For anyone who knows anything about TB's

Horseswillrule1

Horseswillrule1

New Member
Nov 8, 2004
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Australia
Hey guys!

I have owned eventers all my life, all being TB and one being a stock horse, I am currently looking for a new horse,which is also going to be a thoroughbred.

I was talking to some friends of mine where I agist and they said that thoroughbreds can't handle the cold in the Blue Mountains, (where i agist). Apparently they can't keep there wieght on and stop eating and blah blah blah. I had decided to ignore it but what if they are right.

The coldest it would get at night up there would be about 8 degrees celcius..and that's on a bad day.

So what do you think? Do you reckon a TB could hack it?

Peronally I do, but need opinions.

Cheers guys,

P.s Not allowed to rug on property...
 
There are some TBs that are hard keepers and it would be very hard for them to last, but others are easy keepers. I would just make sure you know what kind of "keeper"(hehe:D ) a horse is before you buy it.
 
Why would rugging not be allowed on the property? I can imagine that that could make a huge difference on whether a horse maintains his weight or not.

We don't have cold winters by international standards; we consider a night to have been terribly cold when it's dropped below 5 deg Celcius :) But our yard has a good 40 TBs and I've never heard anyone complaining they can't take that type of cold in winter. Can't imagine 8 degrees C would be a problem.

However, all our TBs are stabled at night (breezy wooden stables built for cool in summer rather than preserving heat in winter, though) and definitely rugged. I'm sure many would loose weight if unrugged in our breezy stables.
 
Not allowed to rug?? Then personally I wouldn't consider keeping a TB if I couldn't rug it. Yeah I now some TB's can manage but mine wouldn't. He does drop weight very quickly.

At the mo I have him in a mw and hw over the top (maybe a bit much but he's kept his weight really well). Having a balanced diet with lots of grass/hay will help too. But why no rugging??
 
stop eating?? NONSENSE :p
that's all my boy ever wants to do.. he's a TB x Hanoverian (really about 7/8 TB by looking back his parents records ;) )

he's kept his weight on well this year just with simple feed and hay "upping"
it's gone down to about -10 degrees before.

i have heard of people following the theory that not rugging they develope a thicker coat with TB's and i've not heard of it failing!
i do rug though, just because i like knowing he is warm and dry in his raincoat (and he looks oh so handsome in whatever he wears OO!)
he could SO be a catalogue rug model :D
 
I should say if your TB gets cold you should be able to spot it. I tried the no rug theory on Charlie during late summer and he was looking dreadful. He had tucked himself up lost a bit of weight and his coat was terrible. It went dark and stood on end. I should say this was at night when he was out and tempreture dropped beow 11 degrees. He does have a very thin coat though
 
Yeah I know, the whole not rugging thing is annoying me so much, apparently, one horse got caught in his rug while rolling in the lake, he was found the next morning almost drowned and the only reason he was alive was because the other horses were splashing water on him to keep him awake.'

So they have banned rugging, I think it is really stupid, I own 2 weatherbeetas, and 3 summer rugs.

I have always rugged my horses, but this is such a down side, but I guess the question still applies, I think it will be okay....but if it isn't it will be my fault for my horse freezing to death...
 
I was going to say its fine to keep a tb in those condtions but I was persuming you meant with a rug. Without a rug I personally wouldnt - most tbs i know would loose weight very easily with no rug. :confused:
Thats a tricky one, im not sure what to say.:(

I know its annoying but is there no where else you could keep the horse?
or like said before could you fence off the lake in cold weather or something just with an electric fence would do.

good luck :)
 
Mine's out 24/7 and seems to be doing fine. I did rug her (with a lightweight) for a few nights recently when we had a real cold snap (below freezing). But last night I didn't, because it was supposed to be warmer, and this morning there was frost on the roofs and cars. I felt guilty, but she was fine.

I think it really depends on the horse--what they're used to and how their metabolism is.
 
I don't have a t/bred myself, but i have seen heaps of horses un-rugged in the Blue Mountains in winter. I think as long as it's a good do-er it would be fine. If they are left to grow a propper winter coat, and are fed adequetly, i think if you got a t/bred it would be quite happy living there. :)

P.s... where abouts in the B.M's are you? I have a house at Leura (family holiday house) I love going there it's awesome, but a bit of a change from sunny Queensland! Been riding there a few times in the Megalong Valley. And seen horses up there around the place too.

Good luck with getting your new horse :)
 
I brought my two tb babies (4 and 5) in again this year. I soon turned the b****gers out again as they got so above themselves. They are now out 24/7, the filly isnt rugged and she is the finest of the two, the gelding is rugged but this is as he has a full hunter clip. They have a large round bale of hay in the field once a week and the gelding is fed a (very) little feed after he is ridden and the filly has a full feed as she is in foal. They are as fat as butter and look so happy even when it is wet. They are keen to come into the yard in the morning but as soon as work is done and they have been fed they are desperate to get out again. If they were cold or unhappy I would soon know (they would be camping on my kitchen doorstep) and it has been snowing on and off all day here. (I keep going out to check them feeling guilty but as soon as they realise I dont have any carrots for them they leg it!!)
 
Hey,

Thanks guys! I think it all depends on the horse so I will make that a priority when buying, but thank you all!

Originally posted by PePpAcOrN
P.s... where abouts in the B.M's are you? I have a house at Leura (family holiday house) I love going there it's awesome, but a bit of a change from sunny Queensland! Been riding there a few times in the Megalong Valley. And seen horses up there around the place too.
Click to expand...

I am at Mt Victoria, we should catch up sometime!:D

Originally posted by Laurenc
Is there anywhere else you can keep yuor horse? Or can't they fence the lake off?
Click to expand...

I am going to push for this to occur, becuase I think it is unfair if they can't handle the cold to push them out anyway. There is no where else, at the moment, I can keep my horse, but I will keep all posted.

Thanks all for the replies and insight.

Cheers, :D :D
 
Found this thread late, and I know that you bought a lovely stock horse.
But just wanted to say, that I've been to the Blue Mountains! Rode that freaky train thing too! :)
 
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