THERE is an ongoing discussion in the horse community about whether to rug horses or not and if you do rug, whether we are over-rugging our horses. My horses are all rugged and kept out 24/7 in the mild but very wet winters in Ireland, both for practicality and because I don’t like to think my horses are getting cold. But are they?

Equitation Science describes the temperature ranges in horse versus humans, “like humans, horses have a ‘thermoneutral zone’ (TNZ) – an optimal range of temperatures within which they can comfortably maintain their own body temperature.