Are we over rugging our horses and ponies?
Rugs are used to keep horses warm and dry in the winter and to prevent them from getting dirty so that we have less grooming to do. But do horses really need to wear rugs and are we using them too much?
Table of contents
How do horses keep warm?Which horses are more prone to cold temperatures?What factors should be used to decide if a horse needs to be rugged?What are the consequences of over rugging?How else can I keep my horse warm?Summary
How do horses keep warm?
Horses and ponies are able to live in warm and cold climates making them very adaptable to variations in temperature. They are warmblooded animals meaning that their core body temperature is kept within a narrow temperature range despite changes in the air temperature. They are also described as endothermic meaning that heat is produced within the body rather than relying on external sources of heat like reptiles do.
You will also notice that the coat becomes thicker and longer during winter. This is induced by alterations in light and day length and allows the horse to prepare for the colder temperatures in winter.
Which horses are more prone to cold temperatures?
What factors should be used to decide if a horse needs to be rugged?
When the horse gets wet this increases the rate of cooling through evaporation a similar effect to sweating. Therefore if the horse is exposed to heavy rainfall it can become cold. In contrast to this snow can lay on top of a horses coat providing insulation without causing them to become wet. Therefore