Back on Track sheet- can a horse just live in it?

[Alittledownhill]

Horse gets very tight shoulder/neck muscles. He gets massage, chiro, and a trainer who works a lot with him on this. I do lots of carrot stretches etc. It’s been a lot better recently, but I’m worried it will regress in winter.

I want to try the Back on Track Sheet and see if it helps. Horse is in at night and out all day. My barn does blanket changes based on temperature, but does not take off turnout sheets/change blankets every night. We’re in a cold state so Horse often wears his mid weight liner and a Waterproof sheet for long stretches.

BOT claims the sheet works best “overnight.”
Can I just leave the thing on? Will he melt during the day?

I ride 5-6 days a week in the middle of the day, so the other option is one day on/one day off. Does anyone do that?

Or, alternatively, convince me it’s just snake oil.

Or describe how it’s magical powers change lives but only if used for exactly 10 hours per day, and maybe I’ll just give a barn employee some extra cash to change it at turnout.

[walkinthewalk]

The BOT products are made to generate heat — I would not leave the sheet on continually.

[PrincessPonies]

My horse goes much better in winter when I use BoT. It really does work. Normally I put it on at night and then take it off in the morning. I have left it on for up to 72 hours when we were in the middle of a snowstorm. I wouldn’t do it regularly. If it’s the shoulder that you are working on you can always try just using the shoulder guard. Also depending on your schedule you can always just have it on before you ride. I have polo wraps that I put on as soon as I brush her legs and then I finish grooming and take my time tacking up. Normally I’m on about 30 minutes after I put them on. I do notice the difference when I ride in the polos vs. when I don’t so even with a little time it does help.

[kiwichick]

I think the BOT stuff recommends 12hrs at a time.
Im like you OP where I cant arrange that, so I do day about (but im using the wraps only)

[Pembroke]

I haven’t used BOT, but I have a Rambo Ionic sheet. My mare does live in it, weather permitting, and it’s no problem. Horseware actually recommends leaving it on for longer times so it can work its magic. Maybe try that, instead of the BOT sheet? I’m not sure if there is much of a price difference.

[AGR]

Once it gets cold enough, my horse will live in his mesh sheet. It comes off when I ride, but otherwise he wears it all day and night. I’ve never had any issues with it, and he seems to like it. I also like that its esssentially a liner for my waterproof blankets - so I can wash it weekly during the winter to help keep the dirt and grime buildup in the blanket down.

[SugarCubes]

@AGR

Once it gets cold enough, my horse will live in his mesh sheet. It comes off when I ride, but otherwise he wears it all day and night. I’ve never had any issues with it, and he seems to like it. I also like that its esssentially a liner for my waterproof blankets - so I can wash it weekly during the winter to help keep the dirt and grime buildup in the blanket down.

Same. Although, I have to put jammies underneath the BOT or it’ll rub his shoulders raw if I keep it on him.

[mht]

I have a close to 30 year old mare that wears hers 24/7, under her winter blanket. Helps to keep that old body warm, and less achy during our winter’s.

[mpsbarnmanager]

I have the mesh sheet, and it is a game changer. When I put in on depends on when I ride, but usually It’s on overnight, and left on until my mid morning ride, off, back on at night. They recommend 3 weeks on one week off so the horse isn’t getting too dependent on it.

[Encourage]

I leave mine in their BOT sheets 24/7 in the winter, but spend the fall working up to wearing it that long.

[Nestor]

I also use mine 24/7 in the colder months. I just take the heat it generates into account when dressing my horse. I’ve found it equals about a 200g blanket, so he’s always wearing a bit less than the other horses. I do use a shoulder guard because it rubs the front of his shoulders. But the difference it makes in keeping his back loose is amazing. I’ve done this for probably the last 4-5 winters?

[Princess_Sparkles]

I have the mesh sheet and I DO NOT have a super hard to fit horse and it fits like absolute garbage. I was pretty disappointed, for the price they should fit better. I have the BOT hock boots and absolutely love them so I was pretty disappointed in the sheet. The shoulders in the BOT sheets are SO narrow. I do not have a huge horse, she wears a 78 in everything and she does not have broad shoulders and in her 78 BOT sheet I have to have the front buckles on the first hole or its too constricting. I only use it overnight on occasions where she has worked hard, is going to work hard, or has just had a massage.

