Which rug for ethical weightloss?

Although temperatures have only just started to dip into single figures, there is certainly a bite in the air!

Have you reached for the rugs yet?

Winter weight loss is a focus for most of us at this time of year, but we need to make sure we are aware of how to create weight loss 𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆.

We have many tools at our disposal, so let me tell you why "shivering the weight off" is 𝗻𝗼𝘁 the best option.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿?

Shivering is a vital way of maintaining core body temperature, with one study suggesting that metabolic rate (the energy used in a period of time) increases by 70% in severely cold horses. This is probably the cause of shivering being deemed as a weight loss “technique”.

Shivering involves involuntary, frequent muscle contractions and its purpose is to produce heat.

Shivering occurs when the surrounding temperature drops 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄 the body’s lower critical temperature (LCT).  The LCT is not a fixed value for all horses, 𝗶𝘁 𝘃𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹𝘀. One study group showed the LCT to be a mild 5°C, whilst another study suggested that the LCT was a very chilly 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘀 𝟭𝟱°𝗖 🧊.

This is why it may be appropriate to rug your horse 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 to your neighbour’s horse.

Some of the key factors which dictate where your horse's lower critical temperature sits are:

👴Age

🐖Body Condition

🦄Breed

💪Physiological Status (are they in good health)

😎Acclimatisation

🐑Coat Quality

🌱Forage availability

Shivering is a 𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹 response to cold temperatures and can increase heat production by a factor of 5 in just a few seconds - a pretty nifty mechanism! 🌡️

𝗦𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹?🤷🏻‍♀️

Actively encouraging or facilitating shivering can put the body under a fair amount of strain, particularly when looking at those with PSSM where it can cause considerable cramping and discomfort. 😖

If you wish to exercise your horse, muscle function, performance and demeanour could be affected if your horse is unduly cold.

Within a single day, horses which are exercised, stabled or travelled are exposed to a number of different demands for thermoregulation (the process to maintain a steady internal body temperature). We may resort to clipping and rugging to aid thermoregulation, particularly during exercise. 🏇

Horses in the wild horses would acclimatise to the decreasing temperatures through continuous exposure to the outdoors through the seasons, and the growth of a thicker winter coat (in most breeds) would aid thermoregulation.🐑

A horse with a high ratio of body fat will be less likely to feel the cold. In humans, obese people cool slower than lean people due to the insulation provided by their body fat, but there are a number of other factors we need to consider when managing horses. Adapting a horse’s coat to counteract the insulation provided by the fat can prove successful in many circumstances but requires careful consideration. 🤔

𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘀 - 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹?

Regardless of workload, if your horse is overweight you may look at using clipping to kick-start their winter weight loss journey. I am somewhat an advocate for this technique depending on the individual, but 𝗻𝗼𝘁 to the point of repeated shivering.

𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗿𝗲, 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁, 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.

In my opinion, clipping and/or under rugging to the point of shivering is 𝘂𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹, particularly if the horse has no means to freely relieve themselves of the cold or if forage is restricted.

𝗦𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝗿𝘂𝗴 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲? 🐖

If a combination of your management and the environment would result them continually shivering, then 𝗮𝗯𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘆𝗲𝘀, but if there is no risk of them feeling excessively cold and they have adequate shelter and forage, 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗴 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻.

Be mindful about the weight of the rug too. Rugs add to the natural insulation of a horse, and a recent study showed that even a no-fill rug helped with insulation – so keep that in mind. 

Rugging, like feeding, is a pressure owners can feel from their neighbours. It is very important that we consider our horses as individuals and not bend to outside pressure, 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿-𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗮 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲.

Remember - weight loss is both 𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹 and 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 for 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 healthy horses over the winter, but we needn’t make our horses shiver to reach those goals. Treat your horse as an individual and act accordingly if you notice them shivering.