Rated 5 out of
5
by
AnneD from
Worked Immediately!
The shoulder guard I was using was not working on my gray horse. He continued to have rub marks from his winter blanket and summer sheet. The Stretchies Shoulder Guard worked immediately. My horse no longer has rub marks. This product worked so well that I just purchased a second one so my horse always has a shoulder guard even when one is in the laundary.
Date published: 2014-05-22
Rated 4 out of
5
by
Kirsta from
stops the rubs
Bought this just 1 month ago and the rubs are already going away. Only issue is that the neck was high on the underside. Very tight when he bent down to eat hay and I bought the XL. I cut the neck opening about 10 inches and it fits fine. Has not torn further. Good product.
Date published: 2014-03-26
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Emma from
Great!
My mare's blanket was rubbing her really bad so I got this and no more rubs!
Date published: 2014-03-25
Rated 4 out of
5
by
Libby from
A bit overpriced but does the job
The first few days I was skeptical because the neck opening was moving around so much that it was damaging the hair there while protecting the shoulders. It seems like it broke in though because the shoulder guard started doing its job without rubbing the neck. I like the reinforcement where the snap goes under the girth. Still, I think it's a bit pricey for what you're getting. We'll see how it holds up in the long term. For this price I would hope to get two winters out of it.
Date published: 2014-02-13
Rated 3 out of
5
by
RRHounds from
OK, not great.
I bought this a week ago and as soon as I put it on I was concerned. I bought a Large for my 15.3 1/2 Arab/Pinto but the neck opening had strong elastic that is tight, and the chest strap made him look 'busty' and tight. However I really needed something right then so I pulled on the neck elastic to stretch it (and break some of the threads) and that made me feel a bit better about leaving it on him. This photo is after 1 week of use. It's holding up ok, but I'm not thrilled. It's really loose over his shoulder and doesn't go down very far so I'm concerned that it doesn't do what I need it to. I will be looking for something different.
Date published: 2014-01-27
Rated 5 out of
5
by
KimOpiatowski from
Great product
Works and fits very well. Easy on and off. Also very good quality
Date published: 2013-12-28
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Jim_in_PA from
Guards the shoulders as it should.
Nice quality, fits well, easy to put on and off. Does the job at alleviating any chance of blanket rubs on the horse's shoulders.
Date published: 2013-12-21
Rated 5 out of
5
by
ddwj from
Quality product
I purchased this shoulder guard a couple of weeks ago and it is just as described. The fit is perfect and it appears to be well made. This is another Smartpak good deal.
Date published: 2013-12-19
Rated 4 out of
5
by
SusieQ011 from
Great to Avoid Rubs
Last year I bought this in a small, the size said 70 - 72, and my horse takes a size 72 blanket. It was a tad small for him last year and this year when I pulled it out it would not stay over his withers, it just kept popping up over his shoulder. He may have filled out a bit over the year, muscle-wise so I can see how it would be a little too small for him this year (he's a stalky 15hh Paint…sometimes he's a cob size sometimes a full it just depends). This year I bought a medium (74-76), and it fits much better and is working nicely to protect his mane from a winter of wearing blankets.
The moral of my story: if size is a question, get the bigger one.
Date published: 2013-12-16
Rated 3 out of
5
by
sadiesue from
Its good, depends the reason you use it...
I bought this because my horse had surgery between his arm pits and I was looking for something to keep his bandages secure. This product worked, however I had to modify it due to the 'Yoke' was a little more narrow than pictured...
Date published: 2013-11-30
Rated 3 out of
5
by
Christine from
So so
I bought this several weeks ago for my big-boned TB gelding. It fits alright, but does ride up a bit and shift---which, I was no expecting given the breast plate design. I am not super pleased with this purchase.
Date published: 2013-11-22
Rated 5 out of
5
by
rideahorse from
Have a hard to fit QH appendix which makes blanket and sheet rubs a winter nightmare. This is the only shoulder guard I've found that fits high enough up the neck to guard the "roaming" blankets. Had one for 2 years and it has finally worn out at the withers - it was used daily during fall/winter months so feel like I got my money's worth.
