Rugs rubbing withers

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StoptheCavalry

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My horses withers are being rubbed quite badly by his rugs. He is currently wearing a fleece with a sheepskin edge around the top and medium turnout. I have now tried changed the fleece to a light stable rug but it hasn't been on long enough to see if the rubbing has stopped.

Does anyone have any ideas to stop the rubbing, it doesn't look too sore at the moment but I cant imagine that it is comfortable and there is quite a lot of winter left!

Thanks
 
Fleeces don't work under turnouts as IME they pull back.

I have found that Wug/half neck rugs rub less. Could you get a HW wug rather than use a stable rug and a MW turnout?

If the rub is bad, you might need to lift the rug off the withers by sewing sponges to the under side of the rug, one either side of where the wither goes.
 
I agree that the fleece is most likely to blame and tbh, you're far better off layering with TO rugs if you really need to layer
 
Rugs rubbing is a problem with one of my old boys - to solve it I bought a plain cotton rug bib and sewed fibagee pads either side of the wither with a clear space between them, it now lifts the bib and any rug on top of it clear of the withers - a bit like the panels of a saddle.
 
Sorry I should probably have been a little more specific. I first noticed the signs of rubbing at the very end of the summer with his fly rug but thankfully he's not particularly sensitive so I just took it off and thought nothing more of it. I had put a lycra bib under the fleece although I now realise the fleece was probably not the best idea but he had just been clipped and it wasn't quite cold enough for the really heavyweight rug that I had so I was improvising. My horse is quite narrow so a lot of rugs do fall back which I guess is causing most of the problem. I will try the sponge sewing to the inside of the bib and hopefully that will give us enough clearance. My saddle is clearing it at the moment so am still able to ride but if it gets any sorer I cant imagine he will be too happy about doing much.

Thank you for the suggestions.
 
One of my hates fleece under turn out. Slip , get tight over shoulders and withers.

Get rid of fleece treat injury

Get a warm light in a gross weight rug make fits right
 
Faracat said:
Just the sort of confo that works with wug/half neck style rugs.

Good luck, I hope it heals quickly.
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Thank you, at the moment it only seems to be rubbed hair but definitely don't want it getting any worse. That'll teach me to try and keep and use rugs from my old horses. I'm off to raid the cupboards for sponges to attach to his rugs and hopefully fix the problem :)
 
GREYSMEADOW said:
Have a look at my post a few years back - it really does work - http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forum...ighlight=donut

I also used a fleece rug as an under rug as I didn't want a heavier rug for my old chap.
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Sorry I have only just seen these replied, I will definitely have a look round at different types of bibs. I have a lycra and a quilted on and neither seem to be doing the trick.

Greysmeadow unfortunately that link doesn't seem to work it says the post has been removed, I am intrigued by the donut at the end of the link....? :)
 
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