Rubs on Withers/Turnout Blanket

[AskMyAccountant.17]

A new horse just came in, and two days ago I noticed rubs at the top of his withers. He’s a big Irish horse, measuring 17.2 almost 17.3, but not extremely wide. My 81" blankets fit through the shoulders and from front to back. His blankets are also taken off/changed every day. But,he has very high-sharkfin whithers.

He’s been here about a month and I’m trying to figure out if the rubs are from some skin-crud from possibly wetness/rain or actual rubs from his blankets. I’ve just never had a horse with skin crud in this area. I’ve treated the area which over-night came back dry/clean as well as put on a high-neck/medium rather than the attached-neck turnout I’d had on before.

Has anyone used a bib like the below?
https://www.lemieuxproducts.com/us/collections/colour/black/anti-rub-bib-black-xx-large?gclid=Cj0KCQiAtICdBhCLARIsALUBFcGVcALFDaDnoCMRLSpmMlF2sj1CqV45M-dl8eHRTZC2ffN6scZYT4waAopHEALw_wcB#selection.size=6721

Kentucky Horsewear Horse Bib Wither Protection Sheepskin

https://www.farmvet.com/WitherShield?location=&quantity=1&tack-and-equipment-attribute=3

[AskMyAccountant.17]

[Amy3996]

I’ve not used one of those blanket bibs, but I’ve seen one improvised with an old standing bandage quilt placed underneath the blanket at the wither and folded back. Might be something easy/inexpensive to try.

If the high neck/ Wug style doesn’t work, I’ve had great luck with the Schneider’s VTek blankets for my shark fin TB. They adjust with Velcro at the neckline to relieve pressure on the withers.

[DiamondJubilee]

I know a friend of mine swears by the Rambo Optimo for her high headed horses. She says they are the only ones that don’t rub or cause soreness at the withers and shoulders (she is a saddle fitter, equine rehabber - complete with equisizer at the farm, massage therapist as well so really knows her stuff!).

[lenapesadie]

I have a high withered sensitive TB that has scars on his withers. He likes the WeatherBeeta blankets that have the memory foam pads at the wither area the best.

[2DogsFarm]

What @Amberley said!
Many, many years ago, friend’s TB developed a fistulous wither.
Ended up having to treat with the karaya gel pad used for ostomies. But that’s a pricy cure.

[Real_Rush]

My old horse Rush had shark fin withers, and it was hard to find a blanket that didn’t rub. This was back in the 90s, before the advent of high neck blankets, etc. I used a shoulder guard like the one below, and it prevented both wither and shoulder rubs.

https://www.smartpakequine.com/pt/smartpak-shoulder-rub-guard-24440

[Pico_Banana]

This is exactly why I like the Wug style. Takes the pressure off that exact area. If you feel like you need a full neck cover, I find that throwing a sheet with neck cover over the Wug blanket doesn’t seem to cause any issues.

I do have a very old Weatherbeeta Freestyle with the wither padding that was also really nice for this. But have since switched to Wugs so I don’t know how the current ones are.

[Go_Fish]

Sometimes these sorts of rubs across the withers is caused by blankets that are either too big, or too long in the shoulder. Put the blanket on the horse and grab some fabric at about the middle of the shoulder and make a dart with a top and bottom of the blanket binding. Then look at the top of the horse’s brisket where the neck meets the chest. A proper fitting blanket should not gap and should fit snuggly at the top of the chest. Mark where the blanket needs to have the darts added, and take it somewhere that has a machine strong enough to sew the darts. While you are there, have the blanket repair person add some sheepskin to pad the wither part of the blanket.

This may not solve your problem - but over the years I’ve found that blankets are designed to fit an average horse. Like people clothes, horse blankets can be altered to fit.

[lenapesadie]

That’s very interesting. My high wither horse cannot abide wugs. Neither the WeatherBeeta style or the Horseware styles are comfortable for him.

[cayuse]

I have a pony prone to rubs and I am using the wither shield with good results so far. I wouldn’t use it on an open area, like others have said you want to remove all pressure from the area so it can heal. But as a preventative for rubs, it’s great. I’ve also sewn pads onto his lighter weight blankets, one on each side of his withers to raise the blanket up off his back and this has helped too. I really like the pad, though. One of my better buys lately.

[AskMyAccountant.17]

Thanks everyone. As painful as returning 5 blankets will be, I’ve started the process and have an 84 coming in this week.

From the image above I washed with a betadine soap, then applied some Equiderma Skin lotion which did clean up the infection/dried up the sore over-night. Now, it’s just bare.

I have him naked in his stall during day, and at night put on the one high-neck 81 which I hadn’t used with a pillow wrap . He’s a very big, odd-shaped horse, if I could have a blanket tailor come alter his blankets I’d do it in a heartbeat. I’m having trouble following @Go_Fish your directions.

[walktrot]

I’ve been using Horze Avalanche blankets for 4-5 years and really like them. The quality and workmanship are excellent. I switched because my gelding’ was on pasture board. The problem was finding something that would keep his shoulders dry. He is built narrow in front, and his shoulders were always soaked because the neck openings are so huge. Avalanche has a double set of T-clips to adjust the front. That keeps him dry.

They are high neck blankets. What makes them different is the triangular gusset set into the front edge. That extra piece of fabric keeps the blanket off the withers, not resting on them. They have very deep shoulder gussets. I also have their medium with a hood. It is adjustable where the neck hits the body. They have very deep shoulder gussets and a humongous tail flap . It was easy to figure out what to adjust.

I’ve gotten several of them with big markdowns. They have a rain sheet, fleece-lined rain sheet, medium and large. with and without neck hoods.