Help! Rug rubbing high withered TB - what can I do?

[kit279]

My grey horse came in today with a nasty rub on the very top of his wither - he's very sore on it, it looks tender and scabby but not weepy or infected, although he's VERY reluctant to let you anywhere near it. The weird thing is that I bathed him yesterday when we came back from hacking and he wasn't sore at all and he definitely didn't have the rub then as I was pulling his mane there and would have noticed.

He's in a Premier Equine full neck stormbuster rug and has been wearing it with no problems for the better part of a month so I'm a bit surprised that there's a problem all of sudden. As he was so sore, I've turned him out without a rug but he's got a low chase clip and I'm concerned that as he lives out 24/7 he'll need a rug at some point soon. How can I get round this?

Can I modify his rug so it doesn't rub in some way? I need to let the rub heal up a bit first, hence being turned out in the buff! I have non-full neck rugs but they also come up over his wither which is very very high. Can anyone give me any advice?

Just want the little guy to be warm and comfortable..

 

[Apercrumbie]

Does it have a neck on it? Is there any way he could have been bitten? It just seems a bit odd thats all. I would put some cream on it (sudacrem works nicely) and then re rug him and see if it gets worse. If it does, borrow a different rug to see if it doesnt rub and then buy a new one.

 

[teddyt]

You could get a normal necked rug and cut a half circle out of the wither if you need to rug before it has healed.

 

[kafrin181995]

rug bibs!
Bibs!
More Bibs!

 

[Haniki]

I was going to suggest a 'Bossy's bib'. My TB came back from a week at livery with something similar so I got a bib and it did the trick.

 

[summertoots]

Welcome to the high wither club!!!!! I cant use premier rugs on my horse as they just take his withers off.
This is what I do, dont know if it will help as you keep your out 24/7, but I got my hands on an old fasioned anti - cast roller that I put on under his rugs over night to keep the rug off his withers. I then let fresh air do its stuff and do not poke or rub potions or lotions on as it just softens the skin. Once it looks less raw and sore looking I dab on witch hazel every day and allow to dry before rugging, this is great for giving strength to skin without turning it tough.
This is the time of year I have to keep a close eye on them, I think that when he is changing his coat his skin is more sensitive.

 

[miss_c]

This probably won't help at all, but my little narrow high withered TB had to have either Weatherbeeta or Mark Todd rugs. Any others rubbed her withers to bits unfortunately.

However a bib I think would be the way forward without having to buy new rugs!

 

[CracklinRosie]

It seems a little strange that it's all of a sudden done it. Almost overnight does seem rather quick. If it is his rug and it's rubbing then it doesn't fit him properly. I have this problem with my TB and I use a pillow and an elastic surcingle. This has worked a treat!

 

[Chestnuttymare]

Sounds a bit weird if it has just happened, my high withered tb has never had a rub there with any rug. The bib should do the trick.
I have used a bath sponge and a surcingle in the past but that was just in the stable, not sure it would stay on in the field.

 

[Jane_Lou]

Don't laugh but.....
I once got a piece of foam (one of those designed for wooden chairs), about an inch thick and cut a hole in the middle, covered it it satin type material and then attached that to the underside of a rug bib. It was like a giant silky corn plater! Put it on Sponge side down and it lifts the rug a little, the problem area is then in the "hole" so no pressure. Does this make sense????

 

[supagran]

One of mine has the same problem - hair one week and none the next on top of her withers - so got a Bossy bib last week. Hope it works.

 

[teddyt]

IMO im not sure a bib will help. They help the shoulders because the rubs are caused by friction, so the bib reduces the friction. A sore on top of the withers will mainly be caused by pressure, rather than friction. It is probably better to find a different fit of rug or do what others have suggested to lift the rug way from the area and reduce the pressure.

 

[muddy boots]

I think its the fit of the rug. My horse has really high withers, one rug (an under rug) rubbed, my others don't. Horseware and FAL both good.

 

[Puzzled]

Easy! All I do is sew (or get someone who does rug repairs as they have an industrial machine) to sew a piece of travelling gamgee (the sort you wear under travelling bandages - costs about £1.50). I've never had a problem once this has been done and I've had a horse with seriously high withers who was really sore before I did this! Hope this helps!

 

[festivalgem]

hiya

I find its the seam or join on the rugs that ribs the withers. if you get a high neck rug (you know the ones that are just a bit higher than a normal rug) with no seam they seam to sit better and not rub! I have had success with both rambo wug and a weatherbeeta high neck thing

Hope this helps