Rugs with whither relief

Jellymoon

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 August 2008
Messages
1,142
Visit site
Try saying that quickly...😁

But seriously, Horse getting sore whithers from rugs, wondering if there are any rugs or bibs on the market with inbuilt whither relief. I believe the Weatherbeta Comfitec does - any experiences? She is currently in a ruggles combo, which I belief is causing the issues, so a standard neck or wug might be better. And I also think the Ruggles is quite a heavy rug (even though it’s only a 100g) so something light in weight might be better for her. Another of mine has an amigo 100g and it’s much lighter than the ruggles.
Many thanks for your time.
 
My share horse has had this issue as he's got older and lost some top line. We've got him in the Premier Equine Lucanta Stratus which has a higher neck and lot of padding over the wither which seems to be doing the trick at the moment.
 
The Weatherbeeta plus dynamic range have memory foam wither relief panels. My horse has got a light and medium version of these rugs and I find they sit much better and does lift the rug up off her wither as there's a channel in between the panels. Also the medium is light as it goes but still 220g fill.
 
I have zero fill and 100g weatherbeeta comfitec rugs and love them. I think it definitely eases pressure on his withers and they also have lower set chest fittings so they don’t strangle him every time he puts his head down but don’t pull back tight either. My one and only complaint is the front snaps aren’t robust, both bottom ones jammed up within days of purchase.
 
Someone I used to work for customised a anti rub vest with a piece of foam with a hole cut out for the withers, I think she just attached the foam to the top of it which was fairly easy and it worked quite well.
 
I have a WB comfitec on an arab with low withers and the pads aren't big enough to give wither relief on him IMO, however he doesn't need wither relief so it isn't an issue.

I would go for a rug that is light (the total weight of the rug, not how much filling it has) and stays light when wet. The ideal if you can afford it (or find one 2nd hand) would be a Rambo followed by a Rhino. Preferably the Wug style.

I'm sure that Ihatework has written about how to make a wither relief pad from a saddle riser. This could be added while any injury heals.
 
Top