I often see horses rugged 24 hrs a day in winter rugs basically wearing winter rugs from.
Over rugging horses australia.
Horses actually handle the cold better than heat and a common misconception amongst horse owners is that horses needs to be rugged at night as soon as it is getting a bit cooler at nights.
If this is an issue for you confine your horse to shade through the day in hot weather with access to hay and turn them out at night.
Horses are mammals and they maintain their internal body temperature at around 38 c through a well developed mechanism known as thermoregulation which has developed through evolution so that the body temperature is maintained within a narrow range.
This is especially important for horses that have white skin over areas such as the nostrils and therefore get sunburned easily.
Overheating in rugs has got to be terribly unbearable for horses.
Over rugging can also affect the appetite causing a horse to eat less as well as the body s ability to control its metabolism.
A basic guide to rugging horses.
This is a temperature range at which the body can maintain normal body temperature without expending too much energy.
Rugging over heating and other considerations.
Rugs and stabling prevent sunlight from reaching the skin which is necessary for the generation of vitamin d.
The owner may think the horse is losing weight because it is feeling the cold and so they put another rug on making the situation worse.
With the arrival of winter your horse may appreciate an extra layer of insulation to keep them warm in cold temperatures wind and rain.
Just like us every horse is an individual so changing your horse s rugs.
However if not monitored carefully over and under rugging your horse can have consequences for their health and wellbeing.
So some horses will lose weight when they are too hot all the time.
Horses have a very different thermoneutral zone tnz to humans.
Horse owners have different opinions when it comes to rugging your horse correctly for temperature rain humidity sun and protection from insects.
Are you over rugging your horse this winter.
All too often are horses over rugged as their owner is feeling a bit nippy.
If horses have access to shade they will utilise it in the heat of the day.
First the science bit.
Sweating causes the skin to become hyper hydrated the effect you get when you stay in the bath too long and more prone to damage and infection.
As detailed in pony club australia s revised syllabus of instruction c certificate manual every living creature has a tnz.
Risks of rugging or over rugging rubbing especially if causing the horse to sweat.
