When to rug

I always find it difficult to decide when to rug Dee for the winter.  She is a cob so she gets a good thick winter coat, but she is also a senior horse so she needs a bit of comfort.  I do not like to rug her too early, else she doesn’t get a full winter coat – and they are in rugs for so long.  However rugging her too late can mean she loses condition unnecessarily.  I did eventually rug her last week but not in a full winter-weight rug - just a padded cotton under-rug and a waterproof sheet.  I’ve also started feeding her conditioning cubes instead of cool mix.

The rain over last weekend was extreme and the wind really strong, so I felt to happy to think of her tucked up in her rugs.  I think she has got to know the van because today she was walking up to the gate by the time I had parked and got into my overall and wellies.

I forgot to take pictures of Dee today, but thought you might enjoy seeing these little ponies.  They are rescue ponies and one has a gammy leg.  The are not much bigger than a large dog and just as friendly.  They do not mix with the main herd and so did not realise it is not a good idea to try and pinch a bit of Dee’s feed!  Red was in so he also enjoyed fuss and treats today.

The sun was shining beautifully in the distance while I was at Briwnant – I don’t think the photos quite capture how beautiful the light was illuminating the green of the fields.