# Have you ever found your horse shivering?



## brighteyes (1 October 2010)

Not because it was ill, just at some point got cold?  What did you do?


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## Cedars (1 October 2010)

Ye my little one shivers in the rain - normally just leave her to it if the rain is stopping, if she is really bad then I'd bring her in, dry her off and whack a rug on but she's not really ever that bad. Though if the rain carries on like this i'll need to rug her up.


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## Luci07 (1 October 2010)

not mine but my neighbours when she had no stables years ago way before the days of rugs that would wick off moisture. She spent the day giving them warm feeds but can't think now why she didnt put on a NZ and thatch up with straw!


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## Enfys (1 October 2010)

Put a blanket on and give them some hay.


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## ThePony (1 October 2010)

Yep, this morning. Like flamehead, if I know the rain is due to stop then I leave her be - she is a sturdy soul and copes very well!  As the rain was due to stay around I brought her in, put a sweat rug (old holey type) on with a jersey over, quatered her and rubbed over with a hay wisp. After I was done on the yard she was dried off and I left her be in her stable (saving the fields) with no rug as it really isn't cold so long as you are out of the wet.


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## Cedars (1 October 2010)

Can I put a rug on a wet horse? Would put her fleece on first to dry her off a bit but if shes damp? Im thinking the answer is no...


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## Lollii (1 October 2010)

I look after a little mare that came in from the rain just now, she was shivering so much all 4 legs were shaking, bless her, once she was in her stable eating she was fine, I have nowhere to dry rugs so she will have to drip dry till later.


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## Honey08 (1 October 2010)

The only time I've seen mine shiver is on really wet summer days when their coats are too short to give them much protection.  In winter they get greasy and fluffy coats, and don't seem to notice anything.


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## flying solo (1 October 2010)

I'm going to get shouted at.....

But if T-T is damp I put a cooler under his no fill rug then go back a hour or two later and take the cooler off and he is dry  If still raining I keep his no fill on him which is dry inside.

P.S he has been cold recently due to no shelter in his field hence the no fill rug.


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## legaldancer (1 October 2010)

flamehead said:



			Can I put a rug on a wet horse? Would put her fleece on first to dry her off a bit but if shes damp? Im thinking the answer is no...
		
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I sometimes do, but only in 'emergencies' if I can't get them in to dry off & they're really cold. The rugs with nylon linings are best for a wet horse as a cotton lining tends to stick & get smelly after it dries. Nylon just slides over the coat.

If you do put a fleece or thermatex on under the top rug don't leave it on all night or it will pull back over the withers & make them sore. 

I have this dilemma at the moment as two are rugged in lightweights & my Sec B is naked but absolutely soaked & the rain shows no signs of stopping. She's not shivering yet, but may get cold overnight.


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## davisn (1 October 2010)

Yes, quite a few times this summer & last. They don't have much shelter in the fields & we get very strong winds & lots of rain (being in the mountains of North Wales). Don't tend to have the same problem during the winter.

If they aren't too bad & it's due to clear up I leave them be. If they are really cold or forecast is more of the same I bring them in, squeegy them off & give them some haylage to warm their bellies. If it's cold out I put a wicking fleece on until they are dry, but as they are out of the wind in internal stables & filling their bellies with fibre I don't usually need to do this.

They go back out once they are warm & dry, usually the wind & rain has dropped by then. They have plenty of condition on, in fact the mare is a bit fat, so it won't hurt them.


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## Baileyhoss (1 October 2010)

it's best not to, but if you can't dry them first, you can pop on a turnout if it's a modern breathable rugs - I would only use a good quality one with nylon lining though.  

I wouldn't put anything on underneath if you are doing that, is it may wick the water away, but it will then be held between the rugs instead of being able to evaporate and your horse will stay damp.


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## howengold (1 October 2010)

Sov shivers in a summer shower so now I pop a light weight on if the weather looks ominous and in the winter she has plenty of food and hay as well as her heavier rugs.....bloody ancient toothless wonder.....


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## PippiPony (1 October 2010)

Yes, my Sov would get cold & wet.  I would wisp her down with straw, pop a rug on & thatch underneath with starw.

Then as rugs got better i would put in her in a "wick away" rug until she was dry & then pop her in a dry rug ovrnight if required.
A bucket of warm water was also a favourite of hers


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## NicoleS_007 (1 October 2010)

Mine shivered if i gave him a bath on a coldish day, but easily sorted with some rugs and haylage


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## martlin (1 October 2010)

Yes, poor Melody was absolutely freezing when I brought her in this afternoon! I put a comfort blanket on her and gave her a warm feed - she has dried out now but is still rather chilly, so I popped a stable rug on her.


