Help! Spur marks/rubs

[Ginn]

Ok, before anyone says its my riding/overuse of the leg and spur, please hear me out...

Everything seems to rub madam at the moment - she has rubs on her neck from her reins, rubs on her shoulders/sides from the edge of her (soft!) saddlepad, rubs/mud fever on her cannons from the mud, and that's before you consider the rubs from her rug! So that, combined with rubs from where my spurless (it happens without a spur but not as badly) leg sits!, leads me to think it is not the result of using the spur too much, more the fact she is a wussy tb!

So, what is the best/least marking spur to use? Currently have both blunt end pow and rounded/metal ball end pow. Am thinking a roller ball or smooth rowel? Also, I hate wearing spurs without a rubber cover around the bit in contact with my boot as I find it very uncomfortable (stupidly small, boney ankles requiring very sharp straps!) which I don't think is helping... Any ideas here? Horse Health do some "flexi" spurs...

Also, any advice with the rein rubs? Does sheepskin on the reins actually make a difference?

 

[YardGeek]

Can't help but can sympathize! Mine has a nice dressage-square rub mark as well as shoulder rubs!!
Luckily no rein-rubs or spur-rubs just yet, but I do use aqueous cream on all of the rubbed areas to try and stop them drying out and getting flaky.

 

[kirstyl]

My TB has rubs on his neck from rubber reins and on his sides from my chaps. Don't know what you can do - surgical spirit may toughen skin but not sure about hair?!

 

[Birker2020]

Ok, before anyone says its my riding/overuse of the leg and spur, please hear me out...

Everything seems to rub madam at the moment - she has rubs on her neck from her reins, rubs on her shoulders/sides from the edge of her (soft!) saddlepad, rubs/mud fever on her cannons from the mud, and that's before you consider the rubs from her rug! So that, combined with rubs from where my spurless (it happens without a spur but not as badly) leg sits!, leads me to think it is not the result of using the spur too much, more the fact she is a wussy tb!

So, what is the best/least marking spur to use? Currently have both blunt end pow and rounded/metal ball end pow. Am thinking a roller ball or smooth rowel? Also, I hate wearing spurs without a rubber cover around the bit in contact with my boot as I find it very uncomfortable (stupidly small, boney ankles requiring very sharp straps!) which I don't think is helping... Any ideas here? Horse Health do some "flexi" spurs...

Also, any advice with the rein rubs? Does sheepskin on the reins actually make a difference?

All my horses have had faint rubs to their off sides which is quite evident at this time of year, I think its because my right leg tends to 'wander'. I don't use spurs, but its my chap rubbing on his side I think. Fortunately its very slight and I don't think you would see it unless you looked. Maybe it looks worse to you, so try not to worry about it too much. Maybe put some baby oil on the rubber, so that it creates less friction against your horses side.

 

[MillbrookSong]

If you can get some thin towels and hang down her sides where you leg would sit so it dosnt rub so much. For my sensitive TB i use these http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?hl=e...250&start=0&ndsp=27&ved=1t:429,r:15,s:0,i:133 and seem to do the trick?

 

[Ginn]

So good to know I'm not alone on this one! I agree that it probably does look worse to me but its still very visible to anyone looking unfortunately bloomin' horse! Regularly put sudocrem on afterwards to both sooth and hydrate and am going to invest in some Megatek as told that's quite good too.

MBS - Im not sure a thin, soft towel would make a difference tbh given that her very soft (sheepskin lined!) saddlepad is also rubbing where there is the slightest bit of friction I had considered some spurs like those though as I *think* they may reduce the friction between the spur and the skin, so will see what others suggest and bear them in mind.

 

[Smith123]

The only thing that's worked on my thin haired ginger is skin hardening cream. You just dab in on the areas that are effected and it stops them rubbing raw

 

[jodie :)]

I feel your pain with this one, my boy marks easily too. I use roller ball rubber spurs and they seem to have stopped the rubbing. But also ditto what Smith123 said above about the skin hardening cream, that worked a treat.

 

[robynandTilly]

Mine is exactly the same she looks practically abused on her sides lol (rest assured she isn't) she also has rubs off her reins can't say the sheepskin savers have made a huge difference although the patches r no bigger were she is bald isn't growing back. Watching with interest at other suggestions will have a look at the cream though

 

[milliepops]

Also, any advice with the rein rubs? Does sheepskin on the reins actually make a difference?

No help on the spur marks I'm afraid, my mare is so little that my spurs hardly touch her as my legs are too long

But in answer to the rein rubs, I tried sheepskin sleeves on my reins this year and it has helped, but only a little. She's still a bit bald. I've got leather reins with stops on and I'm going to get the ones nearest the bit taken off before next winter as I'm hoping plain leather will be less abrasive.

I DID notice that she seemed to be more comfortable with the sleeves on though, which I wasn't expecting! So will carry on even though we look a bit daft.

I have rolled back the binding on my numnahs for the winter as it was rubbing, just folded the corners back and secured with a stitch. That's stopped any numnah rubs, and a bossys bib has saved her shoulders so far

 

[MileyMouse]

Can't help with the spurs bit but I have the same problem with rubbing on my boy. I have made some sheepskin rein sleeves and yes they do work ! I have also found using megatek on the bald bits is useful in getting the hair to grow back a bit quicker 😊

 

[Ginn]

Ok, will probably try sheepskin on the reins.

With regard to spurs, roller ball (and if so rubber/impulse or metal) or smooth rowels for minimal marks?

 

[Springy]

If using spurs we use metal roller ball spurs

 

[dominobrown]

Second Megatek...
http://www.horsehealth.co.uk/grooming/featured-brands/eqyss-range/mega-tek-rebuilder

 

[Sussexbythesea]

My WB is like this too - only in winter though. I think their winter coat is more brittle.

I found that sharper spurs were actually better because I used them less for a start as got a clearer sharper response and I don't think they catch the hair as much. Rounded end spurs were the worst and roller balls completely ineffective so not worth wearing

 

[unbalanced]

Now this may be a completely stupid theory, grounded in nonsense, but let me try it and see if it works. If using neck covers makes their manes fall out because they get too hot and therefore their pores are open and the hairs come out, could it therefore follow that your horse may be too hot? Maybe if you try a thinner rug the pores will close up and the hairs will become less fragile.
As sussexbythesea said the winter coat is more fragile - this may support my 'fragile' theory as we don't rug in the summer.
Well it might work anyway???

 

[MegaBeast]

So long as the skin isn't broken dab surgical spirit on as this will harden the skin up and prevent it being rubbed raw.

I'd personally avoid sudocrem as unless it is infected the antibacterial in it will slow the rate of healing so would go in favour of vaseline. When I had trouble with my mare getting rubs I used to put vaseline on my spur and that helped a lot. Only happened once strangely enough.