Body stockings - for horses!

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Lucy_Ally

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Does anyone use these for preventing rugs rubbing? Was looking at various ones (dress circle in particular) and wondered if they are good/worth the money/actually work? Any advice on which to get and best value? Spring lost such a lot of her mane last year despite my best efforts and I don't want to not use neck covers as she is such a hippo! Any advice appreciated!

Thanks
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I love Sols dress circle body suit !
Definately , definately reccomend ...

Sol's not so much of a fan ... Red clashes with Ginger
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Yes, I use the Dress Circle ones too. I can vouch for their quality and helping with rubbing. Can be tricky to get on if your horse is at all headshy though.
 
Thanks, fortunately Spring is not headshy (she lets me warm my gloves up on her ears in the winter!
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) so that shouldn't be a problem. Do you turn out in yours too? How are the sizes? Spring is a voluptuous 16.2hh and don't want her new lycra body suit to be too tight!
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if your looking for one to turn out in, i would suggest the snuggy turn out hoods. If you turn out in a dress circle one, then the lycra will get wet and your horse will get a chill
 
I don't like Dress Circle ones. Snuggy Hoods all the way!!

I have two turn out hoods and a body suit. When my filly is bigger, she will have a Snuggy wardrobe too.
 
If yours is a big wide girl, make sure you go for the largest size you can. I find mine can run up a tad short in the body length.

I do turnout for short periods using mine, BUT I use a full neck rug as well. Of course, if you misjudge the weather your horse will still end up wearing a damp lycra face mask and get a slightly wet neck where the drips get in behind the ears. But the lycra dries super fast.

I suppose the main concern of turning out in the full suit is of the face mask shifting and ending up in your horse's eye/s. I've not had this happen personally, but it's a genuine concern and you need to be able to keep a close eye on your horse if its out wearing one, even if it's only for half an hour.

I should add, I haven't tried the turnout versions of the lycra suits so can't comment on those. I've only got experience of the normal stable use ones.

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When my filly is bigger, she will have a Snuggy wardrobe too.

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My yearling wears one when travelling and to keep her clean in the stable before shows! She's very tolerant. Lets me drag the whole thing up and over her head, and drag it down her body. She's certainly rug-proofed now!


 
Scotsmare - which one do you use for turnout?

I have looked at the Snuggy turnout hood and am tempted as can be used in the stable too - although it still has the eye holes so the concern with them shifting and 'blindfolding' the horse is still there. Spring wears full neck turnouts so not too worried about the lycra getting a bit damp on her face as it would soon dry out. I don't want to have to buy a seperate turnout and stable hood really. Is the snuggy turnout hood very thick? Would it be ok under a full neck turnout or stable rug? Does it make the coat shiny!
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(so vain I know!!)
 
Thanks Spyda, that's really helpful The dress circle ones seem to be better value than the Snuggy hoods - especially as you have to pay quite a bit more for XL (Spring's size)
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It does indeed make there coat very shiny
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Sol wears her for TO under a rug and because its got big eye holes (see above photo) if it does move she can see and it does wiggle back
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Sol's also an XL
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I bought a Snuggy Hoods turnout hood - it was on ONE night and then I found it in a filthy heap in the middle of the field... do not ask HOW my horse managed to get himself out of it! But the zip had bust (just the zip itself, ie. no rips etc.) and come undone.

So I spent £50/£60 on it only for it to brake straight away. They told me to send it back to them and they'd fix it but would only do so for free if it was found to be faulty which surely it would have been?! So Ive never got round to it.
 
I have ones without zips. I put mine on in the stable and field (turnout hoods that is!). Can be used with rugs, but if a HW full neck, I tend to swap the under rug for just a fleece as they keep them quite warm.

Spyda - my filly is only 5 1/2 months...she will just grow too quick right now!! She will have one so she is shiney and clean as she is dark bay, her mother has one to keep her clean as she is grey!!
 
I have a ROMA XL for my 16.1 grey ISH, and its on the small side with regard to length and that i find the nose area to tight if do the velcro up in the right places.I was told it would fit a 17h horse, but not that i can see, and wouldnt think it would even fit by smaller warmblood head.  Also stable stains can penetrate which on the use of the snuggy(must be thicker) they didn't do so much but i thought for £55 extra in price, it would be cheaper just to wash those areas, and losely strap up the velco round the nose, and it does the trick of keeping him as clean as possible!
 
I have just got merlins out of mothballs as he has turned into the hippo from hell
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I hope we get on allright with it..... I am scared it will go over his eyes or that the rain will seep under his rug
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If it's just to stop rubs on shoulders I would recommend Bossys bibs. They do prevent rubbing, are lightweight so can be washed and dried within a couple of hours.
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whats the worry about turnout ?
I've used a boet rug all summer the headpiece is nearly the same as these hoods and that was worn 24/7 (nearly)
surely these hoods would be the same.
i understand the concerns over rain seeping through.
i would welcome your comments as this year is the first time I've brought one for the winter its face and neck to the shoulder.
do they move much ?
 
I was looking at just the neck/head/shoulder ones as O's mane got a little thin last winter due to his neck cover, but was concerned about it moving over his eye's when he rolls.

Rideaway have one of these Hood thing but not convinced it will stay hooked over the ears. Although, it looks better in their catalogue than there, plus says turnout in catalogue and not there, ooh im all confused.

Will investigate the dress circle and snuggy hoods but does anyone have any experience on the above one?
 
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I have just got merlins out of mothballs as he has turned into the hippo from hell
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I hope we get on allright with it..... I am scared it will go over his eyes or that the rain will seep under his rug
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you are soooo cruel!
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How waterproof are the snuggy turnout oods? I've just bought one off ebay. I saw somewhere you can make them more waterproof by using nikwax on them but I don't want to risk ruining mine if it is fairly waterproof without it! I also bought mine to help with not losing a mane.

I did try a hood without the face as i was worried about it slipping and rubbing his eyes. It just has earholes. Fits lovely but as soon as he puts his ears back he can wiggle it off and it ends up half way down his neck!!
 
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whats the worry about turnout ?


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They can slip over the eyes and make the horse temporarily blind. Some horses react very violently to this and panic.
My sister's advanced eventer had this happen. He ran blind through 4 hedges and barbed wire fences before he finally stopped with his legs shredded to pieces. He very nearly didnt survive.
 
Thanks everyone. In reply to some comments - I do have a bossy bib for Spring and it is excellent, however it is her mane that is rubbed the worst and I need something to stop this. My worry about the snuggy hood turnout is the price - for Spring's elephant proportions I am looking at £80!!
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The Dress Circle ones are cheaper but are they not as good?

Boss, which hood did your sister's horse have on? This is what concerns me the most and has stopped me getting one in the past. I am tempted to only put it on in the stable as she is only turned out for a few hours a day in the winter anyway, which would lead me towards getting the dress circle one primarily!

Ah decisions decisions!!
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Worst thing that has happened so far to Merlin is that one of his ears slipped out of the red fleecy ear cover and was pinned under the head bit..... I suppose it may have felt a bit weird
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But so far so good with him being able to see
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