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## Sunny08 (1 October 2010)

Yes but it was a very wet summers day. I brought her in, rubbed her down with straw and then put on a blanket until she dried.


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## Holly Hocks (1 October 2010)

Yep - found my boy shaking like a *****ting dog last Sunday morning in the field - not sure if it was because he had been bullied all night or because he was cold.  I brought him in and gave him a nice big feed and put a thick rug on.......was heartbreaking to see......


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## Cedars (1 October 2010)

Brought all our lot in tonight, Puzzy was really cold and the geldings rug had totally given way and he was soaked through.


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## spookypony (1 October 2010)

Yup, got to the yard tonight to take his muzzle off, and he was shaking like a leaf...poor thing, and I didn't have a head-collar to pop back on, and he certainly didn't want the muzzle anywhere near him...

...so I started to walk back, asking him to come along, and for the _first time EVER_, he willingly came out of the field, nay, he _trotted_ (beautifully, might I add, with huge strides, and his neck arches against the weather---why can't he do that under saddle?  ) all the way to the gate, and eagerly went through! 

I popped him inside, cancelled my lesson, gave him a fleece to dry off a bit, fed him, and then popped him back out with a rug just until tomorrow morning. He's usually nekkid, but the rain-and-wind combo is sometimes just a bit much...


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## Moggy in Manolos (1 October 2010)

brighteyes said:



			Not because it was ill, just at some point got cold?  What did you do?
		
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Yes twice, once was about 3 years ago in the summer, I dried her off and chucked on a lightweight rug and gave her some hay to warm her through. Minutes later she felt better
The other time was much earlier this year, again I did the same, towel dried and rugged and fed


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## GeorgieLee (1 October 2010)

my welshie yearling has a LW on (he lives out) he seems fine, bearing in mind the rain hasnt stopped for 2 days! my NF yearling looked cold today as he got his headcollar off and I cant catch him, plus he ran a mile when I put my D's rug on as he has never seen one before!! I want them in stables
Am in cirencester if anyone knows of anywhere?!!


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## Berpisc (1 October 2010)

Yes when the temperature changes quickly.
In summer tend to leave them but keep an eye on them.  This time of year, a braethable lightweight rug is good, especially if you are supposed to be at work and cant bring them in for some hay etc.
It is the change of temp, and the individual horses requirements that dictate how I deal with things.  
The great advantage of modern rugs is that they are breathable so if they go on a wet horse the body heat of the horse is helpful to dry them off and moisture isnt trapped beneath the rug to keep he horse damp which would be worse than being left to shiver


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## Cedars (1 October 2010)

Its the rain that is the final straw for my (normally nakey) little one. All that hair is great for the wind but when it soaks through she just gets uncontrollably cold.

Threw a fleece over her for a while to take the water off her, then took it off and left her nakey but in her box. xxxx


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## pottamus (1 October 2010)

Only the once and I learnt my lesson! I brought him in and gave him a haynet and he started to warm up and steam off. Today has been horrendous so I put a light weight weatherbeeta on him and I was very pleased to see that it had kept him dry all day even though he has been out in none stop rain since 7.30am!


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## SmartieBean09 (1 October 2010)

Yes!  Mine is a complete wimp when it comes to rain.  In fact she was all tucked up and shivering when I got down today.  I always (and did today) bring her in for a few hours to dry off with a feed, some hay and a bucket of Graze on and Sugar beet to pick at.  I then chuck whatever suitable weight rug she needs on her and put her back out.

If it is fairly warm and the wimp is still shivering because of a shower or rain, then I usually give her a bucket feed and chuck hay in the field.  She usually stops shivering once she tucks into a good feed.


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## Ozzie (1 October 2010)

On occasion, have a wussy ISH and a delicate TB!


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## brighteyes (1 October 2010)

I have found mine shivering  on a few occasions and pop two fleeces on if they are wet, towel off their necks and hang a towel off over the tail.  I give them haylage or a small warm feed and sometimes walk them around as soon as I have them rugged up to get the muscles warm.  I'm glad I'm not the only one whose horses don't have a dash around to warm themselves up!


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## Meowy Catkin (2 October 2010)

I towel dry and then pop a bucas smartex rain on. Fantastic rug. 

http://www.bucas.com/smartex_turnout.php


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## _HP_ (2 October 2010)

Yep...
Benji (tb) shivers in the rain but always more when he see's me.
I have snuck up on him in the pouring rain before and found him slightly shivery and when he see's me he starts shivering so much that his legs bounce off the floor. He has a feed and stops....


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## brighteyes (2 October 2010)

Sorry _HP_ but the image that conjures up is very funny!


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