Best Wug Sheet (Nuchal Ligament Dip)

[Lacej81]

Hi Everyone,

Couple questions. What’s your favorite Wug sheet? And do you think there’s any drawbacks versus using the traditional sheets? It needs to be tough or have a good warranty because I have a player. Preferably nothing that robs the bank.

Some back story. I’ve noticed in the last few months that my horse is getting a nuchal ligament dip in front of his withers. I recently had an epiphany that it’s probably due his winter sheet and potentially some sore-footedness. I never knew this was a thing until I researched it myself.

I can’t begin to list the similarities in issues I’ve been having with my boy in comparison to nuchal ligament dip problems. My trainer always says he has a wobble head or he looks very disconnected, but she’s been stumped and the vet didn’t seem to have too many concerns and she recommended using the Pessoa once a week. When I noticed the dip getting more significant, I couldn’t help but think these issues were related to some musculature/connective anomaly. Welp. Here we are. I’ve said for some time he also seems sore-footed when the footing isn’t ideal in our ring. He tends to hollow out and carry himself in a defensive carriage. He naturally wants to go well, and I feel like this has gotten worse gradually, hence the dip getting bigger, I guess. So, I’m not sure if the footing at my barn has contributed, his winter sheet, or most likely both. But I’m worried because I’m hear this can be hard to reverse

Any insight or experience with this and how you rectified it? He’s also put on some weight recently from muscular growth and his top line is really filling out other than the dip in front of his withers. He’s almost 7.

[Kyrabee]

Sorry, I haven’t tried a Wug style but my mare has the dip. She has pretty much always had it. I swear her withers kept growing until she was 8. She is an Andalusian/QH cross and it was the only place the 2 breeds didn’t mesh well.

She is easy to work ‘on the bit’ and it doesn’t seem to affect her performance. She can easily stretch and I have worked her long and low but it doesn’t seem to have any effect on her neck.
She is coming 23 so I am sure it isn’t going to change any for the better at this point in her life.
I usually just use a regular blanket. If she wasn’t white, I would probably not blanket her at all since we don’t have an indoor to ride in and work is so hit and miss this time of year. I do worry about wither pressure but I monitor her closely and so far, she isn’t showing any discomfort. I affectionately call her my dromedary (as in camel) .

Susan

[CanteringCarrot]

I’ve seen blankets make a slight indent, especially in obese or more fatty horses or those with Cushings. I can’t use Wugs because they’re all too tight on my horses neck which causes other issues. Some blankets made by Premier Equine, Weatherbeeta, and possibly Schneider’s have wither relief or padding options which could help with pressure at that front area.

Regardless, I think the blanket is low on the list. You’ve got to get the feet straightened out. That’s more significant, IMO. It also sounds like some posture work would be beneficial along with focusing on the thoracic sling, but that’s going to be an uphill battle if the feet aren’t sorted.

Is this horse hypermobile by any chance?

I like the Rambo Wugs. I don’t think there’s a drawback as long as they fit. In my horses case they put too much pressure on the top of his neck and withers because he just doesn’t have the build for them. They’re just too tight. They fit wonderfully on my other horse though.

Quite a few brands have high neck versions.

[GraceLikeRain]

The sheet would be way below sore feet to me. I’d get x rays and go from there.

I don’t think a sheet it going to actually change the structure of the neck. It’s just compressing the hair and showing what’s already there.

[Lacej81]

I should have mentioned I’m on top of the sore foot situation. We do only have one farrier at our barn, so I am trying to work with him on his feet. We’ve been really prone to throwing shoes because of weather changes and currently trying to weather that as well. Right now I also need to get a new sheet so was curious about the Wub, since I’ve heard they’re better at avoiding irritation to the wither area.

[Pico_Banana]

I really like the Wug cut for preventing pressure on this spot. I have Wugs from Rambo, Rhino, and Amigo. They all fit about the same, in my opinion. I like them on my 14.2 narrow/dainty senior QH mare, my 16.2 beefy Oldenburg mare, and my narrow 16.3 KWPN gelding. All very different body shapes/sizes.

[sascha]

Commiserations - my horse has pretty prominent withers and a very slight dip in front of her withers. Over the winter the dip gets disturbingly more pronounced. In the spring after just a couple of weeks of not wearing a blanket it fluffs back out to normal.

I have one Weatherbeeta that has the padding either side of the withers and it helps.

Changing blankets regularly helps - different sizes, different cuts, etc.

If your horse comes in at night to a warmish barn, go as light as possible indoors and have layers added for turnout.

As far as the wobbleheadedness, I’d want a pretty thorough vet workup to rule out anything neurological.

Foot discomfort/bad footing/hollowness - grab some boots and use them religiously. When the horse is comfortable (because boots/better foot condition/whatnot) make sure you are doing things to develop good habits in your horse - 10 minutes stretching down in walk before and after work, lots of loosening/balance shifting work within the work, etc.