# Any tips to stop manes rubbing in winter?



## tigger01 (5 September 2016)

every winter the same problem.  My two will be wearing rugs with neck covers once the weather starts to deteriorate. Not a problem on one as he's hogged. My veteran however always loses his mane from about half way up his neck to his withers. Any ideas? I'm thinking no neck covers this year.  Am sure my 26 year old will survive. But any other ideas? Hoods?


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## Pinkvboots (5 September 2016)

The only thing I have found is not to use neck covers at all, I have tried quite a few and they all end up rubbing half the mane away, it might be due to the fact they have fine silky hair as they are Arabs so maybe it just rubs out easier, even having them covered in mud keeps the mane in tact so it's neck free rugs for mine now. even fly rugs rub the mane at the bottom and they are so thin and light.


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## booandellie (5 September 2016)

This is a funny one, some people say that full neck rugs cause mane loss as the follicles open and the mane drops out however i met a lady whose cob had the most fantastic long super thick mane and she said she only used full necks rugs. I am now the proud owner of a traddy cob with super long mane and the couple of days that i used a standard neck rug, it rubbed and frazzled her mane so i have gone out and bought full neck rugs. i have noticed that some necks are roomier than others eg weatherbeeta necks have plenty room but shires neck couldn't even do up and fit her mane in so that might be why your full necks rub. i have always used full neck rugs and never had mane loss or rubs


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## booandellie (5 September 2016)

forgot to ask are you using combos or detachable necks? detachable necks still have the neck seam which causes the rub, combos( weatherbeeta ones anyway) are seam free


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## The Fuzzy Furry (5 September 2016)

I find full integral neck rugs are easier on the mane than detachable neck ones as no 'weight' of a rug pulling at all around front of withers.


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## peanut (5 September 2016)

I find that the combo rugs are worse for manes than the detachable neck type rugs.

I have tried using the Bossy's Bib mane guard but even that didn't work.


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## Bare hoof (5 September 2016)

peanut said:



			I find that the combo rugs are worse for manes than the detachable neck type rugs.

I have tried using the Bossy's Bib mane guard but even that didn't work.
		
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You could do no rugs. After all horses never wore them in the wild , we mollicuddle our horses far too much.


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## The Fuzzy Furry (5 September 2016)

Bare hoof said:



			You could do no rugs. After all horses never wore them in the wild , we mollicuddle our horses far too much.
		
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Could do, but the poor thing will then only light hack,  instead of hunting or doing decent long hacks, as it will have a long shaggy coat, instead of being clipped to comfortably work. ....

or should i just not ride to prevent any sweating ?


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## Bare hoof (5 September 2016)

The Fuzzy Furry said:



			Could do, but the poor thing will then only light hack,  instead of hunting or doing decent long hacks, as it will have a long shaggy coat, instead of being clipped to comfortably work. ....

or should i just not ride to prevent any sweating ? 

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I ride mine in there winter coats and I've never had any problem. Sweating aswell , with no problems.


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## The Fuzzy Furry (5 September 2016)

Bare hoof said:



			I ride mine in there winter coats and I've never had any problem. Sweating aswell , with no problems.
		
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Well done 
Regretfully i couldn't drag hunt without clipping and rugging as i would be concerned about welfare otherwise.


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## ycbm (5 September 2016)

There were no neck rugs twenty five years ago. Horses still hunted in winter and were turned out all day in all weathers in heavy, barely lined, leaky canvas rugs.

Horses are not as fragile as a lot of newer owners believe. I blame the rug marketers for making people think neck covers and 350g fill rugs are essential items of equipment for normal healthy horses.


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## Coblover63 (5 September 2016)

I've not had problems with combo's  rubbing my hairies' manes away but I did read a tip that was spraying Show Sheen on the inside of the neck of the rug to make it slide over the mane easier.   Might be worth trying because it sounded plausible to me.


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## Sheik (5 September 2016)

We use coconut oil on ours and has stopped the hoods rubbing ,you don't need a lot
We tryed everything as have the same problem with hoods rubbing but an old friend from a showing yard told me this.


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## Sheik (5 September 2016)

ycbm said:



			There were no neck rugs twenty five years ago. Horses still hunted in winter and were turned out all day in all weathers in heavy, barely lined, leaky canvas rugs.

Gosh I remember them rugs . The good old days .
		
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## FreyaBean (6 September 2016)

If you want a full neck rug, make sure it's a combo and not detachable, and the show sheen on the inside does work - works on my Arab and Cob at any rate. Both their manes are well past their shoulders.
Arab tends not to need a neck rug on, she's such a hairy ****** come winter, but I did buy a snuggy hood outdoor weatherproof thing for her, and I swear, best thing I every bought.
I use it with a standard neck rug, and it stops her from getting all the winter rubbish stuck in it.

Word to the wise - coconut oil is all well and good, but it can make a lovely breeding ground for lice and mites ON your rugs.
Hasn't happened to me, as I don't use it, but did happen to someone on the same yard as me.
Horse was fine, but was always scratching when in that particular rug... Take the coconut oil away, poof, no more scratching as no more lice/mites
Not saying it will happen to all, but it did in this case.
It's also really cleggy, there are much lighter oils out there which protect the hair follicle as well as stopping rubs and broken ends.
Avon aragan oil is a good one


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## nikkimariet (6 September 2016)

Detachable necks, as light a filling as you can get. No necks in stables.

