Rider International Blankets and the HUG closures

[CrittersMom]

Does anyone have any experience with the Rider International blankets with the HUG closure.

My guy has had RAMBO/RHINO blankets in the past, but he’s strained the front Velcro closures enough to break the stitching. I’m thinking of replacing the blankets and switching to another brand. Personally, I don’t like the blankets with the thin straps and buckles as they rub, but I noticed that the Rider International blankets have the thicker straps with surcingle closure or the HUG closure.

Any suggestions or feedback?

[Ponyclubrocks]

Don’t know how your horses are built but I bought The rider international last year (both types of closures) and they did not fit my broad chested horses. The best fitting blankets that did not pull in the chest area turned out to be the Schneider’s that are specifically designed for the quarter horse type bodies. Their website details the different models they have for the different body types. Good luck to you.

[Sueby]

Didn’t fit my guy either.

[Kestrel]

My elderly gelding has a very prominent breast bone, so he gets rubs with most blankets. I tried a Hug blanket on him last year, and it worked well enough for him that I just ordered a full set of turnouts for him at his new retirement home. Sometimes the kids would put the blanket on in some strange way, but after putting it on a time or two it wasn’t confusing.

[Calvincrowe]

I like them very much-- my narrow TB fits his quite well, as did my big moving (think Totilas without the Hackney upward movement) warmblood mare who got rubbed in every other blanket I put on her. Not the greatest quality in the world, but really does relieve the shoulder rubbing issue for many horses.

[lecoeurtriste]

I use Hug-style closure blankets exclusively (fly and turnout) and have been very happy (6 years now). I have a 16.3 percheron cross, a 15.2 friesian cross, a 16.2 OTTB, and a 16.3 CSH all wearing them right now and no one has rubs or any other sign of mis-fit. My only complaint is that the neck covers seem to lose waterproofing faster than other brands.

[CrittersMom]

Thank you, everyone, for all your input and advice. Today I went to Dover and looked at the blankets and I don’t think they are going to work for my guy. I’m going to check apps at the barn too see if anyone has anything I can try on him - though at a size 84 it might be a bit hit or miss

[pattnic]

I know you’ve already said you don’t think they’ll work for your guy, but I’ll add this: the HUG closure worked fairly well for my mare with huge shoulders, but the whole thing shifted badly to the side. Also, there is no neck cover available, so un-bonus.

I feel that the Dover Northwind line fits a bit wider through the shoulders than Rambo. I don’t know whether they still carry the line, but the Dover Rider’s International Warmblood might be of interest to you. It does not have shoulder gussets… but neither does Rambo.

The huge-shouldered mare referenced above gets rubs from everything else I’ve put in her in except Weatherbeeta Freestyle and her Turtleneck sheet (Turtleneck flysheet rubs). I’ve not yet tried Big D, Bucas, or the Dover RI Warmblood on her.

[Crown_Royal]

Here’s my input for if anyone searches old threads for info on Hug blankets: it was the first blanket I bought for my firstThoroughbred six years ago and it stayed beautiful for five seasons and never rubbed him. He is very active and is on 24/7 turnout with at least two other fieldmates. He isn’t very narrow, pretty bulky for a TB, but still…not built like a QH or anything. I was very happy with it and am sure I would still be using if if I hadn’t bought a very oral, very playful three year old that destroyed half of my blankets one winter lol

[lecoeurtriste]

[QUOTE=pattnic;7165253]
Also, there is no neck cover available, so un-bonus.[/QUOTE]

I have neck covers for all my Hug/Rider’s International blankets, both lightweight sheets and heavy winter rugs. They are made for them specifically, with large pieces of double velcro that attach at the neck of the blanket and then velcro at the underside of the horse’s neck. Although these are two years old, now.

[TheJenners]

What about Weatherbeeta? DH uses them on his tank-like QH mare (15.2, prob 1200/1300 lbs) with only a little bit of rubbing. And I think that’s mostly because she has it on for months at a time.

[pattnic]

Where did you find them? When I was looking 2 years ago, Dover told me they did not carry them, would not carry them, and had not carried them. If I could find neck covers, I would consider the HUG blankets for my mare despite the shifting problem I’ve had in the past (which may have been a function of single belly strap vs crossed belly strap).

I know the Abrazo line of HUGs had them, but I don’t know if you can find those any longer… I wasn’t convinced those ones would hold up.

[lecoeurtriste]

[QUOTE=pattnic;7169559]
Where did you find them? When I was looking 2 years ago, Dover told me they did not carry them, would not carry them, and had not carried them. If I could find neck covers, I would consider the HUG blankets for my mare despite the shifting problem I’ve had in the past (which may have been a function of single belly strap vs crossed belly strap).

I know the Abrazo line of HUGs had them, but I don’t know if you can find those any longer… I wasn’t convinced those ones would hold up.[/QUOTE]

My blankets have double belly straps (the fly sheet has a single one), and I bought my original neck covers at Dover (the newest ones were purchased two winters ago)…but they didn’t stay waterproofed last winter :-(. I did an irish clip and went sans neck cover for the winter instead, and the ponies seemed fine.

As for the Abrazo line, I find most of their blankets to be lower quality than the Riders International ones (the fit is the same, though).

[PaintedHunter]

Schneider’s Big Fella line all the way.

[CrittersMom]

Has anyone had experience with Shire blankets? A lady at the barn was trying one on one of her horses last week and it looked really roomy.

[beeblebrox]

Blankets are like jeans. Every brand or style has a body type it likes. The hugs rubbed on a lot of our wide chested horses and were given away to other people in the barn for horses they did not rub on. I hate chest/shoulder rubs!