Lycra hood blindfolded my horse in field

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ManceGirl

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I purchased a lycra hood/neck cover for my horse to keep him clean. I turned him out in it yesterday, and when I went up tonight to feed him, it had pulled back towards his poll and completely covered his eyes. He was completely distraught. I couldn't get near him to help him. After what seemed like a life time, I was able with my friend to corner him and grab his rug to steady him enough to pull the hood away from his eyes. He was lucky to escape with grazes to his legs, though lots of them. I have never been so scared for him. I thank the powers that be, that my grazing isn't next to a road. Please please if your horse wears one of these neck covers/hoods, keep an eye on it. I will be notifying the manufacturer tomorrow, and my horse will NEVER wear one of these again.
 
Im not sure what the manufacturer will do as Lycra hoods generally aren't designed to be worn in the field!

Hope your horse is ok.
 
I hope your horse is ok, can j ask was it one designed for turnout? At my old yard we were not alowed to turn our horses out in hoods for this reason as old manager had witnessed the same happen to a horse who. I do use snuggy hoods turn out hoods and jams on my boy and they have always stayed put. Hope your horse feels bette soon and isn't too traumatised.
 
This happenned to a horse we knew a few years ago. He went into a blind panic and somehow managed to jump a massive hedge?? Luckily he was ok but I would never use one on my horse, even in the stable. I know people do use them for T/O but I was always told they werent designed for it.
Thank god your horse was ok.
 
had the same happen to my mare, she had a snuggy hoods sweet itch rug/hoody, to be fair i think it was a little bit big on her, but after the 2nd time it happened i sold it ! never will use a hood again, of any make. I dont think it was the brands fault but was really frightening at the time and thankfully the mare had the sense to stand still :o

hope your boy gets over it soon and heals well
 
Can I ask what brand it is? Is it Roma? I have a snuggy hood lycra hood and body suit, but it is only ever used in the stable for before a show. You have to be extremely careful with the fit of the hood or it will slip or twist.

Glad your horse is ok, sounds really scary!:eek:
 
I use a supreme products hood only indoors to lay my fillies coat flat leading up to show. It has stitching around the nose so it can't ride up. Glad your boy is ok, very frightening :(
 
My YO told me of a horse whose eyesight was permanently damaged by a lycra hood. It rode up, turning his upper eyelids inside out and permanently scarring his corneas. I would never ever turn a horse out in one.
 
Every brand of lycra hood I've read about said do not turn out in them or horses shouldn't be left unsupervised in them.

I don't think the manufacturer will do much to be honest if they have already warned people about not using it in the field. I think you may just consider yourself lucky that your horse came to no harm and count it as a lesson learnt?
 
They are one of the most dangerous bits of kit ever made and I wonder at the sense of any horse owner even contemplating using them just to save themselves some time from cleaning up.
Hope your horse is ok.
 
I read an account about someone leaving one of these hoods on overnight in the stable and it twisting and the seam scratching and damaging the horses eye really badly.
IMO these hoods are pretty useless if they cannot be left on unsupervised, so really the manufacturers should have thought about this before putting such a potentially dangerous item on the market. Clearly if you are there supervising your horse - you don't need to hood do you?! That defeats it's purpose.
 
I use a lycra hood to lay my pony's mane flat before a show. It is only on while I am there, or whilst travelling. I have never had a problem but I wouldn't risk turning out in one, ever.
 
I have a bay horse and a set of brushes so don't need one! :D

(athough I did hang my saddle cover off his head last night and he didn't see too bothered by it...)
 
I had the same problem with the Rambo Sweetitch Hoody. It pulled forwards making my mare blind. She ran through some barbed wire in panic. No injuries luckily. She now always has a field safe headcollar or her grazing muzzle on over the top.
It only happened once in 6 years of ownership, but it only takes once to cause a problem.
The other sweetitch rug of similar design that goes over the ears is made of a fabric that they can see through so not a problem.
 
Massive lesson learnt..... I have phoned the company today, and as you have all said, they told me "They aren't designed to be worn in the field" .... No I didn't know this. I was advised this when I bought it. I will in future read everything on packaging before it goes on my boy. But it can't just be me that's ignorant to this fact, when you drive round and see countless horses turned out wearing them

He's recovered well I think.
 
Surely its just common sense?!

I hate the things. I have never ever seen a horse in one where the hood does not interfere with the eye after being on a while.

I wonder how people coped before they were invented, groomed their horses a bit better i presume.

Rant over :)
 
I bought one for my pony, it was a roma lycra hood and it stayed put, it had elastic around the nose I think..? can't remember as she ripped the zip off it and it's away being repaired currently. But it didn't ride up her face at all. Fits her perfectly, but I know of one horse who wore on and it blinded her because it rode up when she was turned out in it. Hope your horse is okay soon though! xx
 
Eh surely it is just common sense not to put them on in the field. I have never liked them for the reason that they can slip but have in the past cut them so that they still hook over ears but are not on face and keep neck clean. And no it is not a question of being too lazy to groom....I have a white grey mare who will poo and then roll in it instantly!hood helps lessen the effects of her "dirty protest" before shows!
 
I use the snuggy hoods turn out and never had a problem but it is designed for turn out. Still wouldn't leave it on overnight though - I don't even leave fly masks on overnight. Glad your horse is OK
 
This Hoody was sold as a "Turnout" hood.... "to keep horses clean in the field" Thank you to everyone that has given their opinions... Good and bad. No-one is perfect, and grooming wasn't the issue to why he was wearing the hood in the first place.
If someone reads this, and decides not to turn their horse/pony out in it, then some good has come from this horrendous incident.
 
I have been totally put off using hoods, only ever used them in the table and bought my horse one last winter, just because he is a nightmare to clip (sedation etc) and grows a very hairy coat very quickly so he was well rugged up. I wouldn't use them to turn out but was bad enough just in the stable, despite fitting well when I put it on at bed time it was constantly half off one way or another or over his eyes and after a few days one morning I went out to find his door feeder attached to it and hanging from the eye hole in the hood,luckily no damage done but I never put it on again!!
 
Luci07 said:
I use the snuggy hoods turn out and never had a problem but it is designed for turn out. Still wouldn't leave it on overnight though - I don't even leave fly masks on overnight. Glad your horse is OK
Click to expand...

^^This..

I only turn out in one of these because my horse was getting all of his mane chewed off... But only in winter and only for 8 hours, in which they are all supervised anyway.

The lycra ones are not for turning out in. Too stretchy and too easy for other horses to pull.

The snuggy hoods turn outs, >>if properly fitted<< I have never had a problem with, and we have the worlds most mischievous herd of geldings ever!

He has never had a problem and likes putting his head in too keep snuggly! :D
 
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