Best rug for barrel chested, thick necked Dartmoor...?

[catembi]

At my wit's end with this one! Said Dartmoor is a PSSM-er so needs to be kept warm. She is 12hh & theoretically 4 ft 9 in rugs - but they won't do up around her chest. She is in a 200g HKM with a large shoulder gusset which is 5 ft 3 as she wrecked a rug on a really filthy night & that was the nearest the tack shop had. It fits at the front, but hangs off her a**e. A lovely 4 ft 9 arrived today, but it looks like a mini skirt on her & barely does up across the front. What do I get that is deep, warm & will do up at the front...? Aaarrrrgggghhh...!

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Shires or get a chest expander?

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Shove her in transport, take a sheet and drive to local saddler or feed store that stocks them, try over clean sheet.
My 12.2 exmoor took 5ft 3 in 'big' rugs and I got saddler to pop extra darts in.
The darties were usually in 4ft 9 or 5ft depending on make.
Def worth trying shires or weatherbeeta.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Sounds like a chest expander would work I've heard Masta rugs are big on the chest.

 

[Cob Life]

We have a mark Todd that is big on the chest, he usually wears a 6’9 but in the mark todd a 6’6 is very generous on him and he could even get away with a 6’3 as it has shoulder flaps

 

[catembi]

Do the Mark Todds come in 4 ft 9? I had a v old rug of his & it was so versatile that it got used a LOT. From wither to tail, 4 ft 9 looks right but she is so broad across the front & has such a thick neck.

 

[DressageCob]

Amigo XL or Premier Equine are the ones I go for

 

[SEL]

Swish and Ruggles both have decent chestd

 

[windand rain]

Got the opposite problem have had to put a 4ft 9 on my dartmoor as the neck in everything is too big so slip back and rub his withers and shoulders he is measured at 5ft 3 so his bum hangs out a bit

 

[paddy555]

Do the Mark Todds come in 4 ft 9? I had a v old rug of his & it was so versatile that it got used a LOT. From wither to tail, 4 ft 9 looks right but she is so broad across the front & has such a thick neck.

there are MT pony rugs on this link. This is what I have for my Dartmoor. They are the only ones I can find that are reasonably larger across the front for him.
Based on mine I would go for a 5ft. even though Dartmoors are usually 4'9" I have found a slight overhang at the back with the MT is not that much of a problem but tight in front obviously is.


https://www.redpostequestrian.co.uk/horse-rugs/mark-todd/turnout-rugs

 

[Cob Life]

Do the Mark Todds come in 4 ft 9? I had a v old rug of his & it was so versatile that it got used a LOT. From wither to tail, 4 ft 9 looks right but she is so broad across the front & has such a thick neck.

I’m not sure

We use them because they fit him so well and last ages even though he’s a notorious rug wrecker! The last one lasted 4 years

 

[Pippity]

Maxima?

 

[rextherobber]

I have a Gallop rug, inherited with a horse, which is so big in front I have yet to find anything it will actually fit. Maybe worth a look?

 

[PapaverFollis]

Mark Todd pony rugs are very generous. My little Welsh A was a bit drowned by hers.

 

[chaps89]

I have a wide as he is tall tank of a pony, shires fit. Gallop was like a mini skirt although my mum bought a new one recently and says they’re more generous now.

 

[catembi]

Fantastic! Thank you. Lots of options. I feel really sad about returning the one that doesn’t fit as it’s a really nice rug and it’s purple! But it doesn’t fit.

 

[catembi]

Aaarrggghh, tried the Redpost link and the h/w is out of stock except for 4 ft 3! Going to keep trying! What’s the betting that if I find something, it doesn’t even get cold again so potential new purchase won’t get an airing!

 

[J&S]

I buy 5ft rugs for my very wide, stocky native cross and have, as mentioned above, bought a chest expander, This works a treat. They come with either clips fastentings or the ones that match Amigos etc.

 

[Widgeon]

I also use a chest expander for my big-chested cob. I don't need it on his Gallop rugs but all the others are (IMHO) a bit tight so I put the expander on. Means I can buy nice second hand rugs without worrying about whether the chest will fit! But I am cheap like that and thankfully having the extra section on his chest doesn't seem to rub or bother him at all.

 

[countryal]

I have Swish rugs for my Cob and highlands, really good across the chest and found them to be very deep too. And they come in purple

 

[catembi]

…and orange! I have one in my basket atm… It looks v nice…

 

[Annagain]

I have a 17hh, 6'9" rug version for your darty Catembi. Premier Equine are the best on him but even they're not brilliant - there's a 2-3" gap on his chest. It's plenty deep enough on him though - the only make that doesn't look like a mini-skirt. Gallop aren't bad either but the neck hole (it's a classic shape with no neck cover) is a funny shape on him - baggy in some places but tight in others. One with an integral neck cover might be better, I've not tried one of those.

 

[Slightlyconfused]

Big horse shop, they have liners as well so i have the 100g liner on all the time and just change the top rugs.

 

[catembi]

Whoops, just ordered the Swish in orange! ???

 

[Pippity]

Big horse shop, they have liners as well so i have the 100g liner on all the time and just change the top rugs.

Sadly, they don't come small enough or I'd have recommended them! (They're the only make that fits my brick outhouse of a cob.)

 

[Slightlyconfused]

Sadly, they don't come small enough or I'd have recommended them! (They're the only make that fits my brick outhouse of a cob.)

?

 

[EllenJay]

Bridleway rugs tend to be designed for cob types - and they are reasonably priced

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Is this a pure bred Dartie or a hill pony?

 

[catembi]

She's a hill pony. Was rounded up in the drifts & taken on by a friend who runs a very small rescue & takes a foal or two a year. Dartmoor, Exmoor etc. She was extremely feral when I got her at the age of 3, but I tamed her, backed her & we were doing dr clinics, polework clinics & jumping when she was struck down by the dreaded PSSM. She is n/p4, which is one of the bad ones. I will see if I can unearth a picture...

 

[catembi]

Not sure how to resize from my laptop, so this might not work... I originally thought she was a New Forest, & was telling the person who rescued her because there's a lot of work being done to try to eradicate PSSM from New Forests, but then the lady told me that she's never been near the NF & is in fact a hill pony! Passport doesn't say either way.