Fed up of losing mane- lycra hoods?

floradora09

floradora09

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Every year we come out of the winter with half a mane, which takes all year to grow back, have just got it looking nice again ready to start putting winter rugs on! :(

Has anyone had any success with the lycra hoods? Not sure if they'd help or just rub it out even more... also he lives out so I think I'd have to either buy one that doesn't cover the face and risk it slipping down, or but a face one and adapt it slightly so if it slips it won't make him blind :o
 
Ive heard mixed results about lycra neck rugs, some people lose a lot of the mane, some seem to do ok with them. I was looking at mane savers on the bossy bibs site the other day, for use under full neck rugs and Id be interested to see how they work.

But Id probably use a rug with no neck and minimise how much mane is lost that way.
 
please dont turn out in one even if it is adjusted i have seen 2 horses over the years that have gone through fences when the hood has slipped over their eyes (i have seen others other wait patiently to be rescued to, but what a risk) one had to be destroyed due to extensive injuries the other has been left with serious scarring.
 
Thanks for the replies- sorry just to clarify I meant buy one with no face and hope it doesn't fall down the neck!

Jools- :( Thats horrendous and would not want to risk that, hence wondering if an adjusted one would be ok but perhaps not. :o Maybe I'll go back to the drawing board!

Capriole- Unfortunately I have to use full neck rugs as he's a wimpy TB and they really help to keep him warm and dry. Shall take a look at bossy bibs.. if not perhaps I'll just have to sacrifice his mane each year, but always seems a shame!
 
Or rather than a hood, I found, smoothering my boy's mane in mane and tail conditioner keeps it soft enough to minimise rubbing - failing that, a lot of people say sewing silk or something similar into the neck of the rug where it rubs helps loads - might be worth a try?
 
budley95 said:
Or rather than a hood, I found, smoothering my boy's mane in mane and tail conditioner keeps it soft enough to minimise rubbing - failing that, a lot of people say sewing silk or something similar into the neck of the rug where it rubs helps loads - might be worth a try?
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sewing silk in sounds like it may work
 
Would half neck rugs (ie masta, weatherbeeta) not be an option, as they seem to rub the mane a lot less than full necks which always seem to put a lot more pressure on the top of the neck.
 
Bossy Bibs now do a full neck mane protector as well as the usual should bib. We found that really effective last year. We have't had much luck with Lycra hoods mane wise - although they do stop the mucky s*d messing up his face and neck with poo overnight!
 
Another warning re. lycra hoods. PLEASE don't turn-out in them without being around to watch the horse.

I put my boy out in one thinking I was doing a good thing; didn't leave him overnight or anything just a few hours but in that time he'd managed to get the damn thing over his eyes so that he was standing up in the field totally unable to see and not sure what to do with himself.

Luckily he HAS got a sensible side, and was obviously using it - but I dread to think what would have happened if he'd been the scatty type.

Lycra hood went on the bonfire after that - best place for it IMO.

I'd never ever ever use one again. If you want to save your horse's mane then why not try one of the sweet itch rugs that cover the horse completely? A bit like the Boett, but there are cheaper versions around.
 
I must admit that i love the snuggy hoods turnout for the convenience of keeping clean (palomino and winter mud = not a good combo!), but i had more mane rub with them than i did from his full neck rug. :( I think they're good if you only use them part of the day, ours are out 24/7 though and i don't think they're really good for that. I sprayed shine spray to the insides as recommended by snuggy too and made no difference. Also rubbed out mane on 2 other horses i've had them on, one a TB, one a WB and Fab who's a stocky MW so not even related to build.
 
jools1234 said:
please dont turn out in one even if it is adjusted i have seen 2 horses over the years that have gone through fences when the hood has slipped over their eyes (i have seen others other wait patiently to be rescued to, but what a risk) one had to be destroyed due to extensive injuries the other has been left with serious scarring.
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We had that happen to our mare just being in one overnight in the stable. God knows how she managed it. The fabric was actually bunched up over her eye balls and the lids had swollen up around it. She had ulcers on both eye surfaces, very painful. Several weeks of eye drops, examinations, and a lot of money she fully recovered.

Vet said he sees at least one case of 'hood' injury a month.
 
