If you apply a night
Never rug a wet horse for the night – the rug will absorb the moisture and hold it close to the horse's body for many hours to come, chilling as the temperature drops. For a variety of reasons, many performance horses are on rationed hay or haylage.
unshaved horses have a very thick undercoat and they usually don't get wet down to the skin. Most rugs are breathable now so it's fine. I've done it before and they're fine - sometimes I put a fleece on underneath though depending on just how wet they are. No not clipped.
Depending on how wet your horse is, it may take him an hour or more to dry off completely after a ride. I often go back to work after a midday ride, leaving my horse's cooler on until I get home in the evening.
To dry your horse quickly, rub him briskly with a dry towel. Leave the wet hair standing up, rather than slicking it down, to encourage quick drying. If you have a cooler, use it. The cooler will help wick away moisture and prevent your horse from getting chilled.
Blanketing a wet horse will increase the chances of developing rain rot, but it's better to deal with [potential] rain rot later than to deal with a colicky horse that got too cold.
Never turn a wet horse out to pasture: when you hose off a hot horse after exercise, the water actually acts as an insulator, trapping heat in the horse's body.
In cold and wet weather a good quality and well-fitting rug can help the horse to maintain condition, as a cold, wet horse will burn a lot of energy keeping warm. Keep in mind though that if your horse is young and healthy but tends to get fat, rugs will actually help him or her to maintain that fat.
Drying off
The clean and rinsed horse should be thoroughly dried, ideally in the sunshine. You can also rub them dry with a towel, walk them around or stand them under heat lamps if you have them.
Coleman said horses' hair coats can effectively protecting them from cold temperatures, but they stand up less to wind and wet conditions. “If a horse's coat gets wet in rain or snow, it can dramatically chill them,” he said. “You may need to bring them inside a barn to dry and warm up.
While rain rot and scratches affect the horse's skin, heavy rain can also impact your horse's hooves. Thrush, hoof cracks, white line disease and hoof abscesses are a few hoof conditions that become prominent in times of wet weather. To reduce occurrence, ensure that your horse can stand in a clean, dry environment.
For most horses, rugging in Summer is simply unnecessary. Even lightweight Summer rugs can prevent your horse from cooling themselves effectively. Horses rely on sweating to maintain a safe core body temperature. When a rug is used, air cannot pass over their body to evaporate the sweat and cool their body.
Most horses are very comfortable in brisk (but above freezing) temperatures as long as they are dry. If you've got precipitation such as rain, even a drizzle, or snow that could melt on their warm backs and they don't have any way to avoid getting wet, consider a blanket.
If the carpet or rug was wet for more than 48 hours, regardless of the source of the water, general EPA/FEMA/CDC guidelines recommend removal and replacement.
The majority of carpets should be dry if left for 24 hours if the temperature and air is right. If the carpet is wet for more than two days, it may develop mould, mildew, and bacteria, so it's best to do everything you can to speed up the drying process.
3. “The best rug dryer for a turnout rug that is wet but not soaked through is the horse that wears it! Just leave it on in the stable overnight and it will be dry in the morning and not hang round the yard damp for days.
Sprinkle a layer of hay or straw over the horse's back, and then apply the blanket. Straw is preferable to hay because its shafts are hollow and will hold air (and it's a lot cheaper!) but either one will work fine. Thatching creates air pockets over the horse's back, which will allow water to safely evaporate.
To cool an overheated horse, sponge it with cool water. Repeat this until the horse is cool. If near a water source, use a hose to spray the horse continuously with cool water.
A gentle or even a steady rainfall likely won't jeopardize a horse's health. A cold rainfall would probably call for at least a run-in shed. A chance for severe lightning or winds could be life-threatening.
In order to wick away moisture, a light cotton rug can be used underneath the rain sheet - this can help to prevent the horse becoming too 'sticky'. If it's still quite warm, most horses are better off getting a little wet than steaming up under a waterproof rug.
Can I wash my horse with Fairy Liquid? Fairy Liquid not only keeps hands that wash dishes feeling nice and soft - it's great for getting horses clean too! Just be aware that, as mentioned above, it may upset the pH balance in the coat. Many horses have sensitive skin.
Horses can sweat under their blankets, which creates a hothouse for all kinds of skin infections, Dr. Grandstedt says. She also says blankets tend not to dry so they don't keep the horse very warm when put back on.
When you put your hand under a rug on a horse standing still it should NEVER feel toasty warm. This is a misconception. It should feel more on the coolish side. The temperature you are used to feeling under the blanket is too hot for a healthy horse.
Some will immediately seek cover under trees or in afield shelter while others seem unmoved and continue grazing. But when rain is very heavy or accompanied by strong winds, most horses will try to find some protection — for example, by standing against a fence or a tree line.