Blanket rubs! HELP

[541hunter]

My horse has been getting some truly heinous rubs on his shoulder and forearm from his blanket. He wears a cotton sheet and a Big D stable blanket on top. The problem with the blankets I think stems from the fact that he’s really downhill, so they hang very low on his chest, and the top edge rubs his point of shoulder while the bottom gets his forearm when he bends down. From front to back the blankets fit great, but his front end is so strange that we haven’t found the right solution for that part of him.

So far, I’ve spent about a month using the Mega-Tek Rebuilder on the rubs every day, which worked last year for his rubs (which were much smaller and only on his shoulders, but he grew a big hairy coat this year and we ended up clipping him, which normally we don’t do). I’ve also been spraying Show Sheen on the area to give it a little slip, but nothing. They’re just these big ol bald spots. My trainer suggested hunting down a blanket liner/shoulder guard for him, but I haven’t found anything that goes down far enough for the rub on his leg (it starts about 3 inches down his forearm and is probably 5-6 inches long).

Does anyone have any thoughts for products/equipment/SOME solution for this? We’re gearing up for some big shows next month and I’d really like to fix it!

[Brutus614]

I am also dealing with rubs – I’m trying MTG with mixed success. Some rubs are much improved… one is worse. I’m also using Healthy Hair Care and Laser Sheen to try to help reduce friction.

Interested to hear others’ suggestions!

[Thoroughbred_in_Colo]

Definitely get a lycra shoulder guard for the rubs on his body. Those are the only thing that have prevented blanket rubs on my horses, despite spending $$$ on every blanket design known to horse kind.

As far as the rubs on his legs… maybe see if you can get a blanket that is not as deep or something with a good shoulder gusset so that the blanket stands off his leg a bit when he drops his head. The Big D’s (and a lot of other stable blankets) don’t usually come with a shoulder gusset since the purpose of the gusset is to allow free movement of the front legs, which isn’t an issue when the horse is just standing in a stall.

Something like the Pessoa stable blanket might be the answer:https://www.bonypony.com/product.cfm/741-pessoa-quilted-stable-blanket. Weatherbeeta makes one too http://www.chicksaddlery.com/page/CDS/PROD/BLANKET/WB6198

[sarcam02]

two words…Bossy’s bibs

http://www.bossysbibs.com/usaandcanada.html

[fatappy]

I bought a shoulder guard for my wide-chested mare.

I put it on under her blanket, she had the blanket on for 2-3 days and when I took it off, she had a CUT on her withers from the elastic band.

I know, shame on me for not checking, but… i did not expect anything like that.

Now she only wears the shoulder guard during the day, and it comes off at night. So, she still has shoulder rubs…

[DancingQueen]

Try babypowder on the rubs and showsheen on the inside of the blankets. You might also want to alter them slightly for a better fit, it’s not superhard to move the buckles a bit and if you do a small cutout where the blankets rub his legs it might help a bit.
It’s just really tough this time of year, their coats are almost dead just waiting for spring so the hair can fall out when it’s finally time for the summercoats.

[WildandWickedWarmblo]

Tightening the front of the blanket means less rubs. The lose fitting blanket in front causes most rubs.
So tighten your blankets at the chest.
Or buy the bossy bib and put it underneath the blanket.

[FineAlready]

[QUOTE=fatappy;7405808]
I bought a shoulder guard for my wide-chested mare.

I put it on under her blanket, she had the blanket on for 2-3 days and when I took it off, she had a CUT on her withers from the elastic band.

I know, shame on me for not checking, but… i did not expect anything like that.

Now she only wears the shoulder guard during the day, and it comes off at night. So, she still has shoulder rubs…[/QUOTE]

Don’t feel too bad. Same thing happened to my horse wearing one of those stupid things for just one night. Screw it - I’ll take the shoulder rubs over that. My horse does have a Baker sheet that has been custom lined with some kind of satin-like material, and that really helps reduce rubbing.

