I live in Michigan with pretty intense winters. I have always just blanketed without a neck cover b/c I didn’t want to rub my horses’ manes (I have ranch horses/reiners with long manes). It’s time to buy new blankets and was just curious what other people with long manes would suggest. Does the neck cover help or hinder? And if you do like neck covers, which do you prefer? Detachable, one piece, or just high neck?
I have ALL Rambo’s. the ones with detachable neck covers are great. Sometimes I leave them off if not too cold or windy.
My horses love the covers on especially windy nights. No problems with their long manes.
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I have had several Rambos and Amigos with the detachable neck covers and never had a problem with the mane getting rubbed out when using the covers. In fact, I think there was more likely to be some mane breakage when using the blanket without the cover.
I agree, I think the neck covers don’t hurt the mane much at all, except right at the withers where the blanket may do some damage with or without the neck cover.
I will say, some of the high neck ones don’t lay as well, depending on the shoulder build of the horse, and my lease mare has some mane breakage where her high neck meets her mane, which is also further up her neck than it would be if it was a regular blanket.
I think the detachables are nice, and add versatility to the blankets, my girl is a bit wimpy when it comes to cold, and the neck cover does keep her cozier in the same weight blanket than without a neck cover
I use Rambo Wugs(high neck), a Rambo or Amigo with detachable neck, and a Rambo with attached neck on my PRE with a long mane. I keep his mane braided, and maybe that helps. I’ve never had any rubbing issues.
I’ve used them for decades with no problems. Worth it.
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I use neck rugs on every blanket and don’t have issues with his mane with the exception of one small patch near his withers, and it only happens in March/April when he starts shedding (my theory is his hair is more fragile then?)
They’re all detachable, but I rarely take the neck off of his turnout sheet and I never take it off of his turnout blankets.
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Long mane isn’t a thing for me, but I’ve found that the high neck blankets just fit my little Appy mare’s conformation better and do a good job of keeping rain/snow from dripping down her neck. YMMV.
Most of ours wear blankets with detachable neck covers. We have a mix of Schniders and Rambos. My moms two reiners have Schniders with the show coat lining in them. No issue with manes. My mare (pulled mane) loses about 50% of her main by the end of winter so I have resorted to only having the neck on her when its wet out. We have a pony that gets a really sore neck if she wears her neck cover for more than 24 hours. It seems to help if the neck cover is a little bigger around, so when their head is down, the neck cover isnt sitting on their neck.
Dont get mid neck. It WILL rub a spot in the mane.
Most of the mane rubs I’ve encountered have been from the high neck style blankets. I use Rambos/Amigos with neck covers and have never had a problem.
I think it depends a bit on the horse. My arabian mare had a brittle and thin mane: neck covers were fine until they got a little gunky after a few weeks wear, and then the mane hairs would start to break off. My thicker maned lesson horse never has this problem. Meanwhile I have obnoxious geldings who think taking the detachable neck off a blanket is the BEST GAME EVER, so I use a high neck on them and I haven’t had any issues with manes being rubbed (Canadian Horsewear). A client lost a lot of her horse’s mane using the Weatherbeeta blanket that has a fleecy liner in the neck…I would only go with something sleek/smooth.
Another yes vote for neck covers (and hoods) from a Reiner…I use neck covers, a few hoods and also slinkies on mine, mixing it up purely because…that’s what I have at the moment 😂 but I like them all. I have a stud whose mane is very fragile and fluffy and wild looking but with a neck cover or slinky on it lays perfectly flat, stays detangled and I have never lost any mane!
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I love my Rambos with detachable neck covers…they actually protect the mane IME. Agree it’s gets silky and is all shiny. Mostly, I use them on my guy who was field boarded the past few years for extra protection and warmth. I moved barns in spring and they only have stall board now, so I am not sure how much I will use them this winter. But they are great to have on hand for wind, sleet, and bitter cold when they still get turned out.
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I like detachable neck covers too… . I use them when we have either wet/snowy weather, as they prevent moisture from dripping down their necks and soaking their shoulders - and also in really cold, windy conditions.
I’ve never actually tried a high-neck - to me it just seems to make more sense to protect the whole neck… .
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I have both high neck (Rhino Wug style), and detachable full neck blankets of various brands, and I like to rotate them throughout blanketing season. Even the most well-fitted blankets have some degree of pressure points, and I’ve found that changing them up is really helpful both to keep the mane more intact and for overall comfort.
Just in terms of mane preservation, I find highnecks the best, they seem better about distributing any pressure/friction on the mane. Regular neck blankets I find tend to rub out a portion of the mane at least a little bit just in front of the withers.
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I just completed the switch-over to all high neck blankets because they’re easier than dealing with neck covers, provide more coverage than regular blankets, and reduce the chances of having concentrated pressure over the withers, which some people say can damage the nuchal ligament. I have a mixture of SmartPak and Schneider’s. I really like the Schneiders due to the shoulder gussets being large and providing lots of shoulder room. The Shires StormBreaker that SmartPak sells also looks like it has nice big shoulder gussets. Planning on getting those for my 3 year old once she decides on her adult size.
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My gelding with long, thick hair gets a neck cover when temps are in single digits but that’s it. My horses are outside most of the time, and in cold weather moving along with eating helps generate heat. My Arab has a thinner coat in general so she’ll get one in single digits and sometimes into the teens depending on the wind. I play it by ear and keep an eye on their warmth.
I’m in northern Ohio
I added a neck cover to my gelding’s blanket last year. Besides keeping him a little warmer, it had two added benefits
- His mane, which is usually on both sides of his neck, stayed on one side
- His neck stayed clean. He’s a white/grey, with all the poop and pee stains that come with that color.
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I bought mid-neck cover blankets for my gelding, because he spends a lot of time in turnout and our weather is variable. I liked the concept, but it wrecked his mane – half of it broke off and I ended up roaching his mane because braiding it for dressage became impossible. Made show prep easier and stress-free but wish now I’d gone with a detachable neck for his turnouts. The other problem is, he’s a WARMblood and gets qwuite uncomfortable if overdressed – I thought the half-necks were a good compromise at the time.
I’ve created a wardrobe of Horze Avalanche blankets that I really love. My gelding is narrow in front and most of what I’ve tried over the years was too roomy so his shoulders and chest were getting soaked. These are very adjustable and have a high neck that solved the problems. Everything else went to the area refuge barn.
What turned out to be the best feature is a triangular gusset that rides over the withers so there is no rubbing. He is on pasture board and 25 y.o. so I am blanketing him more than I used to. He has a raincoat, a medium-weight parka, and a regular heavy-weight snowsuit. Last winter I added his medium weight blizzard coveralls with neck cover, an end-of -season bargain for $115. They don’t spend that much time in the run-in shed, preferring a wooded patch that is mostly pine trees.
