I'm new to mares -- is a dirty back end on a Kensington fly sheet normal?

[Merle]

So ... I may have purchased the wrong size fly sheet. I bought a Kensington, which I LOVE, but my mare literally does her business right onto the sides of the sheet in the back end. When I first put the sheet on her I thought "how nice - this wraps right around her hind end and covers everything!" well ... now that there is caked manure there every day right on the edges I'm not too thrilled with how it wraps around. ;) I think I should have bought her one size smaller and that would make it not go back as far as this one. I measured her and bought the size sheet that she measured at but this a new horse so I'm not sure if she really should take one size smaller. Anyone else have this problem?

I've never owned a mare before so I'm not used to so much stuff coming out right there -- plus she's a black and white pinto with an all white tail and most of her legs are white. So it's very obvious where it is dirty, too. :D

[Bayou Roux]

I had to put about a four-inch tuck in the one I got last year for the Rouxster. Measured properly, and it was the right size, but with her narrow shoulders, it slid back and rested atop her bum, and yes, she pooped the back of it regularly, making a mess of it and herself.

So now she's got Hospital-Gown-Gap down the hind end, but the sheet (and her rump) stays clean. Just a good dose of fly spray back there to cover the uncovered spots...

One sized does not always fit all. :winkgrin:

[Merle]

Good idea! Do you have any pictures of what it looks like now?

Now to figure out how to tailor it to her a bit and get someone to sew it. I don't know if I should attempt to alter it. :winkgrin:

[Bayou Roux]

I'll have to rummage to see if I have a pic...but I'm no wicked seamstress-- I just pinched a tuck in it all along the back of the seam where the belly strap goes (it has one belly strap, not two that cross under), so it was actually sort of "tailored" at that point anyway. I kept it an even 4 inches all across the tuck; I didn't bother to try to make it fade as it went down the sides. (The sheet has gussets at the shoulder and in front of the stifle, so there was plenty of give room built in.)

Pinched & stitched by hand; it took about an hour and a half, and it's no beautiful job, but the fact that it's already seamed and tucked right at that point hides my less-than-stellar stitchwork...

[mypaintwattie]

My mare is in between sizes, so her kensington sheet is te same way- a little large and covers her bum, which in turn leads to the sides getting poop on them. I just hose it off occasionally, or take a stiff brush and wipe it down. It's better than having to deal with her winter blankets- they are Rambo's and have the tail chord. Yuck when you have a messy mare!