01/11/2019

Compare the physical features of an Arab – adapted to avoid over-heating in a desert – with Shetland ponies or Icelandics. Generally, if a pony has frost on their back they are very well insulated and perfectly warm enough!

Rug choice can depend on the social-scene! Group-housed horses use their field mates to shelter from wind and social bonds are easier if the horse can feel another’s touch. Alternatively, rugs can help protect from ‘horse-play’ or bullying companions.

Of course you don’t want your grey covered in mud for a 5am start on the day of a show, but try to let them be horses otherwise. Horses roll in mud to cool down, reduce irritation, and to get rid of flies. So that expensive new turnout is trashed because it is uncomfortable and smells strange – not to spite you! Instead, muddy, unclipped horses can be brushed or washed only in areas that will be under tack. An average winter coat will protect the skin from residual minerals during exercise, and then a cooler-rug will avoid chills. Don’t forget: over-use of a body-brush strips the coat of natural oil and water-resistance.

Winter is the perfect time for horses to lose weight, as grass stops growing and horses spend more energy keeping warm. Native breeds have adapted to a 20% seasonal body weight fluctuation. Body fat laid down in summer also insulates against the winter cold. The internal heat generated from forage is even more important for thin horses, and vegetable oils added as it is the most energy-dense form of calories. There is now sufficient evidence to recommend a ‘forage and oil’ diet over a high-starch diet - even for horses in intensive work [3].

We are unable to replicate a natural environmental in domestication. Yet, horses can live longer with our care – but it takes a little thought. A young, obese, native cob can shiver without a rug for an hour or two before the winter sunrise. He will warm up quickly and be healthier for the weight loss by spring. Yet, an old, thin, thoroughbred with arthritis would benefit from a rug. Every horse is an individual, but two consistent rules for keeping every horse and pony warm are: feed forage and provide shelter.