Would you leave a neck + face hood on your horse in the field?

[floradora09]

I'm looking into buying a hood for my boy (who lives out 24/7), to help keep him clean and keep plaits in the night before a competition, but also to try and prevent him losing the bottom half of his mane again next winter! I know there are many cheaper lycra makes, which I presume would do the job fine, but there's a sale at the moment on some more substantial, waterproof ones, which I was considering buying but it led me to the question-

What if it twisted round his face and covered his eyes, so he couldn't see- what would the consequences of that be?

Would you leave a hood on your horse out in the field? I have seen some lycra hoods which just cover the neck, not head, but maybe these would slip down?

Thanks in advance!

 

[vroutledge]

A couple of months ago i would have said yes use one, but i read a story possibly on here about a horse who was in the field with one and it had caught and covered its eyes and the horse panicked and ended up running in to something and had to be PTS from it injuries. (i think that's how the story went).......Maybe just get the lycra neck without the face cover and a full neck rug.

 

[floradora09]

Gosh that's a terrible story, but sadly it doesn't really suprise me that it happened, I have full necked rugs anyway so a lycra one should do the job fine I hope. Generally my lad is laid back, but I wouldn't like to say what he'd do if it happened to him, especially on a windy cold night in the big winter fields..

 

[millitiger]

Mine have snuggy hoods on in the field during winter and have always been absolutely fine.

IMO if it slips or twists around it is the wrong size.

If you are worried though, I am sure snuggy do a hood that loops over the ears but doesn't come down the face?

 

[Jericho]

I have used a snuggy turnout hood all winter and it didn't shift at all. However I have my horses at home and can see them from the house so if anything happened I could deal with it quicker than say if they were down the road. There is most definitely a risk in using them especially if there are things in the field that the hood can get snagged on.

 

[MissTyc]

I do it the night before shows .... but although have used Snuggy hoods for years I am now more nervous as have heard of several scary stories involving covered faces and eye damage.
I think the temperament of the horse comes in a bit as the horses I put it on stand still and wait for rescue when their eyes get covered. Having said that, they are horses, and anything could happen.
I used to use them all winter and never had a problem, but now consider myself lucky and don't use them in winter any more. Replaced all my rugs to some that didn't rub! So it's just the odd night here and there.

 

[vroutledge]

I don't necessarily think an accident would only happens if the size is wrong, if the horse was to catch it and pull, the eye patches would move limiting visability.

 

[NWalker]

No I would not leave it on in the field. My friend who keeps her horse with me at home left one on. Luckily it was during the day and had only been on about half an hour when I looked out of my kitchen window and saw him going absolutely loopy in the field. Managed to get it off him but he was very panic stricken.

 

[floradora09]

http://www.rideaway.co.uk/ROMA-lycra-stretch-neck-rug/default.aspx Do you think this would work? My lad's a 15.2h TB, normally takes 6'3 rugs, if a cob size was too small for an arab perhaps full size?

 

[Dizzydancer]

I have used a lycra neck bit that didnt have a face it had a couple of loops on top which i just attached to a cheap leather headcollar. My boy was fine he had it on everywinter when fully clipped out. Obviously snuggy hoods TO hoods are designed for turnout but if your horse has access to trees or natural undergrowth rather than a electric fence paddock in middle of field there will be a risk. They do one which only goes over ears which would be more suitable.

ETS just looked at link, thats the one i have, works fine!! I would say cob, my 16.2 IDxTB was a full size.

 

[hayinamanger]

Absolutely not, far too risky.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

i bought water proof hoods for mine like the lycra but clip onto d rings and its waterproof

 

[MrsMozart]

No, I wouldn't leave one one, too risky IMO.

Full neck turnout of a suitable weight instead?

One of our horse's flysheet has ear holes, which she's always got her ears out of within about ten minutes. She doesn't appear uncomfortable and the rug fits, I think she just has a wee rub and off it pops.

 

[foxy1]

There is a horse at my yard that a got detatchable neck cover pulled over his face/eyes/head while turned out.

He completely flipped and galloped THROUGH a hedge and two sets of post and rail with sheep fencing before he stopped long enough to be rescued.

Every leg was pumping out blood in several places and he had bits of hedge and fence sticking out of him all over, one very large splinter of wood stuck directly into his fetlock joint.
He had sliced large chunks of flesh off himself where the wire had gone through him.

He went for a lengthy stay in a specialist equine hospital and although he is home now he is not sound.

So..... absolutely 100% not worth the risk.

 

[Kokopelli]

I had the turnout for my grey and it fitted very snuggly so would take a great deal of force to get it to slip round.

I put it on to keep him clean he was a 14.1 connie with a big head and was in a pony size, the cob would have been too big.

 

[horserugsnot4u]

I agree with an earlier post that if you have trees/bushes in your field it is too risky. I'm always finding my ponies' fly masks of various designs hanging from branches, especially if there are prickly things like brambles or hawthorn trees around. I think if your paddocks are free of anything that could snag the hood/neck and you use one specifically designed for turnout then you might be ok but some horses just seem to attract mishaps.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Definitely not.
I suggest you get up earlier on Show mornings and plait before you set off.

 

[Oberon]

I'm sick to death of having to go into field/stable to 'rescue' horses with these stupid things over their faces. And never getting a thanks for it!

Let's see.....

Risk of serious injury to horse V keeping it's mane looking pretty....

Hmmmm, let me see......

 

[floradora09]

The winter turnout fields are hedged on most sides, lots of scope for snagging so perhaps not! It's not so much about keeping plaits in, more about preserving what little mane he has- but I agree that it really isn't worth the risk, he's not kept at home, and I'm a worrier anyway so wouldn't get any sleep at night wondering if he's ok! Foxy1 that's a horrendous story, especially as it was just a detachable neck cover, not even a face hood.

Will probably go for the Roma lycra hood, it looks as if it has things that I could attach to a headcollar if I ever needed to (again, leaving headcollars on also scares me, even the field safe ones as I panic about someone stealing him!!).