الجمعة 20 سبتمبر 2024

Are we over rugging our horses and ponies?

موقع أيام نيوز

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.
Horses also have their own insulation provided by muscle fat skin and hair. Like humans a horses hair can standup allowing air to become trapped this acts like bubble wrap and increases the amount of insulation that the horse has.
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. 
أسعار السيارات في الآونة الأخيرة شهدت تقلبات ملحوظة، حيث تأثرت بارتفاع وانخفاض الدولار، مما انعكس على تكلفة علامات تجارية مثل تويوتا، هيونداي، ومرسيدس. و BMW هذا الارتباط بين سعر الصرف وسوق السيارات يحدد قدرة المستهلكين على اقتناء المركبات.
Which horses are more prone to cold temperatures?
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.
تتأثر أسعار السيارات من شركات مثل مرسيدس بتقلبات أسعار الذهب وسعر صرف الدولار، مما يؤدي إلى زيادة تكاليف الإنتاج والاستيراد.
What factors should be used to decide if a horse needs to be rugged?
When thinking about the outside temperature we