Mane falling out - ideas please (hoods/creams/supplements etc)

[Lorian]

Hi guys
I posted last winter about my horses mane falling out when he wears combo rugs in the winter. Well it didnt grow back that much last summer so this winter he has already got about a 6 inch gap where some of the mane has broken off.
I bought some of the MEGA-TEK regrowth stuff but it didnt seem to work on him, it didnt really make any difference.

Does anyone have any ideas on:
Hoods - would lycra or fleece be best? Where can I get one that doesnt go over his face but covers his mane?
Supplements - that will help his mane grow back and be stronger
Creams/Lotions - that I can put on his mane to help it grow and be stronger

Any advise appreciated as I dont want to end up with an arab that I have to hog!

 

[wizzi901]

I have a horse on loan who cannot wear combos all the time or suffers the same fate!

I rug at night without a neck cover, always, however cold, and daytime combo neck cover.

Some horses just get too hot and off the mane comes!

 

[miller]

Hoods and neck covers make mine worse - he only rubs in full neck rugs not those with separate hoods and only thing to stop it is to keep hood off as much as possible

He has full neck on in field as clipped out and wussy but in stable he is just well rugged with neck folded back all night unless he is chilly when we do our late night check at 10:30 or so - then it is pulled up.

 

[eventersrus]

mine used to do this l put duck tape on the inside of the rug (by neck) and not a single lost hair this winter!

 

[Nats_uk]

My horse's mane has started to rub at the end where the neck cover joins the rug. I have just bought him him a lycra neck cover (without hood) from my local tack shop (its a weatherbeeta one) so I am hoping that helps

 

[ironhorse]

I've had to give up on neck covers this winter after only having half a mane on my mare for most of last summer.
I just use a separate neck cover for turnout and thick rugs without necks in the stable. Load of coat gloos on the mane does help when you have to use a neck cover, but not great if you have to plait in winter!
She has to wear hoods a lot in the show season as she is grey and I like to give her a break from all the trimming and preening in the winter. She has already grown a lovely thick cuddly mane!

 

[dill]

My horse lost a load of mane last winter and it just grew back enough to plait by the time it came to put the rug back on. I spray Mane & Tail on the bottom of the neck once a week and it's been fine so far.

 

[shellonabeach]

I use separate neck covers and last year towards the end of the winter found my boy had a section missing - it just got thinner and thinner and there was literally nothing to plait come June and showing.

This year he is living out 24/7 and I have noticed the section lost last year is getting rather thin so the neck covers have come off. It rained heavily last night and he was still alive this morning! I tried everything last year inc the Mega-tek & lycra hood and nothing worked!

 

[machannah]

If you really need your horses neck covered, then use a normal stable rug and use the old fashioned method of a blanket under the main rug which will cover normally about half of the neck quite well. When needed thats what I put on my mare, and it works quite well.

I am not that keen on rugs with necks, all horses seem to get their manes rubbed or are really itchy when you take them off so they cant be that comfortable for them

 

[Lorian]

Thanks for all the ideas guys.

When he is in his stable I have started to put on 2 stable rugs without necks instead of just one rug with a neck. He actually seems happier without the neck on at night?
Then I have sew some silk into his turnout rugs all the way along the neck so hopefully this might work in the same way that the duck tape did and then the seems etc wont rub his mane when he wears it during the day.
I have also bought a heavy duty size bottle of mane & tail spray and have been putting this on everyday.
So far no more of his mane has fallen out (touch wood!) but does anyone have any ideas to make it grow back quicker or will it just have to do it on its own?