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Neck Cover/Blanket Questions

Horse Care
#1

In my 40+ years of blanketing horses, I’ve never used neck covers/blankets. Couldn’t say why exactly, just haven’t ever owned/used one before. There are some decent blanket sales on right now, and I just got a coupon in the mail from Dover for a free quilted saddle pad with $75 order… any excuse to spend some money on my ponies. LOL

I’m thinking of my soon-to-be 28 yr old big guy and maybe a neck cover would help keep him nice and toasty. He lives outside (4 acres w/ 12X24 run-in shed), is in good health and decent weight. I upped my blanketing temp this year and that with a change in his diet, he seems to be holding his weight well this winter. But I worry about the old guy and want to do whatever I can to ensure his comfort and happiness.

We aren’t terribly “arctic” here in Middle Tennessee, but our winters do have their moments. So are neck covers a good addition to a nice turn-out rug (I use Rambo and Miller’s)? Easy to find one that fits? Waste of money? Effective or no? TIA

#2

I consider them critical for clipped horses, and totally optional for everyone else. One of my seniors with neck arthritis seemed more comfortable wearing one too.

4 Likes
#3

Blanketing in middle TN was so much more maddening than blanketing in MD. I’m on my second winter since moving to MD and I still can’t shake the fear that the temperature is going to plummet 20-30 degrees as soon as the sun goes down like it did in TN!

I upped my 33 y/o’s blanketing regime this year. He told me to slow my roll. :lol:

Your horse may or may not appreciate it.

Meanwhile, my 25 y/o who shivers on a breezy 55 degree day would probably love one. :rolleyes: I should dig those Dover coupons out of the trash!

3 Likes
#4

I live in E TN and have a cold sensitive horse who doesn’t grow much coat (I don’t clip her). I find the neck covers awesome for those icky rainy winter days–which we seem to have constantly this year. A lightweight sheet + neck works for temps in the 40s, a medium for temps in the high 20s-30s and a heavy for below that (which is rare).

I also like that I can strip the neck off the sheet/blanket when weather is less nasty (no rain).

So for an older horse, it may be a nice option to add to his wardrobe.

1 Like
#5

I’ve been using the neck cover on my Rambo Duo this year for my older guy who lives outside. I think they help retain more body heat. It’s also protected his mane too, which tends to get super dried out ends and need intensive care. I have a 100g hood and a no fill hood. I’m really digging them.

​​​​Stalled horse wears Wugs. They don’t protect the neck and mane the same but they do provide a gap free, cozy fit.
​​​

2 Likes
#6

@Texarkana, yes, nothing like a 30° swing in temps in a single day! My luck would be I’d buy the neck cover, he’d hate it and try to rub it off on a tree. Luckily (or not), his Clyde genes give him a thick, long, winter coat - so he’s got really good insulation and isn’t cold natured. It’s when it gets down below 25° or so that I worry he’s got got enough clothes on with just a blanket.

@TWH Girl that’s what I was considering - helping him retain more body heat at night, burning less calories, using less energy to keep warm. We’ve had a (fairly) mild winter so far (it’s was 66° on Tues) and his not dropping as much weight this winter may be partly due to the temps as well as upping his blanketing and changing his feed. But then we get weather like today - high of 36° (for all of an hour) and getting down to 20° tonight, I think maybe I should do more to keep him warm.

@piedmontfields - rain (nearly) every day seems to be the new normal here as well. My rain/mud boots are getting a real work-out this winter. I think TN set a record in 2018 - wettest year since they started keeping records? Or was it the second wettest? Something like 76 inches. Crazy. Well, at least we don’t have to worry about our well going dry.

#7

My horses aren’t clipped this year, so I’ve reserved neck rugs for wind/rain. It’s very damp where I live, so the cold is not a dry cold. Add the wind, and it can be downright miserable. Horses had neck rugs on last night for gale warnings, but I will pull them off today for sunny and less windy conditions. For the oldies, I kind of like them.

