Best neck sweat to use while driving

[mydaddysjag]

What is the best, most durable neoprene neck sweat to use while driving?

 

[Jetiki]

I don't do a neck sweat while driving, I find they are bulky and restrict the neck movement and they can't flex at the poll with a throat sweat on. What I do if I need to use a sweat, I'll lunge or round pen every other day and drive on the days I don't round pen. Seems to be working so far this year for me but I don't have a lot to work off.

Karen

 

[disneyhorse]

I wouldn't use a neck sweat during driving, because you want the horse to bend and flex his throat inward comfortably. It's one thing to work the horse in a round pen with a sweat, but quite another to ask them to set up in the bridle correctly!

Andrea

 

[mydaddysjag]

We might pass on sweating his neck this year then. We're running out of time to get him fully conditioned, so when he is worked, it is always in the cart. I feel that driving conditions a lot more than lunging, and right now he needs the work in cart (He had an almost two year break from driving, and will be shown in driving this year). I knew some people used neck sweats while driving, but I wasn't sure how safe it was, which is why I asked here. Glad I did, before I bought something (all the sweats I have are either fleece lined, or neck/shoulder sweats, and I knew I defiantly couldn't use them driving.)

 

[disneyhorse]

Well, you can keep the neck sweat on him 24/7 when he's NOT driving, and then take it off for driving. That's what I do with my horse. Well, we have a show in six weeks and I just put the sweat on, but today it was "removed" and stomped into the urine spot so it needs washing... so he might not get sweated as well as I'd like, but I'm pretty laid back about the sweating. I just use a 4" soft thinsulate kind. No gels or neoprene or anything.

Andrea

 

[mydaddysjag]

I do keep him stalled in a fleece lined neoprene neck sweat, but he tends to have a thick neck, and to get any results needs worked in a neoprene sweat. Last season I had to work him pretty hard in the round pen to even get him sweating under his neoprene sweats.

 

[targetsmom]

I have the ultimate neck sweat challenge - a lazy 6 year old mare that is insulin resistant and has a heavy crest - and even I remove her neck sweats for driving!! They are on pretty much 24/7 except for driving, even when jumping. Yeah, I do have to wash them, but I also have spares I can use. Double up on the sweats if you need to - she is wearing 2 throatlatch sweats and 2 neck sweats. Sometimes I think just carrying the weight of the sweats helps to thin the neck - you know, like carrying weights when you exercise (LOL)!

 

[Jetiki]

You might also want to check the carbs and sugars in his diet and see if they are too high or something may need to be changed in order to not be so heavy. Never hurts to look over what he's eating that may not be working for him, but does work for your others.

Karen

 

[gatorbait4sure]

Neck sweats will limit the flexability of your driving horse....NOW....to quote Mr. Mike McCabe, "A horse who is worked regularly won't need a neck sweat because he works his own sweat up in his throatlatch while working"

.....Now we all know in real life, most of us have another job, other than working our horses daily, so time is of the essence and anything that helps us accomplish our horse work faster is helpful!

Any horse here that needs a neck sweated, has two sets of fleece neck sweats, bought from Cathy at Star Lake. (She has a variety of sizes and can tell you what you need) A throat sweat, covered by a neck sweat. These are removed daily either for work or to check that all is well under there and no one is rubbing hair off or has an owie! I use them for about a week if they remain "Clean", then wash then and air dry, applying the second set in place of the first. When the temps rise this weekely timing is much shorter as they get gross.

Once I am working the horses more frequently, I remove the sweats as they do look better with work.

REMEMBER!!! The sweats work, but look at your horse from the side regularly to see if you are sweating them so you can SEE where the sweats lay! If there is a groove there from the sweats, then remove them until you can no longer see where the sweats were...you may not need them any longer.