Fig keeps a nice hanson mane all year round 

He is a poor doer anyway, and although I'm careful no to over heat him as he's a cold horse (longing for Aus still!) he loses weight if I leave clipping too late. No way could I work him properly even with his measly winter coat.


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## gryff (12 September 2016)

I find the premier equine necks never rub Manes. My arab and section d both have beautifully long and thick Manes. I will never use a combo rug again, after my Section D lost all his lovely fallen mane the first winter that I owned him due to wearing one.


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## PerfectCoffee (13 September 2016)

Some horses do seem to be more prone to mane loss than others but some rugs are definitely better for reducing rubbing than others.  I use Maxima rugs now and find they don't rub out mt horses manes.


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## Queenbee (14 September 2016)

gryff said:



			I find the premier equine necks never rub Manes. My arab and section d both have beautifully long and thick Manes. I will never use a combo rug again, after my Section D lost all his lovely fallen mane the first winter that I owned him due to wearing one.
		
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Never say never, my beast has a PE rug, and it rubs his mane


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## nikkimariet (14 September 2016)

Queenbee said:



			Never say never, my beast has a PE rug, and it rubs his mane
		
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And they rubbed 3 of ours!


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## The Fuzzy Furry (14 September 2016)

Queenbee said:



			Never say never, my beast has a PE rug, and it rubs his mane
		
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Ive had mixed usage with the PE rugs, but more likely to have lower part of mane rubbed under rug over the withers area. Not usually a problem, unless you like to keep a native's mane long.... Not had issues with necks rubbing tho, just under the withers section, grr


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## Tnavas (16 September 2016)

Keep the lining spotlessly clean- its the friction of the neck rug moving and the grease in the mane rubbing together. Either use baby wipes daily to clean the lining or make a mix of weak detergent in a spray bottle, lightly spray the lining and then rub clean with a face cloth.


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## Shoei (16 September 2016)

I have tried everything!!! And my Gelderlander always looses the bottom of his mane, It doesn't help he has the head carriage of a lamma.  For the first time this year I am abandoning neck rugs for all but the worst weather and if I have a lesson.  He will be fully clipped but they do have a large barn to go in when he is out.  I was concerned his neck would grow back quickly but I'd rather clip more than struggle to plait his stumpy mane!


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## Nudibranch (16 September 2016)

I like half necks for this exact reason, though they can be a PITA to find.


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## gingerarab (16 September 2016)

Nudibranch said:



			I like half necks for this exact reason, though they can be a PITA to find.
		
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and me but as you say difficult to find, bought my last ones in a sale.  Do you have any recomendations ?


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## Tnavas (16 September 2016)

Horses survived English winters perfectly well before someone thought of neck rugs around 25yrs ago. You will just have to brush off a little extra mud!

If you're worried about the horse getting cold, have a think about what type of clip you really need, not the type you would like. A trace clip is perfectly fine for the majority of leisure horses, especially if you are only able to ride a couple of days a week through winter.


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## marmalade76 (16 September 2016)

The only answer is not to use neck covers or only use them when you really have to. I don't rug mine unless I am riding them regularly and they're usually clipped when being ridden. Even then I try too stick to a no neck rug or a half neck (Rambo Wug) and only use neck covers when the weather is at it's worst. The manes just about survive that way. 

Manes can end up being damaged permanently. One of mine had worn a neck cover every winter for a few years before I had him and despite never wearing one in the three and a half years I had him his mane never grew back properly (he was a hairy native).


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## Nudibranch (17 September 2016)

Gingerarab I tend to go for Shires highlander half necks as they seem quite roomy in the chest.


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## ycbm (17 September 2016)

Tnavas said:



			Keep the lining spotlessly clean- its the friction of the neck rug moving and the grease in the mane rubbing together. Either use baby wipes daily to clean the lining or make a mix of weak detergent in a spray bottle, lightly spray the lining and then rub clean with a face cloth.
		
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I don't think it's always the friction. That would break the hair off. I've seen whole plaits come out with their roots intact. I've seen a Highland lose his mane after being turned out in a lycra hood (no rubbing) and it never grew again. I'm pretty sure there's something going on with heat/damp/fungal infection with a lot of mane loss.


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## Tnavas (17 September 2016)

ycbm said:



			I don't think it's always the friction. That would break the hair off. I've seen whole plaits come out with their roots intact. I've seen a Highland lose his mane after being turned out in a lycra hood (no rubbing) and it never grew again. I'm pretty sure there's something going on with heat/damp/fungal infection with a lot of mane loss.
		
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Agree with you re the fungal infection, I've seen horses here in NZ with bald patches on the top of their rumps where I would guess a leaky damp rug had been left on for too long.


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## WelshD (17 September 2016)

I think it's both - friction and lack of air to the mane. 

I don't use necks in the stable, they get folded back or the pony changed in to a standard neck stable rug 

If a pony stays out a couple if days then the neck is folded back for at least some time while the pony eats his tea or gets hooves picked out

I keep the mane clean and the inside of the rug clean with baby wipes and also use some mtg or light oil (Shapleys) on the mane 

I am amazed by the people who never fold back rugs or check underneath, some people leave rugs on all week even weeks on end  then are shocked that their horse has no mane at the end of winter.


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