1 Like
#8

Mine wears one most of the time he has a blanket on. Exceptions are the early or late season days where he doesn’t have enough coat to be naked but it is overall pretty mild in temps. I only use ones with fill, as they aren’t out if it’s very wet unless that wet is snow and the ground is fairly frozen. Our mud is too slick.

He doesnt grow much coat coat and has neck arthritis. Sometimes the neck rug makes him itchy but no more than the rest of the blanket makes him itchy. Works for us.

Whether you can find ones that fit depends on what blankets you have. Some are not made for neck attachments, and each brand/model has its own system. I got mine a Rambo Duo on sale this year and was surprised the attachment was not the same as the other Rambos. I have an extra neck cover because I wash them a little more often to get the dandruf and stuff off and keep the mane in better shape. But I didn’t return the Dup because the Velcro is on the outside versus flaps that connect on the inside like where the liners attach. Sometimes this inner Velcro contributes to the itchiness. But in any event, you have to be careful on compatability.

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#9

Well, that was going to be my next question - do I have to get all new blankets? Because that would be a non-starter. My Rambo is 20 years old (It’s indestructible and I love the fit). I’m handy with sewing/fixing things, so maybe I could alter/add to my Rambo to attach the neck cover? I was thinking a mid-weight cover (one with fill), because I’d just be getting one weight.

#10

I LOVE my neck covers. I lived for 20+ years with fully clipped horses and never a neck cover in sight (back in the day when they weren’t the norm). So in no way do I think they’re “necessary” for clipped horses. But man, the amount of grooming time it saves me in the winter is well worth the extra cost!

I agree that not all blankets are made equal in regard to connections for neck covers. I basically play “pick up sticks” with my blankets. I own maybe 150 blankets and they all get used fairly randomly on different horses each year. I don’t think I have any matching neck covers and blankets, though every now and again I spot the matched pair on different horses…but rarely do I have the two horses out at the same time to make swapping easy.

These are my lessons from my haphazard and disorganized blanketing system. Most neck covers will work on most blankets. The main thing I watch for is 3 rings on the blanket versus 5 rings on the blankets (and the occasional blanket with only two rings on either side of the shoulder). I can usually fit any combination together unless the neck cover has weird wide pieces of velcro. If they don’t fit together easily, it’s pretty darn easy to get zip ties (or twine) and zip tie (or tie with twine) pretty much any neck cover to any ring configuration on a blanket. Sometimes that means poking holes in the neck covers for the zip ties, but in the rare case where I’ve done that, it’s held well and not caused any further damage to the neck cover. And yes, if you were handy with the whole sewing thing (which I am not), it would be relatively simple to sew connectors of one type or another on either the blanket (probably the easiest) or the neck cover.

1 Like
#11

I thought one of my horses would be indifferent, but he is not.

Granted, this is a horse that has some mild neck issues – but I have noticed he really likes his neck cover. He has always been fussy about his neck and face (which makes sense now given he has neck arthritis), but the way I think I can tell he prefers the neck cover is that he always visibly relaxes his shoulders after the neck cover is on, and lowers his head expectantly when it is time to put the cover on. Now, this horse doesn’t spare me that kind of favor for other things like halters or bridles, so I do think he likes the cover.

Since putting the neck-cover on, I have also noticed he is much less likely to use the shed in really inclement weather like snowing sideways or the weird rainy/snow mix.

One drawback is, I have noticed he is quicker to overheat with the neck cover on. So that is something to consider.

Meanwhile one of our other horses is indifferent, and the brother to the horse above appears to hate them since he disrobes his neck-cover whenever it is applied.

So, to answer your question, I do think they are effective and comfortable for the right horse.

2 Likes
#13

Which model do you have? Are there rings on the underside at the wither area? If so, how many?

