsMozart (5 June 2009)

If there's a chill wind then yes, I'll rug Little Lad 'cos he's a wimp and starts shivering. He's also pone to lammi as well though and has put on a bit of weight, so unless it gets really chilly I won't this weekend. The others are all fine without - I'd rug if I wnted to rid eht next day though and was going to be tight on time.


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## saddlesore (5 June 2009)

I put a 100g rug with a hood on mine earlier - but it was 6 degrees, chucking it down and thunder! Not exactly summer weather


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## shadowboy (5 June 2009)

The 23yo is if the rain is constant, but not for a shower. Same with the yearling - there is no shelter from rain or sun in the summer paddock and yearling seems to feel the rain- but they are only lightweight sheets.


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## Moggy in Manolos (5 June 2009)

As my mare is older and heavy rain is predicted i have popped her rain sheet with no filling on as she feels the cold now. Years ago, when younger she was never rugged all year round.
If its warm with a few light showers i would leave her unrugged as long as she was not going to get cold


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## sleepingdragon10 (5 June 2009)

Only if it's torrential and/or set in for day, otherwise no...i'm sure the girls on the yard think i'm mean but hey, i'm sure lukey will survive!


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## muffinino (5 June 2009)

Nope


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## Rollin (5 June 2009)

Yes


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## Tnavas (5 June 2009)

I so have to laugh - sorry! Being in my late 50's and originally from the UK I remember that - 

Once upon a time the only time a horse wore a rug outside was in the winter - when the good old New Zealand rug got dusted off and put on - and hard to believe - it didn't have a neck rug. Even then not every horse did - most were naked and came to no harm.

Don't stress if the weather changes - Your horses will not melt if they get wet - if they feel cold they will have a run around to warm up.


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## tania01 (5 June 2009)

No but if drops really cold i will put a lightweight on jack only because of him being old.


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## spotty_pony (5 June 2009)

If the weather forecast predicts rain, mine wear LW Turnout rugs. I turned them all out in their LW rugs earlier and it's raining now so I'm glad I did! I would feel guilty if I had left them naked!


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## gothdolly (5 June 2009)

Im sitting here really worried because my two are out without turnouts on (but have fly rugs on ... which is worse when they get wet). It was a glorious hot day when I left the yard at 4.30pm but now looks torrential. I cant go to the yard as my kids asleep in bed and husband is out!  Arrrrggh poor wet boys 
	
	
		
		
	


	




 Especially the TB x who will look like a hat rack tomorrow if hes got cold and wet


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## Ellies_mum2 (5 June 2009)

Nope. Don't possess one single solitary rug 
	
	
		
		
	


	





Bella has natural shelter on all four sides of her field and is out with about 7 or 8 other youngsters so I'm sure they will hoon about if they get a bit chilly. 

That said its not raining here


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## Donkeymad (5 June 2009)

hell no! Why? They don't shrink or dissolve


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## tammyrocks (5 June 2009)

well depends if she had been clipped this winter i would probably put on a light weight but as she hasnt been in much over than a lightweight all winter and shes young and hardy no i wouldnt


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## 3Beasties (5 June 2009)

If they were at home and it was more then just a shower I would probably just put a rain sheet on them.  

As they are 30 minutes drive away at the moment I would only go up to put rugs on them if it was absolutely tipping it down. 

They are all doing a bit to well so it won't do them any harm to get a little bit wet!


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## Puppy (5 June 2009)

Nope. I think it does them good to have a shower on them 
	
	
		
		
	


	





Unless of course it's prolonged, heavy rain, when they get a bit shivery. Then I bring them in to dry them off, shower sheet on, and back out


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## silverbullet (5 June 2009)

Nope! It is summer, they are not clipped, their skin is waterproof and both of mine wouldn't hurt if they shivered a bit of weight off!


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## Tharg (5 June 2009)

Nope, I let the witch melt.


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## hellybelly6 (6 June 2009)

Nope he is native and designed for the great british weather.  I put a rain sheet on him in the winter only.

In showery weather over the spring, summer and autumn, he would sweat and be boil in the bag.


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## TequilaMist (6 June 2009)

Oh I remember them(NZ rugs) and  not hit my 50's yet either!!Horrible if they got wet and then dried like cardboard.
Don't stress as such just that when everyone else is putting rugs on thought I was being a bit harsh not putting on.The fat one does need to shiver some off tho!!


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## Enfys (6 June 2009)

In summer? 

No way, it is too warm. It is different here, we don't get days and days of the wretched stuff on the whole. That's a good part of why I moved. Britain was just too wet and depressing, no fun having achy bones and SAD 12 months a year.

When it rains, and it doesn't do it very often (despite my complaints when it does for more than a few hours at a time) the horses go outside and stand in it. They have sheds to hide in if they want to, only the foal puts himself in.


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## kellyeaton (8 June 2009)

if it is cold and raining then yes but if it is warm but showery then no!


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## NikkiF (8 June 2009)

If it's warm and showers forecast, then no as would rather they got wet with rain than sweat! But weekend just gone yes they did have L/W's on as it was bl**dy cold here...............


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## hussar (8 June 2009)

No. They have a shelter which they don't use when it's raining. They're animals designed to live outside. I think over-rugging is worse for the horse than getting a bit chilly or wet.


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## chestnut cob (8 June 2009)

Not always.  I did rug him this weekend as when I went to fetch him in on Saturday morning, he was shivering, thoroughly miserable and tucked up.  Brought him in, dried off and put a fleece on.  He went back out on Sat night with a LW turnout out and was much happier on Sunday morning 
	
	
		
		
	


	





I know my horse and I know when he needs a rug on.  I am not over rugging him and I am the first to take rugs off when I think he has too many on (he's on part livery over winter and I've often asked YO to put less rugs on), however my horse was cold and miserable.  Unfortunately I think the only bit of TB my IDxTB has in him is thin skin, and he really notices it when he's wet and cold.  He's ok when it's cold, but add rain into the mix and I have an unhappy pony.


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