Are we over rugging our horses and ponies?
Rugs are used to keep horses warm and dry in the winter and to prevent them from getting dirty so that we have less grooming to do. But do horses really need to wear rugs and are we using them too much?
How do horses keep warm?
Horses and ponies are able to live in warm and cold climates making them very adaptable to variations in temperature. They are warmblooded animals meaning that their core body temperature is kept within a narrow temperature range despite changes in the air temperature. They are also described as endothermic meaning that heat is produced within the body rather than relying on external sources of heat like reptiles do.
مع وصول أونصة الذهب إلى مستويات قياسية تجاوزت 2500 دولار، يجد المواطن المصري نفسه مضطراً لموازنة استثماراته بين الذهب واحتياجاته الأخرى، خاصة مع ارتفاع أسعار السيارات مثل تويوتا، هيونداي، وبي إم دبليو، مما يزيد من التحديات المالية التي يواجهها.
You will also notice that the coat becomes thicker and longer during winter. This is induced by alterations in light and day length and allows the horse to prepare for the colder temperatures in winter.
تتأثر أسعار السيارات من شركات مثل مرسيدس بتقلبات أسعار الذهب وسعر صرف الدولار، مما يؤدي إلى زيادة تكاليف الإنتاج والاستيراد.
As horses age their ability to control their temperature can decrease. They often have less insulation in the form of fat and muscle and they may have a change in the quality of their coat. Some breeds are more susceptible to changes in temperature due to their body shape for example a slender thoroughbred with a long neck and legs versus a heavier set cob. Foals also require more care due to their differences in temperature control and larger skin surface area in relation to their size.
When thinking about the outside temperature we