[541hunter]

Thanks for all the tips guys! I found a few lycra blanket liners that might do the trick for now, but I think for next year I’ll probably buy a new blanket with the shoulder gusset. The rub on his forearm is a lot worse than the one on his shoulder so hopefully that’ll help…he’s just such a goofy-built guy on the front end that it makes it really hard with the normal stable blankets!

Poor old man…one of the barn ladies said he needed hair plugs last night! :lol: But at least the area isn’t irritated and hurting, just ugly.

[Jumper_girl221]

My mare rubs on everything. Every flysheet, blanket, halter…heck she’s rubbed from her BRIDLE before (quality leather…well oiled).

Got her a Rambo wug vari layer this year. Only one teeny rub and that was from a stable blanket I layered with. She’s also, for the first time ever not gotten wither sore.

Highly recommend. I’ve never had much luck with cotton sheets…they seem to rub every horse k use them on.

[lcw579]

Bickmore Gall Salve for the rubs. It really does heal and protect rubbed areas.

http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=30e07dda-7b6a-11d5-a192-00b0d0204ae5&ccd=IGO043&gclid=CK-k7sLSqbwCFS7xOgodmmIAmg

[risky_business]

Another shout out for Bossy Bibs, they are the BEST.

Free floating nylon so no cuts or binding and rubs will be gone in 2 weeks!

Company is in Canada but so easy to deal with. It is the only horsey underware I use anymore.

[HorseKrazy]

These bossy bibs sound great! My new horse came with shoulder and wither rubs (the wither rub actually was an open wound). To regrow the hair I have been using a combo of coconut oil to hydrate the skin and Tricare ointment. On the wither I have only been using the Tricare until it is completely healed. I think a couple more days should be good. Thankfully the blanket I have him in now comes much farther up his neck and completely leaves his wither alone to heal. I’m not sure if his shoulders are getting better just yet-I took pictures to compare easily. I think I really like these bossy bibs! If I don’t see massive improvement I’m getting one!
http://i1173.photobucket.com/albums/r583/kimberlyftaylor/E72A8018-1729-473C-8A15-1F41013EBDFC_zps3astqrpa.jpg

[MIKES_MCS]

Hi neck blankets with long foward gussets

[Highflyer]

I would ditch the cotton sheet and go with something nylon lined. We had a racehorse layup come with an old Rambo cotton lined stable blanket once and he got the forearm rubs. I ended up swapping it with a spare turnout blanket that was nylon lined and it made a huge difference.

[CrittersMom]

I agree with highflyer … my guy has some rubs from his fleece back-on-track blanket. I’ve taken it off an replaces it with a nylon back Rambo blanket. I wouldn’t have thought it would make a difference, but it has.

[toomanyponies]

Buy any of the Horseware Products - they FIT.

[Appsolute]

I had a narrow horse and most blankets would fall low on his shoulder. I completely eliminated any blanket rubs by sewing a dart on each shoulder, that lifted the front of the blanket up, and made the neck hole smaller. PM me if you need a drawing of what I mean.

[GirlGeek]

[QUOTE=risky business;7410602]
Another shout out for Bossy Bibs, they are the BEST.

Free floating nylon so no cuts or binding and rubs will be gone in 2 weeks!

Company is in Canada but so easy to deal with. It is the only horsey underware I use anymore.[/QUOTE]

I second this answer - I’ve also found it to be a great product. Now if I could just get the BO to leave it on my horse!:sadsmile:

[peachy]

[QUOTE=toomanyponies;7411152]
Buy any of the Horseware Products - they FIT.[/QUOTE]

I’m going to cast what I think is the third vote in this thread for Horseware blankets, though I vote specifically for coughing up the extra funds for a Rambo. I’ve given up trying to buy anything else.

I use the Original style. The way the blanket sits in front of, rather than on, the wither seems to make the most difference for my horse (he has a very high wither). Any other style of blanket gives him wither and shoulder rubs.

I think the other key is to avoid layering if possible and just use one turnout style rug that is warm enough on its own.

It’s a big cash outlay, but the Rambo blankets LAST. I have had one going on 4 years and it’s still in great shape (my horse admittedly is not that hard on his blankets.)