People feel a bit cold in the early morning and late evening, but it’s much warmer in the middle of the day. However, time out of the stable and daily exercise is important for the horse’s mental and physical health. A 16hh horse needs at least 25 litres (6 gallons) of water per day, and some horses may need up to twice this amount. By monitoring your horse’s weight fortnightly through fat scoring and weighing (either on the weighbridge or using a weight tape) you can react to weight fluctuations quickly by adjusting your management accordingly. 220 Watling St Road Lancashire Laying down hardcore, wood chips or similar material in susceptible areas such as gateways and water access points can help a great deal. 01772 861300, Oakhill Veterinary Centre Complete tasks such as removing weeds, checking drains and ditches are clear of debris and carry out any necessary fencing or water supply maintenance. Ms Fordham advised owners to treat every horse as an individual and “not be pressured by what other people are doing”. As GS says, some people over do it, whether because they don't realise horses aren't humans, or are under peer pressure, or just buy all the new rugs in all the new fancy designs, and some people overdo it and end up with cold, skinny, sick horses. Please enter your email address below to receive a password reset link. There are times where rugging maybe necessary. If your horse or pony is overweight then clipping and rugging in a lightweight to keep it water proof could be the aid to weight control. Horses are extremely good at regulating their own body temperature and are perfectly happy when the environmental temperature is between 5°c and 25°c. Horses are extremely good at regulating their own temperature and are perfectly happy when the environmental temperature is between 5°c and 25°c. Forage should form the basis of any horse’s diet and this is because they have evolved to chew for up to 18 hours a day. Breeds that tend to have a thinner winter coat such as a Thoroughbred or Arab, underweight, fully clipped, old or ill horses are more likely to require a rug for additional warmth in bad weather. “A horse should gain weight during the summer and lose weight during the winter. Ms Fordham said over-rugging can have serious consequences. Ms Fordham said over-rugging can have serious consequences. I will admit I over rug my horse, but they never seem worse for wear, but it is a personal thing. Update your contact information & preferences. All too often are horses over-rugged as their owner is feeling a bit nippy. Lancashire A horse that can’t cool himself down sufficiently will potentially get heat stress. – Additional calories may be necessary if workload is increased or for horses that struggle to maintain weight. “People seem to be more and more keen on putting rugs on,” vet Tess Fordham told H&H. This range is 5-25 degrees celsius. CTRL + SPACE for auto-complete. Rotate water and forage sources periodically to help to reduce poaching around these areas. To be honest I've been getting rather sick of all the holier than thou rugging posts that have been appearing all over FB recently. Plenty of forage is also vital for a healthy digestive system which will help reduce the risk of colic and stomach (gastric) ulcers. The biggest issue can be chilly mornings and warmer days, the horse may then sweat under the thick rug that was put on in the morning as you whizzed off to work. For example, a 500kg horse fed 1.5% of its bodyweight would be fed 7.5kg of forage per day. Rotate grazing to avoid poaching or designate a field specifically for winter turnout, ideally well-draining fields and avoid over stocking. Dick Vet Equine highlighted the issue on Facebook after the practice saw an increasing number of horses being rugged unnecessarily this time of year. 01772 681992, Oakhill Veterinary Centre – Ideally, try not to rug your horse until late Autumn to allow natural seasonal variation of their coat to develop. Horses like humans have a temperature range with which they don't have to expend energy to lose or gain body heat. Small concentrate feeds will start to be broken down effectively by the stomach. Current recommendations are to feed around 2% of the horse’s current bodyweight in forage per day (24 hours). When horses do not follow this pattern, they are thought to then become more at risk of laminitis the following year and we are certainly seeing an increase in horses and ponies diagnosed with metabolic disorders such as EMS. Find out more about how you can reduce the risk of colic. Heavy weight (300-500g) plus liner and/or under blanket and hood. This can result in the horse putting on excess weight all year round, which is worrying as weight gain more than doubles the risk of laminitis. Kirkham (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); You have entered an incorrect email address! It is recommended to feed a low-calorie balancer or vitamin and mineral supplement daily to horses that are fed a forage only diet to ensure they’re getting exactly what they need. It is ideal to provide your horse with unlimited forage at ground level but this system may not be appropriate for all horses if they need their intake restricted, for example if they need to lose weight. Preparing your pasture for winter can be really beneficial. “I recommend people body condition score so they can have a good gauge of their horse’s condition.”, For more information on rugging, don’t miss next week’s Horse & Hound magazine, out Thursday 28 September, {"piano":{"sandbox":"false","aid":"u28R38WdMo","rid":"R7EKS5F","offerId":"OF3HQTHR122A","offerTemplateId":"OTQ347EHGCHM"}}, {"location":"Keystone Header","subscribeText":"Subscribe now","version":"1","menuWidgetTitle":"H&H Plus","myAccountLnk":"\/my-account","premiumLnk":"\/hhplus","menuLnks":{"2":{"text":"Plus Hub","href":"\/plus-hub"}},"colors":{"text":"#000","button":"#000","link":"#00643f"}}. Additional care (stabling, rugging, extra meals) is required for: – Clipped horses or Thoroughbred horses who have a light coat and are unable to grow a thick coat to protect themselves from bad weather conditions. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. “Obesity is a bigger equine welfare issue in this country than malnourishment.”, The multiple European and World Championship medallist “couldn’t. PR2 8AD Keeping horses heavily rugged means less energy is lost and fat deposits can develop, leading to weight gain and predisposing them to metabolic diseases, such as laminitis or Insulin Resistance.