My horse gets bad wounds on his wither from rugs, *read fully*

Question

he gets bad rubs from his rugs

and they are all the right size for him

i have sewn wool, sheepskin and faux fur on the parts that rub but it doesnt help.

he is unrugged at the moment but it freezing right now as it is winter.

ive tried bibs but they dont stay in place

the wound is healing but what can i do about the rugs, he needs to be rugged for shows and work. so what are some tips or has anyone delt with this before?

he has a high wither, here is a picture

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k112/anneli_01/PIC_0722-1.jpg

Answer 1

Try a higher cut blanket, one that goes over the withers

Answer 2

I'm not really sure, cos my horse was never rugged :P

But I've read about anti-rub vests. The stretch varieties may stay in place better than bibs. There are also quilted and satin lined ones which should stay in place.

Hope this helps :P

Good Luck!

Answer 3

They make rugs that are cut higher on the neck like this one:

http://www.statelinetack.com/itemdy00.as...

Also lining the one you have with Satin fabric might help.  You might also be able to buy a soft polar fleece blanket liner that might help or you can maybe try a shoulder slinky like this one under your blanket: http://www.fancytack.com/shoulderguards....

There are lots of options...good luck.

Answer 4

I would cut a hole out where her withers sit lol... Then i would cry for ruining a perfectly fine rug ;) But if nothing else works, maybe that is an option to still keep her warm?

Answer 5

Try Satin. the other ones you mentioned cause too much friction. Satin is smoother.

Answer 6

we used to allways have that problem it is the weather beater rugs the make the horse sweat and they trap it under the rug try a normal canvess rug and a light rug for warmth after hes wither has cleared up youl find with those rugs they trap heat the canvess worms the horse up but doesnt trap the heat from the body like they do i hope this was a help for you

Answer 7

put a sholder gaurd under the rug. Or some type of sleazy that doesnt cover the face on until the wound heals then try a different type of rug like a rambo they have a  high neck cut on alot.

Answer 8

If the rug is rubbing his wither it may be sitting too far back on his shoulders, putting pressure on them.

My mare is exactly the same, huge boney wither, makes fitting anything very hard.

I dont know what kind of rugs you have for him now, but I know the Weatherbeetas have a higher cut at the wither, which makes the rug longer across the top at the front. If you havent used Weatherbeeta rugs on him, it might be worth a try, also the combo rugs with the neck rug attatched, as they have no seam where the neck rug attatches.

You should let the sores heal before you put anymore rugs on him, as it will never heal otherwise.

What I would try is a higher cut light nylon rug, with 2 bibs, 1 padded one on the bottom and a saturn one on the top, or visa versa. If you have to put velco or something like that on the bibs to hold them in place, I would do it.

Heres a few pics of my horse in her rug so you know what i mean by the higher cut:

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm287...

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm287...

Good luck with it, must be a horrible problem

Answer 9

Don't they make a cutback blanket or have a thoroughbred cut for horses with high withers?  I thought they did.

Answer 10

we had a horse that was running with hers on and  she came back in the barn and went to her stall we didnt know she rubbed her withers. and when we took of the rugs we tore some skin off. because she had a open sore that dried to her ruggs and we couldnt ride of a month or 2. but what we did was got some that hsd the withers cut out they sell those so the dont go over the withers.

sorry if that didnt make any sence at all.

these will also help we have them on all are horses with rugs.

http://www.statelinetack.com/itemdy00.as...

Answer 11

I'm afraid that you may have to get a blanket that is specifically made for a Thoroughbred.  there is one here in the US called the turtle neck that actually is made to sit above the withers.  I would also put a slinky on him (lycra hood) to help prevent the blanket from rubbing anywhere else.  

Answer 12

If the horse is walking and moving, sometimes the rug or cooler will move backwards causing the irritation of the rug rubbing against the withers and causing the rug to become tight in the chest area and withers.  Isn't much you can do it the horse is trotting or moving around excessively except to take it off.  I have had the same problem.

Answer 13

Have you tried satin?  That's why most rugs are lined with satin, especially on the neck rug where the mane lies.  The other substrates you mentioned (wool, faux fur...) are all soft, but they do still cause friction when the horse grazes.  Satin however, slides AGAINST the coat of the horse, rather than rubbing into it.  I suggest you try a nice satin-lined bib under his rug.  If you have trouble keeping them in place, use a secure length of elastic and pin it to the sides of the bib, so it acts like a girth.  You can also get spare surcingles from Horseland and saddlery shops.

Best of luck, wither rub is terrible to deal with!