bit of a drama tonight - the dangers of rugs with leg straps

Fabio's Filly!

Fabio's Filly!

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Oct 30, 2008
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Lincolnshire
We went out to sort the horses tonight and a bit of a drama occured. OH was hanging nets in the shelter whilst i was doing dinners. Was just bringing the feeds down when Freddy really nastily lunged at Fabio. He grabbed him at the withers and ripped his rug literally down the middle (and also obliterated his snuggy underneath). Fab went off at full pelt in a panic as the rug was flapping round his sides (when i checked the rug when Fred ripped it h'd done it with that much force he'd pulled the front straps off one side, they're still buckled up in the other side. Couldn't understand initially how the front had undone when it was buckled up). Sparks were flying off his shoes as he came down the one side and he was still galloping when he got to the fence.....he tried to jump but was too close by that point and came through the post and rail. :( At this point the rug did actually come off. He ran up the yard and back and calmed down when OH went to settle him whilst i grabbed a headcollar. Took him in his stable and just calmed him down for a while before putting them all in the other paddock as they couldn't stay in the other (you'll see why in the pics).
Now, This has happened a couple of time before with Fabio. Either front straps have come undone or rugs ripped, but all only had a tailstrap. Unfortunately this one had leg straps. :( All the other rugs have come off in seconds once they've slid off the middle. This one just caught round his legs and sent him into even more of a blind panic. I will never use leg straps on a rug again and tbh had never really thought about how dangerous they can be until tonight. So, just a warning for all that use them.

Pics of the damage

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the side where the straps were

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and still buckled the other side

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Poor horse! I hope he's ok.
How do you fasten your leg straps? Everyone seems to do it differently and the way I have always known to be "correct" shouldn't really result in this problem. Also, out interest, what make is the rug? It seems that if a bite can do that much damage the quality can't be great? :unsure:
 
I clip them to the same side the strap is, but looping round the other if that makes sense?

I'm gonna email the rug co tomorrow. OH thinks it would have ripped anyway but i'm not sure it should have. Was Swish. Only rug i've bought from them and although cheap the quality seemed good...until now. :(
 
The rug should never have ripped in that way in the first place, you need to get onto the manufacturers, there's clearly a weakness.. just to add, if it hadn't of ripped there, the incident with the leg straps would never have happened, that part was an act of god..
I hope your boy's ok XX
 
OMG how awful and frightening for Fabio and for you! Can imagine the nightmare as you were watching it all happen. At least you were there to sort things out a bit.

I don't like leg straps either but I do have a rainsheet that has them and when I have used it in the past, I fastened same way as you described doing yours.

Have to agree with the others on quality of the rug though - it should never just break up like that from a bite/pull... surely the whole point of designing rugs these days is to withstand the basics of natural horse behaviours??? I'd be getting straight onto Swish and including the photos too.

Glad Fabio is OK :smile:
 
How horrific, had a similar incident a few years back with a young filly I was looking after for friends. Its very alarming and such a relief when it all ended without serious injury. However, ours didnt involve a problem with leg straps - she managed to gallop and cart wheel and rip out of the whole flipping rug. Awful to watch - especially if it isnt your horse!

Personally I prefer leg straps - over the years I have had more undressing and killing rug incidents without leg straps than with. I suppose like everything it is personal preference -but no matter how careful we are there will always be the 'sod's law' accident wont there?

Glad all is OK and just write it off to one of those things.:smile:
 
Cortrasna said:
Have you tried the elasticated ones? Im using these now and I am very pleased with them.
Click to expand...

Littles new Mark Todd rug is amazing. Even I, as a non-rugger by nature, am impressed. It's a perfect fit with no pulling on the shoulders or gaping neck. It has quick release clips on the chest straps. The tail flap is long and the leg straps are elasticated. I need leg straps as my field gets rather breezy for Hampshire.
 
My young mare had an accident nearly a fortnight ago with her leg straps. She must have gotten stuck during a roll and while fighting her way out of it, broke the metal clasp. Her near-hind leg is pretty shredded, thank God she does not have shoes on, it could have been so much worse. I've never had another horse have an accident like this with a rug and I pride myself on fastening them up at the correct length! Just one of those things, I suppose, and she is quite an agile sort. She's not having another rug on yet, she's quite a toughie anyway.

Hope your lad has gotten over his shock, FF.
 
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