How to keep mane from getting rubbed out by neck cover

[Sticky_Situation]

So it’s almost blanket time … I figured I’d see what advice I can get for keeping my horse’s mane in decent shape.

My guy got a full body clip for the first time a couple years ago, so I got him a neck cover to use with his blanket. That winter, it seemed like every day he was getting clumps of mane hair rubbed out by the neck cover, and by the spring his mane (which was previously neatly pulled and lay nicely on the right side) was pretty pathetic looking, all uneven with patches nearly missing, not to mention difficult to braid.

Last year, he was clipped early and then allowed to grow most of his hair back after that, and the winter was fairly mild, so I just blanketed him but didn’t use a neck cover and he did fine.

This year, I’m planning to take him south for a week or two at the end of the winter, so he will need to have a decent clip job later in the season, but he will be in the frozen tundra of PA for most of the winter so I’ll need to keep him warm. What is the best way to keep his mane, which finally looks good again, from getting destroyed?

He wears a turnout blanket 24/7 by necessity, which I realize is probably not ideal from a mane-protecting standpoint, but it’s really my only option. He has a small paddock adjoining his stall that he is free to go in and out of at will in all but the most extreme weather, when he gets closed into the stall, and then he’s turned out daily with a group in a bigger pasture. Also, while I am an Eventer the boarding barn is more trail/pleasure riding oriented and the owners don’t offer blanketing services, and while I am there daily and can swap the blanket for a heavier/lighter one if needed, I work and live 40 minutes away, so changing his blanket every morning and night is not possible.

What tips/tricks do you all have to stop the rubbing? Any styles/brands that rub less? His current blanket is a smartpak turnout with a separate neck cover that goes with it. I’ve also considered maybe doing a trace clip instead of a full clip so that he would maybe only need the neck cover on the few coldest days … But I also am hoping to start competing early in the spring. Thoughts?

Sorry so long, just wanted to give some background as to what may or may not work for my situation!

[WildandWickedWarmblo]

Did you buy a neck cover specifically made to fit your blanket? If not, do so. I’ve never had a neck rug rub when I bought it with the blanket. Horseware makes some good blankets with detachable neck rugs, and you can get filled and unfilled neck rugs.

[Sticky_Situation]

[QUOTE=WildandWickedWarmbloods;8861004]
Did you buy a neck cover specifically made to fit your blanket? If not, do so. I’ve never had a neck rug rub when I bought it with the blanket. Horseware makes some good blankets with detachable neck rugs, and you can get filled and unfilled neck rugs.[/QUOTE]

Mine are both from Smartpak, and they’re the same “style”, i.e., the neck cover is sold separately but supposedly meant to go with the blanket. It’s 1200 denier (I think it’s the “deluxe turnout”) but not a super expensive blanket … I’d be willing to pay a bit more for a turnout if it is likely to hold up well and not rub out his mane!

[GrayMare]

I’m a huge fan of the smartpak blankets, but I will say that I have also had issues with the smartpak neck covers rubbing out mane. In my case, I haven’t found it to be the neck cover itself, but the snap that attached the neck cover to the blanket was ripping out hair and ruined my mare’s mane. I would try and figure out what exactly is doing the ripping/rubbing and then make some custom modifications by either having your blanket repair person remove the snap and switch it to a velcro attachment or to switch the location of attachment to where it can’t rub.

Weirdly, I have not had this problem on every horse–just certain ones. Others seem to be able to wear the neck cover just fine with no loss of mane.

[Sticky_Situation]

[QUOTE=GrayMare;8861039]
I’m a huge fan of the smartpak blankets, but I will say that I have also had issues with the smartpak neck covers rubbing out mane. In my case, I haven’t found it to be the neck cover itself, but the snap that attached the neck cover to the blanket was ripping out hair and ruined my mare’s mane. I would try and figure out what exactly is doing the ripping/rubbing and then make some custom modifications by either having your blanket repair person remove the snap and switch it to a velcro attachment or to switch the location of attachment to where it can’t rub.

Weirdly, I have not had this problem on every horse–just certain ones. Others seem to be able to wear the neck cover just fine with no loss of mane.[/QUOTE]

Hmm, interesting … I’ll have to look at the snap placement on the neck cover and see if that’s the culprit! Otherwise I’ve been very happy with the blanket quality for the price, too … Maybe I could somehow modify or cover the snap if that’s the case.

[Curly_Feather]

I have a neck cover specifically for my fly sheet, it is attached. Also had a LOT of mane thinning. So I am detaching the neck part from the sheet this week.