I suppose it comes down to if you think £60 is worth it to keep a mane nice, if they work. Ive never tried one, would like to hear how other people find them though :)
 
I have an appy so the mud/dirt thing is a real issue and normally fully clipped, but always end the winter with half a mane. This autumn however he is on rest due to injury so no clipping so may well revert to rugs without necks and see what happens! Was told by someone who has worked with horses for years that necks are a waste of time and ruin manes and he competes at showing and dressage and none of his have necks, so it is a personal thing, but years ago we never had a rug with a neck and they all survived and the winters were harsher but they were still clipped and had extra rugs on in the winter but never with a neck. So if i can afford it i am going to get a couple of no necks and see what happens.
 
A horse doesnt NEED a full neck rug, its you as the owner presupposing he does and putting your need to mollycoddle on to him. Doesnt matter the breed/type etc so long as their backs and loins are dry theyre fine. Then he would also have a mane to do what its supposed to, help keep his neck semi dry!!!
 
TigerTail said:
A horse doesnt NEED a full neck rug, its you as the owner presupposing he does and putting your need to mollycoddle on to him. Doesnt matter the breed/type etc so long as their backs and loins are dry theyre fine. Then he would also have a mane to do what its supposed to, help keep his neck semi dry!!!
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If I dont put a full neck rug on my horse when he is clipped - I end up with a horse with a clipped body & a fluffy neck & head - not a good look! So yeah, I do need a full neck rug!

I believe rugs that have a detachable neck are less likely to rub the mane than a combo rug - but I think all rugs/shapes & horses/shapes are gonna differ so what works for some might not work for others!
 
LegOn said:
If I dont put a full neck rug on my horse when he is clipped - I end up with a horse with a clipped body & a fluffy neck & head - not a good look! So yeah, I do need a full neck rug!
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You might, but your horse doesn't care what he looks like and would probably much rather have a mane in summer for the flies than a smooth neck in the winter :cool:

Do all you people who are clipping and turning out in full neck rugs really need to clip? I only clip my hunter with a belly/bib and he is fine. He sweats, a lot, but turnout rugs these day are so fantastic that it really isn't a problem to turn out damp horses with a rug on. I just wonder if there aren't tons of horses, who really aren't doing enough work to justify it, being clipped just because people think they look smarter.



ps OP, a friend managed to kill her cobs mane completely in the middle in a lycra neck cover and it never regrew.
 
cptrayes said:
You might, but your horse doesn't care what he looks like and would probably much rather have a mane in summer for the flies than a smooth neck in the winter :cool:
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He does when he sweats up because of it! :p

Eqyuess Megatek rebuilder is great for keeping the mane strong & regrowing quickly.
 
Try buying a rug that will take a neck cover & then buy a neck cover for it that is bigger than you need. I find that a loose fitting neck cover doesn't rub out the mane.;)
 
POLLDARK said:
Try buying a rug that will take a neck cover & then buy a neck cover for it that is bigger than you need. I find that a loose fitting neck cover doesn't rub out the mane.;)
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^^that worked for a friends horse - she gets rambo rugs and buys the very biggest neck cover (for 15hh connie x tb) and it stops rubs

i've been lucky - full necks dont tend to rub my girl - but depends a bit on the make and how clean they are - i have 2 450gm full neck PE rugs - that i wsap and wash/reproof over winter a couple of times - that def helps

also 2 x full neck weatherbeeta 100gm jasper stable rugs that i use under the turn out rugs that i do the same with - and again about a million fleeces that i swap about once a week

(yes my mare lives out with fleece, 100gm full neck and 450gm top rug - and doesnt die to heat exhaustion amazingly.... ;))

use non-bio wash though!

tired a snuggy hood and it rubbed my mares mare really badly!
 
Thanks for all the ideas. :)

Unfortunately I'm not in a position to buy new rugs, all of his were bought a couple of years ago and are still in fab condition, so I shall experiment with sewing silk in and plastering the mane with spray/coat shine.

With regards to not using full necked rugs, he's clipped and mane pulled etc in the winter, and I feel that living out suits him best, so my compromise is to rug up well. I'm happy to sacrifice his mane for having a warm dry horse, but it is rather annoying- hence my post! :)
 
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