The Stable Magazine - April 2016

WINTERRUGS
Does my horse need
all those rugs?
Maybe, maybe not!
Some of us might be guilty of what we call the ‘too many rugs’ crime.
While it IS true that you can never have too many horse rugs - (YES - you do need a
collection of different colours and styles) - it is also true that your horse does
not need to wear all of them at one time.
Every agistment has at least one. The owner who
will pile on rug after rug, particularly in the depths
of Winter where she might be feeling the cold. The
horse’s tolerance to the cold is much better than our
own - so even if you might be shaking in your boots,
your horse has much more in the way of natural
defense against the elements.
For starters, horses grow a thick winter coat often
long before the ‘real’ cold sets in. A horse’s winter
coat actually assists in trapping air between the
hairs, providing him an insulated layer against the
cold. Providing your horse is in good health, and
maintaining a good body condition score, he is quite
able to withstand temperatures much lower than
conditions we experience in an Australian winter.
Senior horses, foals and horses not in good health are
more susceptible to the cold and may require some
assistance in maintaining body temperature. Similarly,
if you remove your horse’s defense system against
the elements by clipping him, he will also need some
assistance in the form of rugs to keep him warm.
Top Tip!
Rather than piling rug after rug on your horse,
invest in a few really good quality rugs for a
purpose. One or two high quality rugs purchased
for a specific weather condition will be much
better than four layers of polar fleece rugs, three
cottons and a canvas on top!
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