Why you should not use too many rugs

It’s extremely important to have the right amount of rugs on your horse. If you put too little weight on your horse, he gets cold, which could be dangerous. But did you know that putting too many rugs is more dangerous than too little? Continue reading if you want to know more about over-rugging your horse.

Horses sense the temperatures differently than us. When we feel cold, it is not always the case for horses. To check if your horse is cold, you could take a thermometer or feel inside the rug. Don’t use the ears as an indicator to check if your horse is cold. This is an old myth and has nothing to do with your horse’s body temperature. you will often notice your horse is just fine.

But what if your horse is too warm?

Horses can easily warm up. But cooling down, on the other hand, is a lot harder for them. Your horse will start breathing more heavily and sweating. If you put too many rugs on your horse, he will begin to sweat in the rug. Once the sweat dries because it gets colder, this will start rubbing against your horse’s skin. In the long term, Sweat can also cause skin irritations or even colics.

Over rugging can also cause other problems like obesity. As your horse does not need to use much energy to stay warm, he will burn much less food. This food then stays in the body, which leads to weight gain. Which then can cause laminitis.

If you are not sure which rug to put on your horse with the different temperatures, take a look at our rugging guide. This might help you pick the right rugs. But as every horse is different, also use your sense to choose the right weight.