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Despite the routine use of rugs, especially in the UK where spring and autumn bring relatively moderate weather, few studies have examined how horses behave with and without rugs in such conditions. A recent study by Frederick Daw and colleagues at the Royal Veterinary College, London, aimed to address this gap. The research, published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science, provides evidence that can help owners make more informed decisions about rug use to support equine welfare.
The study involved ten healthy horses, all accustomed to wearing rugs, from two different yards in southern England. Each horse was observed during 30-minute sessions, with and without a turnout rug, across several weeks. A total of 172 observation sessions were carried out, ensuring that each horse experienced both conditions in roughly equal measure.
Weather conditions during the study ranged from 1°C to 15°C, with wind speeds of 6 to 15 mph. Importantly, no signs of heat or cold stress were noted in any horse throughout the study period. The researchers analysed behavioural data using Generalised Estimating Equations (GEE), a statistical method that accounts for repeated measures on the same individuals.
The results showed a mix of both positive and negative effects associated with rugging:
· Reduced insect-related behaviour: Horses wearing rugs exhibited significantly less tail swishing and head shaking, behaviours commonly linked to fly or midge irritation. Midges (Culicoides spp.) were observed at both sites, particularly when temperatures were higher and winds lower - conditions known to favour insect activity. These findings suggest that turnout rugs may offer effective protection against insect harassment under mild weather conditions.
· Increased grazing at one site: At one of the two study locations, rugged horses spent more time grazing. This may reflect reduced fly irritation or increased comfort when wearing rugs.
However, the study also highlighted potential concerns:
· Reduced movement and grooming: Horses wearing rugs were observed to walk less and perform fewer self-grooming behaviours. Both activities are considered important for physical health and psychological well-being. Their reduction may indicate that the rugs, though protective, imposed some physical restriction or discomfort - possibly due to their weight or design.
· Site-specific differences: The effects of rugging varied significantly between the two locations, suggesting that environmental factors and management practices also influence how horses respond to being rugged. Therefore, caution is needed when generalising these findings to other settings.
Tail swishing was found to increase with temperature (by 1.33 swishes per 1°C) and decrease with windspeed (by 0.84 swishes per 1 mph). These results further support the conclusion that environmental conditions - particularly warmth and still air - are key drivers of insect-related behaviours in horses.
This study indicates that during mild weather conditions (above 5°C), lightweight turnout rugs may help reduce insect-related discomfort in horses. However, rug choice matters: heavier or poorly fitting rugs may inhibit natural behaviour, outweighing any protective benefits.
The researchers conclude:
“When weather conditions are relatively mild (above 5 °C), horse welfare may be improved more by the use of lightweight turnout rugs for fly protection rather than heavyweight rugs designed primarily for warmth.”
They also call for further studies to test this idea more directly — in particular, by assessing the impact of purpose-designed fly rugs under mild autumn conditions, as opposed to standard waterproof turnout rugs.
For more details, see:
Frederick Daw, Charlotte Burn, Yu-Mei Chang, Christine Nicol,
Effect of turnout rugs on the behaviour of horses under mild autumn conditions in the United Kingdom,
Applied Animal Behaviour Science, (2025) vol 288,106661
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