So really, really make sure it fits if you are going to have your horse wear it outside when they are moving around. Kudos to anyone whose horse it actually fits, they must be narrow as a board fence. If I had my horse in it all the time she would be bald on her shoulders in a couple of days, and that’s WITH a shoulder guard.

[x-halt-salute]

Like @Princess Sparkles I have BoT mesh sheet fit issues with my horse. It’s not a matter of shape but of the sheet creeping back. If I leave her in it full time it pulls on her withers and makes really nasty sores. Shoulder guard doesn’t help.

Has anyone tried reinforcing the spine with non-stretchy webbing to see if that diminishes the sheet’s inclination to inch back and pull in bad ways? I wonder if it’s softness and give are part of the problem? I never have the creeping back problem with coolers that have webbing down the spine, though they are also stretchy and textured. Even when I’ve used them as essentially blanket liners…

My advice to OP would be to keep an eye out for any signs of abrasion if using BoT sheet round the clock – it can go from rubbed to raw very quickly.

[WNT]

The barn I worked at for many years essentially used the BoT mesh sheet as a liner from October until April. The horses never seemed to complain, and we generally were able to keep them in a lighter weight turnout as the BoT is nice and toasty.

[RedHorses]

@x-halt-salute

Like @Princess Sparkles I have BoT mesh sheet fit issues with my horse. It’s not a matter of shape but of the sheet creeping back. If I leave her in it full time it pulls on her withers and makes really nasty sores. Shoulder guard doesn’t help.

Mine does the creeping back thing too. It pulls so tight that if I leave it on more than two days his shoulders get sore. I was aware of the creep/stretch issue when I bought it and got one size down (mesh sheet) 75" instead of 78" so it’s not rubbing his withers. I try to do 24-36 hours and then a day off if he needs to wear it for a while. I’d use it more if I could.

I purchased a Summer sheet for my other horse but the tailoring/fit was so horrible he’s never worn it. I have it partially taken apart to fix that (removed the neck darts) but haven’t put it back together yet so I don’t know how it will work.

[Alittledownhill]

@Pembroke

I haven’t used BOT, but I have a Rambo Ionic sheet. My mare does live in it, weather permitting, and it’s no problem. Horseware actually recommends leaving it on for longer times so it can work its magic. Maybe try that, instead of the BOT sheet? I’m not sure if there is much of a price difference.

Having heard all the fit issues other posters mentioned, I’m thinking the BOT mesh sheet will probably not work well on Horse’s gigantic mutant halter horse shoulders. Have you seen improvements with the Rambo Ionic? His other blankets are Rambo and they fit well.

[Pembroke]

@Alittledownhill

Having heard all the fit issues other posters mentioned, I’m thinking the BOT mesh sheet will probably not work well on Horse’s gigantic mutant halter horse shoulders. Have you seen improvements with the Rambo Ionic? His other blankets are Rambo and they fit well.

I ADORE the Rambo (well Horseware in general) rugs. I have both the 200g rug and the 0g Ionic sheet. My mare is quite muscled and has big shoulders, and I haven’t had any trouble with them rubbing wise. IIRC, the shoulders are silky fabric, so they don’t rub the hair. They are also quite roomy in the shoulders and I don’t think I have ever seen a rug that stays on as well as the Horseware ones do. Ionic isn’t any different. Plus, it looks really stylish :winkgrin:

I just wish they would make them in another color, too, as I’d like to buy one for my gelding also :lol:

But if his other Rambo blankets fit him well, I’d say Ionic should, too. The Ionic does fit a little bit smaller than other Rambos, IMO, though, so you might want to order a size up.

[seriously1]

I bought the BOT rainsheet - my horse wears that under his winter blanket 24/7. It made a big difference in how he felt. I would also email BOT directly and ask them what you could do. (that is what I did - because my impression was the sheet wasn’t the best choice for 24/7). They were quick to respond.