[harli36]

Is the advertising true? Does this type of closure really prevent shoulder rubs.

For whatever reason my mare is hard to fit a blanket to. If the blanket is long enough for her the neck is never shaped right for her and she ends up with shoulder rubs. So I would like to get a turnout blanket where I'm at least fairly sure it won't cause her rubs. I don't have a decent tack store anywhere near me and I can't stand having to order things and ship them back because they don't work.

Also in general how is the quality of the blanket. Is the waterproofing any good? Does it hold up well? Any thoughts in general are appreciated.

If you don't know what I'm talking about here you go....
Hug Turnout Horse Blanket - Dover Saddlery

[Heavenly Jumper]

Have you tried the spandex shoulder guards for her?

Fleece lined one-
eBay: Shoulder Protector (fleece) (item 180051542495 end time Nov-22-06 07:01:24 PST)

Just spandex-
eBay: EPONA Lycra Shoulder Guard - Lime Green - Medium (item 260053399198 end time Nov-22-06 08:37:25 PST)

[Xiphias]

I have never heard of that one, but the rambo that I have for my tb mare don't rub at all, nor does it shift, and no leg straps either....Cathy

[harli36]

I haven't used them on my horses. But I have on the horses I used to take care of. And to be perfectly honest I can't stand putting on horsey clothing. I'm wierd I guess it's just a pet peeve I guess. So the less I can put on a horse the better.

Plus I want the blanket to fit I don't want there to be significant gaps around her neck like there are with her current blanket. Because the gaps mean that she is getting wet and cold and the blanket isn't working as well as it could.

But thanks for the suggestion. I really hadn't even thought of that. But I need a new blanket anyways. I don't blanket often but all I have now is a turnout sheet. Since she doesn't have shelter in her pasture (as a temp basis and I do have a place I can put her in if the weather gets really bad and there is a heavily wooded area that works great as a wind and rain break in her pasture now) I want to get a turnout blanket for really nasty weather.

[harli36]

I tried a rambo that didn't fit either.

[Shotgun93]

I haven't seen a huge difference in the hug vs other blankets. The best suggestion I have is for the shoulder guard, I use them and they work well.

[Abberlaze]

haven't used them...but are you adjusting the blanket correctly? often people adjust it too loosely so that it slides back over the withers and gets 'stuck behind them' which then creates pressure on the shoulders. Also, is the bottom front strap on your blanket a hole looser than the top strap? the BO left my mare in her rain sheet for less than 24 hours with the two straps on the same hole and it rubbed all the hair off the points of her shoulders. This never happens so long as the bottom one is a hole looser than the top one.

[harli36]

The blanket is adjusted as tightly as it can. Having the lower buckle a hole looser or the top bucke a hole looser makes no difference in the fit.

My mare is a Morgan. As such she is more upheaded then your average tb wb types that the blankets are made to fit. She also has a deep shoulder for her size. The neck shape on this blanket just isn't shaped right. It's too low in the front and not high enough towards her withers and overall the neck is just too big.

[haunani]

What style Rambo did you try? I have the Wug (the high-necked one) for my Arab gelding (also more "upheaded") and have no problems with it on his shoulders.

[Trixiesue]

I have had very good luck with the Turtle Neck blankets. I tested two of them last year on some hard to fit horses and they held up great. I also found they did not rub the mane or the shoulders.
Stagecoach West
Stagecoach West