debbie
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RugsHeavy weight rugs in August - mad - at least its not neck covers yet 
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Seabird
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Who's got heavyweight rugs on then?
That's reminded me I've got to replace mine. They'd all done a few years and this time were beyond repair at the end of winter so I dumped them.
So who's selling cheap rugs at the moment??
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kaz
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Ours aren't rugged at all yet but we can bring them into the stables if the rain is persistant.
Doodle gets most of her rugs ( ) from Premier Equine, she likes the quality and sometimes manages to get them reduced from the sale pages.
She also recommends Equine Clearance 
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debbie
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mine are out at the moment and yes, have had heavy weight on for the last few nights. Light weight tonight though but for how long I don't know.
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conundrum
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When I was in Emgland, I put rugs on mine. However, most people here do not, the horses stay out, and are well fed, and no rugs...they do have shelter, usually field shelters. Obviously there are some, especially tb's etc, in and rugged.
We spent last winter in Manitoba and my sons quarter horses spent the winter, which did not vary much between -20 - -35 degrees for 4 months,outside, they had a run in barn with a deep bed down, and good hay and two good hard feeds a day...they were toasty, even if in the morning, you could scrape frost off them. In all my animal activities, I like to be as natural as possible, whilst of course giving them the best life possible.
So. question, do you feel we over do it in the UK?
My answer to that question is in most cases yes, I have seen things like welsh and highland, rugged up...imo unessessary.
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kaz
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I would love to have an open barn that they could be 'stabled' loose in or use as a field shelter.
Our shaggy Bella is never rugged and the other two don't get clipped now so they don't need as heavy a rug. However, we haven't got much natural shelter around the fields and can't have a field shelter because Bella would wreck it within days  They are bought into the stables when it is persistent rain because
a) they demand it 
b) I feel guilty listening to the rain
and c) it helps to prevent the fields from getting poached/muddy.
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Seabird
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Mine, although anglo arab , is unridden and unclipped, so although she lives out I try not to use a rug until absolutely necessary.
During the winter months I keep the yard gate open, and the stable door open with a bed down so she and/or the ponies can go in and out as they please. They very rarely choose to go in the stable, preferring to choose a suitable hedge to shelter from the wind, although they'll stay on the yard if it's muddy in the field.
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debbie
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we have an open fronted field shelter for most of the time but during the coldest/wetest/snowy weather they are stabled. Georgie is a Irish draft x thoroughbred and a grade A show jumper, she doesn't believe in growing a winter coat and gets cold and tucked up easily so rugging isthe only way to go.
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tilly
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equestian clearence have a rug sale on. i rug my Shire as she is old but also it means i can ride her without trying to scrap mud off!!
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