My two tb's are naked at the moment, but they will need to have their thin rugs on tonight, question is, they're probably now going to be wet and if so can I still put rugs on them?
Bring them in sweat scrap them off leave them to dry in stable and put rugs on and turn them out. Rugs are supposed to be breatheable but I would want mine dry or nearly dry before putting rugs on.
Easier said than done. They're up at Whitefield and didnt really want to have to bring them home to bring them in, then leave them for a while to dry, then chuck them out again. OH is away tonight and time is a bit more of a premium.
See your problem - not sure then, I haven't put rugs on very wet horse before so wouldn't want to say. How far is Whitefield from your house is it not the next field??
Probably a bit late to reply now but I would sweat scrape wet off and give them a good rub with a towel and then chuck a wicking fleece on under a lightweight, breathable turnout rug!! Good quality, breathable turnout rugs will be fine for putting on a slightly damp horse, especially as I am assuming the TBs dont really have particularly thick coats so shouldnt retain too much wet anyway
hi
if mine get wet before i get to the field i dry off with straw them thatch with more straw under rug.. seems to work ok. that what we did with working horses years ago.. my boy part TB so is rugged already, cause i dont want his weight to drop and i cant feed hay yet as the others are still fat lol
Echo others comments - I'd never rug a damp horse as can cause rainscald (warm wet breeding ground for fungal infection). I had to clip a veteran right out last Feb for someone as he had got rain scald and needed bathing all over in hibiscrub. It was pitiful to see him covered in scabby pustules. Thatching is the way to go, with hay or straw, under a breathable rug. And better still, keep an eye on the weather forecast and rug in advance - certainly todays deluge was forecast since Friday...
So have I, lots of times, and have just discovered from the above replies as to why he got rainscald whilst wearing a rug! Probably would have been better without it!
Well they survived the night with no ill effects! but, they did only have their rainsheets on (no lining) so probably quite breathable, saying that in future I will make every effort not to have to do that (put a rug on a wet horse) again.
I have similar dilemmas with Honey. She has never been rugged but I wanted to get something to throw on her in case of rain before a ride. Her owners found something for me to buy which is definitely waterproof but no idea if its breathable. Know nothing about which rug's which!
One day the kids wanted to ride so I brought her in and tried to dry off with towel. Put thin cotton rug on wth wads of hay underneath. I left her for 40ish mins but she was still soaking - all a waste of time! And she managed to eat some of the hay too!
