I thought the exact same thing when I saw the photos! Why aren't these horses clipped? Clipping allows the horse to dry much faster, especially in cold weather, and also allows the better use of rugs, etc, in order to balance heat loss at vet checks. We have some pretty cold rides here, too, and I haven't experienced the cramping problems that seem to have happened at the NM ride.
We don't use rump rugs much though.... as the horse comes into the vet check the tack is removed and a warm rug is immediately placed on the horse prior to determining any pulse. Once the pulse is verified, the rug can be moved backwards to only cover the rump if it is neccessary to cool the horse down any.
BTW.... well done to Valerie!!
Best regards
Jay Randle SPLENDACREST ENDURANCE TRAINING www.freewebs.com/splendacrest