#14

If your Rambo is that aged, I doubt that you have the rings alreday on it. However I know of a few blanket repairs businesses that put these additions on the older styles. All the feedback iv seen says its pretty simple, im sure you could get it figured out just fine!

#15

You know, I’ve looked several times and never found the model (just the size 7’ in UK sizing whatever that means). My guess is that the blanket tag came off a while ago. Not sure they had different models when it was made! :lol: Its navy with the red piping/surcingles/closure straps. I lost the matching red butt rope a long time ago. It does have d-rings to attach leg straps but not a neck cover.

#16

So I just got my no fill neck cover and wasn’t really sure when to use it. Should it be used only with the sheet for rain? Or could I use it if I had the Rambo sheet and a midweight liner on, and the no fill neck cover? If it’s in the mid to upper 30s I thought the medium weight on the body and no fill neck cover may be alright. This would be on a full turnout horse.

1 Like
#18

Attachments don’t have to match, but you do need something on the blanket to attach to. if you can sew, no problem.

I just got an Amigo neck cover on super sale, but my blankets are NOT expensive Horseware ones, they just have regular rings, not the weird HW velcro tabs. But I dug in to my extra pile of old leg strap clips, added some hay string, & we’re golden.

I have similar climate to you, OP, I use the neck covers just for really cold wet times (like recent winter storm) or nights this week, when temps have been 20F at night with a cold wind. older gelding gets the 100g, as I found that young OTTB from FL actually has 2x the coat & produces more heat, so the latter inherited the no-fill. I like the way the Dover brand fits better than the Amigo (sizes run, uh, LARGE, when I ordered by blanket size I got this…tent that appeared to be designed for a Percheron).

#19

I had my horses at one barn where the north wind came whipping up the river and howled across the pasture. Putting an uninsulated neck rug on my horse made him comfortably warm instead of cold. I now have a 100g blanket with a 150g neck rug that I toss over his 200g Wug when the north wind comes howling across the ridge where we board.

​​​​​​ I started using neck rugs on my younger horse because he seems to get cold more easily, and is a pill to ride if he’s been cold. I used the neck rug so that he would be warmer without having to wear a heavier blanket. He has an uninsulated neck rug and a 200g neck rug which can be combined with his various weights of blanket to keep him comfortable. He very rarely gets too warm - that’s him, not my mad blanketing skills! :wink: But it does make me more comfortable erring on the too much side. My other horse needs me to err on the too little side.

1 Like
#20

Where we live, we can usually count on several weeks of below-zero temps (they can get to 20 below, but more often, only down to maybe 10-12 below. However, windchills can be as brutal as thirty below or worse. And we get blizzards.
And freezing rain.
I use the neck covers when it gets below zero or the windchills are below zero - and also when it’s snowing really hard or raining. Neck covers prevent wetness from trickling down their necks and soaking their shoulders.
Also - I’ve found, as many have already said, that neck covers add some extra warmth. I have four horses and they all seem to like
their neck covers. Thoughtful blanketing has saved me a lot of $ on hay. . . since the don’t need to convert as much food into heating fuel, I can feed them normal amounts of hay when they are blanketed and they stay warm and in
good weight. They also have access to a sturdy and snug run-in barn, but when they’re wearing blankets and neck
covers, they use it a lot less which also saves me $ in shavings, and labor (less mucking out).

1 Like
#21

That’s the one I just got - unless your horse has an actual Percheron neck, order a size down. Mine wears an 81" blanket but I could have put 3 of his necks in the L & still had room left over. I’m content with the M & it still has plenty of length .

#22

@wildlifer that’s exactly why I’m wondering if I shouldn’t get a Large… my horses’ neck is more Clyde instead of Percheron. Its shorter than a full TB but deeper into his chest, but not overly thick/fat at the crest. I wish they gave measurements - like 36" long crest, 26" poll, 38" at wither or something like that. That would make it easier to see if it would fit correctly.

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