THE coat of an unrugged horse stands up in cold weather to trap air and warm the horse. If you decide to rug you have to compensate for this mechanism, as a rug will stop the hair from being able to do its job. In some circumstances a rugged horse is actually colder than an unrugged horse, especially if it is a badly fitting, thin rug that flattens the hair and reduces the movement of the horse without providing any real warmth.

AGE/BREED

Older horses may need extra warmth in cold, wet weather but healthy younger horses do not usually need to be rugged - especially if they have access to shelter (which all horses should have). However, some breeds of horse have a very fine skin and coat (such as thoroughbreds). This means that they feel the wet and cold more than tougher, hardier breeds of horse such as the Irish Draught or Connemara and will usually require extra warmth during cold, wet weather. There are always exceptions though, so each horse should be treated individually. Rugs should not be used as a substitute for shade and shelter.

WEIGHT

In cold, wet weather a good quality and well-fitting rug can help a horse to maintain condition. Keep in mind though that if your horse is young and healthy but tends to get fat rugs will actually help him or her to maintain that fat. In a natural situation excess body fat is burned off through the winter. A cold, wet horse will burn a lot of energy keeping warm and ultimately will lose condition.

HEALTH & SAFETY

Rugs need to be checked regularly (at least twice a day) to make sure that the straps have not broken and the rug slipped, which can cause injury to your horse. A rug should be removed regularly to make sure it is not rubbing or letting in water and to make sure the horse hasn’t lost weight or gained too much weight.

Rugs prevent horses from exfoliating their skin properly (by rolling and mutual grooming) so a rugged horse must be groomed thoroughly and frequently to get rid of the build up of dead skin and hair.

FIT

Rugs must fit well. You only have to think of how you feel when you are wearing an article of clothing that does not fit, rides up or is too tight. How quickly do you want to get it off? This is how a horse feels with an ill-fitting rug that it has to wear all day, every day. Outdoor rugs should be slightly roomier than indoor rugs. You should be able to run your hand from the chest, up and over the withers, without it feeling tight. The leg straps should cross through each other. That point should be roughly between the hocks and where the buttocks meet. Never use a tight surcingle (strap) to keep a rug in place; it does not work and the horse will be very uncomfortable.

Jane Myers, MSc.

Web: equiculture.com