Rugging Horses In Australia

In cold wet weather a good quality and well fitting rug can help the horse to maintain condition as a cold wet horse will burn a lot of energy keeping warm.

Rugging horses in australia.

Older horses young horses thin horses and clipped horses will need rugs first for most horses unless clipped and living out 24 7 rugs should not be considered before temperatures overnight begin dipping towards 5 10 c. Why do we rug our horses during the warmer months. Don t rug horses based on how cold you feel. Providing your horse with the best fit comfort and protection is vital to your peace of mind.

How you can help how would. Horses that suffer from queensland itch which is an allergic reaction to midge bites do need to be lightly rugged in summer to reduce insect bites. Rugs are primarily used to shield horses from varying weather conditions and climates. Rugging your horse in summer many horses are still rugged during the warmer months for a number of reasons.

Rugging in summer is difficult. The horse has a core inside body temperature of around 37 38 o c and horses are very efficient at maintaining this when the environmental ambient temperature is within a certain range known as the thermoneutral zone tnz. You want to protect your horse from insects and prevent sun bleaching but you also want to ensure your equine friend is cool and comfortable. Many owners feel their horse s skin to see if it is warm but this is not accurate and can lead to over rugging which can have negative effects on the horse s health.

The right blanket choice will help to regulate your horse s body temperature and maintain a healthy condition. I often see horses rugged 24 hrs a day in winter rugs basically wearing winter rugs from the start of winter through to the end of winter and rarely having those rugs removed. Negative 10 to 0 degrees 1200denier with 300gram polyfill rug with a quaity cotton or fleece rug underneath is recommended. The main parasites that horses can be afflicted by are ticks lice worms and bots.

Ideally start with lighter rugs and move to thicker rugs as it gets colder. Once bathed even in warm water a wicking rug should be applied until the horse is dried and then the horse can be rugged and checked a few times before a final rug choice is made. In part 1 we discussed the reasons why many owners. As a general rule if your horse is not clipped and in healthy shape the following temperatures may require rugging if your horse is stabled.

Overheating in rugs has got to be terribly unbearable for horses. Make sure you use a combo rug. Rspca south australia rspca tasmania rspca queensland and. There are 5 main types of rugs available.

One of the horses i saw in winter rugs during my ride on that warm winters day standing in the shade to try and cool down. Bathing a horse in inclement winter weather in cold water is not ideal and is an important consideration in a basic guide to rugging horses.