[sublimequine]

I want to get one for my mare this winter. I've never bought or used one.

Tips/tricks? Are they ok for 24/7 pasture board use? Good/bad brands?

My mare wears an 82 blanket but has a shorter neck. Is it ok to get a neck rug that is advertised for a smaller blanket but will probably fit her neck better?

I'd like just any information you COTHers have on neck rugs.

[invinoveritas]

are great! keep the rain off of the neck and withers.
rambo neck covers are great
bucas neck covers are great
schneider's neck covers are great but I do not like their blankets.

if you board, make sure the bo is not a drunk idiot who will not fasten the neck rug to the blanket so that the neck rug will not fall over your horses' faces as soon as they begin to graze. Idiots do that and you find your horse standing there waiting for you, or rubbing the neck rug off when it causes vision problems. Otherwise, the neck rugs do not come loose on their own, despite horses rolling and rubbing. All problems with neck rugs are caused by people not attaching them to the blanket.

they are great though. I have unfilled and filled for all types of weather. I get the large, nnot the medium ones though.

Oh and be careful about mixing neck rugs of one brand with blankets of another. Some attachments differ in method and in location.

I wouldn't buy a blanket without a neck rug.

[appychik]

My mare wears an 82 blanket but has a shorter neck. Is it ok to get a neck rug that is advertised for a smaller blanket but will probably fit her neck better?

I'd like just any information you COTHers have on neck rugs.

I LOVE neck rugs ... the key is making sure they fit properly though. Gus is an 84 (although with old age and muscle loss, he's more likely an 80-82 now but his old blankets still fit just fine) and has a shorter neck as well.

From my experience, while I love SS Tack's blankets, I much prefer my Dover Northwind neck cover over any of the SS Tack neck covers. It just fits him way better - and stays done up (buckled + velcro) better as well AND it works well with all Gus's blankets and sheets, despite the fact that he only has one Dover brand blanket.

Gus boards out 24/7 too and I've never had an issue with him wearing his neck cover long term. EXCEPT, some horses experience hair loss (aka mane loss) from rubbing. I've never had this problem with Gus (but it could also be due to the fact that I routinely roach his mane).

FWIW, I much prefer the combo blankets though ... makes life so much easier (LOVE my Masta combo blanket though ... it's amazing).

[Side note: This is such a depressing topic to discuss now. It's absolutely beautiful outside and I'd rather not think about winter at the moment...]

[sterling2000]

I really liked my rambo neck cover and blanket. It was great when my horse rolled every day in the mud, and she was always clean and dry on cold days when I had little time to groom before riding. It also helps bump up the warmth of the blanket a little bit.

Since the barn kitties destroyed my rambo (started cuts that became holes) I just got my horse a Schneider's Stormshield Euro blanket with neck cover. The blanket is true to size and the neck cover is nice and covers everywhere. It will even fully cover her neck while grazing. I found that some neck covers flip up over the whithers and allow wet in under the cover, especially in the wind. Kinda defeats the purpose. Be careful about that when selecting a blanket/cover combo.

[Simbalism]

Love them! I have had several of the Dover Riders brand in the past. I like that their neck rugs come in two sizes. Last year my mare needed new blankets and my budget was a little tight so I purchased the Scheneider's blankets with neck rug. She had them all last winter and I was pleased with the fit. She lives out 24/7.

[sublimequine]

Thanks for the input guys! I appreciate it.

[bucksnort]

I love my Weatherbeeta neckcover blanket. Luca loves it too! I call it his turtleneck

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...0&l=b760eb8f57

[sublimequine]

Thanks again for the replies! Anyone care to weigh in on the smaller neck rug for a larger blanket? Can this work? I don't want a too-long neck rug; it'll end up going halfway up miss mare's head, LOL.

[touchadream]

I love my neck covers. It really helps the horses keep warm and stop them from growing back too much hair on their neck (if you clip your horse).

I bought a SS neck cover in large, my horse is a 76/78. I wish I have bought a smaller size. He has a long neck buy it is not that wide anymore...he's retired. I think you could buy a smaller size and it would fit fine with a bigger blanket as long as you are not going too small. You still want it to fit around the base of the neck and over lap the blanket.

[sterling2000]

I would do whatever you need to do in order to have the best fitting combination. Schneider's allows you to mix and match as needed, and you could call or email to get the exact measurements if you want. I think the hardware lines up similarly for most sizes (medium-large, etc). It also depends on the brand of blanket and their design. The rambo neck cover had about a 4-inch gap between her ears and the neck cover. The Schneider's fits flush behind her ears. Weatherbeeta's are similar to Schneider's in fit if I remember right.

[sportinghorsepolo]

Thanks again for the replies! Anyone care to weigh in on the smaller neck rug for a larger blanket? Can this work? I don't want a too-long neck rug; it'll end up going halfway up miss mare's head, LOL.

I've used mismatched sized neck rugs/turnouts to address, ahem, "conformational uniqueness". They connect just fine and function properly

[cswoodlandfairy]

I have them as well and love them. I have a Rambo Duo and cant say enough great things about it! My horse is out 24/7 and clipped and its a great system to keep him warm without having to add layers of blankets. I can just switch out the liners. The neck cover is removable as well. The Duo was true to size and the neck piece fits my guy wonderfully. I will say I had a weatherbeeta prior to the big purchase and wasn't thrilled with the neck piece. My boy was an 81 and the neck piece was way to big and slid down his neck some. I still have it as a backup but much prefer my Rambo.

I do know that Amgio sells the neck piece separately so you could go a size smaller if need be and they have great blankets as well. I stand pretty much behind the whole Horseware Line. I guess what I would do is hit up the local tack store and ask if you can measure the neck piece and compare to your horses neck so you know if it would be better to buy a smaller size!

Good luck!