Blanket Hoods Rubbing Manes

[BadTB]

Argh… please tell me there’s a magical way to stop the blanket hood from rubbing my horses mane out that I haven’t been able to find by googling.

My Andalusian’s beautiful long mane has been destroyed by his hood(s). He’s in horseware blankets, all of which fit well and are kept clean. I know this isn’t a me problem… all the horses in the barn that are in hoods are missing large chunks of their manes in the same pattern.

Unfortunately this guy refuses to use a shelter, so I’d really love to find a solution to the rubbing vs just removing the hood and having the rain get under the blanket and soak his (and the blankets) chest area.

[Bonnie2]

You could try a bigger hood, ie a 78” hood with a 75” blanket. Always worth having enough blankets/hoods so you can wash them regularly. IME the detachable hoods rub less than the one piece hooded blankets. You could also try a high neck blanket instead of a hood. They seem better on the mane but tend to rub the shoulders of my big chested guys. Good luck!

[2DogsFarm]

Or…
You could forgo the hood completely.
Hoods - IMHO - do more for the owner than the horse.
That mane you want will survive Winter hoodless.
I rarely blanket at all (Midwest w/Polar Vortex temps) & never does the lack of a hood mean my horses get wet under the blanket & never their chest/brisket area.
They’re out 24/7, by their choice. They have free access to stalls & rarely stay in.
It rained all night here, & all 3 came in from pasture this morning. There was a single pile in one stall, so they were out in the weather most, if not all night.
FWIW:
My TWH goes through Winter roached, mini keeps his Trolldoll mane (below his shoulder).
Neither ever tests cold when not blanketed.

[Shagyas_Rock]

I don’t know the answer to the mane rubbing problem…I have the same problem with neck covers rubbing manes. But without a neck cover in rain or snow, the precip trickles down their necks and soaks their shoulders. Their backs remain dry but the shoulders are sopping. So I started using neck covers…and now the horses stay dry.

[ala359]

Following!

I have to blanket my mare heavily due to PSSM2/MIM/MFM and have tried everything to no avail. The “bossy bib”, Wug/high neck cuts, removable hood, attached hood. I should add I have all Horseware blankets except one Premier Equine as I find they usually fit best but now wondering if another may work better or be lighter in that area?

[walktrot]

When areas of a horse’s body are rubbed by parts of blankets, it is often an indication that the blanket is not correctly designed and cut to follow the contours of the horse’s body. Think about your own clothes. If you put your underwear on backwards you can feel it rubbing in the wrong places. Put a shirt on backwards and it hangs weird.

Picture the horse’s spine. His neck is at an angle to his body so he can hold his head up to look around, or down to graze. Fold the blanket and hood along the topline and place them on the floor. Many “high neck” blankets rub the withers because the extended portion sits on them. There is no extra fabric to follow the contours. If the topline is straight all the way to the tail, it doesn’t have easements that allow it to follow the horse’s body shape.

My Paint gelding was heavily TB with prominent withers and a narrow chest and shoulder area. The neck opening on almost everything was much too large and his shoulders were wet. The blankets that fit him best are the Avalanche line from Horze. I never hooded him until his last couple of years in his late 20s. These blankets are fully adjustable in front, including the atttached hood. The barn we were at had unlimited blanket changes, so once I got everything set up it didn’t make any difference who did blankets. All they had to do was buckle two pairs of T-buckles on the chest, the belly straps, and the leg straps.

He required a very high level of pampering and had an extensive wardrobe to keep him comfortable and stylish in Maine weather, which gets pretty cold in the winter. I had to put him down last year, but I recently passed all 7 sheets and blankets to a longtime young friend with a lovely snowflake Appy mare, also with narrow shoulders. 1 plain rain sheet, 2 fleece lined rain sheets, 2 mediums, 1 hooded medium, and his HW parka. I had them professionally cared for every year including repairs. They are well made and a good investment. I’m glad I could pass them along to a friend who happens to be at the same barn. Pampered horses are comfortable and content…