Date published: 2013-04-25
Rated 3 out of
5
by
SophiaMaria from
Does the job
The shoulder guard does mostly work to protect the point of the shoulder. It can ride up some and if the horse has a low point of shoulder or gets lower rubs this guard might not fully protect the area. It is easy to put on, although the buckle does not stay adjusted well, it always goes slack.
Date published: 2013-03-11
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Cathy from
Does What It's Supposed To Do!
My TB gelding is a 78, and the large fits him well. I could see it fitting a bit tight around the neck for a larger-boned horse, although the neck elastic is both tight yet surprisingly unrestrictive. He doesn't mind wearing it, it fits, and seems to be helping his rubs from getting worse. It's too soon to tell if they will heal and hair will grow back while he is wearing his blanket and this (plus I switched out blankets). I am giving this product the benefit of the doubt since it has been around for a long time and I've always heard success stories with them. The price was definitely reasonable. Thanks SP. =)
Date published: 2013-03-08
Rated 3 out of
5
by
JR10 from
Watch out for static build up! Also, the adjustment does not do much because it slides back out to its longest adjustment overnight, but this does not seem to affect how it fits or stays on, so I started just leaving it that way. Comes up higher on the neck than I expected, leaving it a bit exposed on a regular neck turn-out. Overall happy with the purchase!
Date published: 2013-02-26
Rated 2 out of
5
by
Diane from
Worst Fit Ever
The Stretchies Shoulder Guard I purchased from Smart Pak had the worst fit ever. The fabric was nothing like a Sleasey and gapped in the back part of the shoulder guard. The front was also loose even though I purchased the correct size for my 78 horse. They must run very large. I went back and bought another Sleasey. They are less money than these, fit better, and my horse loves the feel.
Date published: 2013-02-26
Rated 3 out of
5
by
ShagyaDancer from
It works
I got this to keep my grey warmblood from getting blanket nicks. I wasn't too sure about it when I got it, the material is thin and band that goes around his middle is pretty flimsy. But it does work and it doesn't get a lot of wear and tear because it comes off in the morning with his blanket. So. Works fine. It seems like it should cost about 19$ but it was double that!
The L fit my 16.2 big chested gelding.
Date published: 2013-02-23
Rated 3 out of
5
by
SophiaMaria from
Works Fine
The shoulder guard seems to have helped with shoulder rubs and is of reasonable quality. The belly attachment does not maintain its size adjustment well so it does not always stay tight, but it does not displace the shoulder guard as far as I can tell.
Date published: 2013-01-28
Rated 3 out of
5
by
Julia from
Decent Product
I purchased this because my awkwardly sized draft-cross was getting some rubs on his shoulder from his blanket. It fit a bit tight around the neck, but around his elbows it was loose. The strap on the bottom does not stay tight. After about 2 weeks, he's ripped the elastic around the neck hole, but it is still functional. Next time I'll buy a different brand.
Date published: 2013-01-28
Rated 1 out of
5
by
Jkat22 from
Major let down
I bought this thinking it would be great like almost ALL smartpak things but it was a huge let down when the neck hole was too small and the part for the shoulders had too much room so it rubbed her even more!!! The snap to keep it in place rubbed my horse to the point were she got mean whenever she just saw it. Do not buy this!!! Go to your local tack store and but one just not this!
Date published: 2013-01-26
Rated 3 out of
5
by
clooneysmom from
neck opening is small
After reading the reviews, I bought a large for my 15.3 warmblood. He has a fairly high-set neck, and this guard seems to ride high and tight. I'm afraid to pull it down lower on his neck because I don't want it tighter and rubbing. I had the beginnings of a shoulder rub, and this guard is definitely protecting against that. The elastic belly band does not stay tight. It is always completely loose after 24 hours. I also think that the buckle is fairly clunky, and I hope my horse doesn't lay on it. I would probably try another brand in the future. Not crazy about the fit on my horse.
Date published: 2013-01-15
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Mustang3 from
Nice Shoulder Guard
I've never used a product like this before but I needed it because my horse had a blanket that was rubbing hair off the point of his shoulder. I loved the feel of the material and found it to be very soft & stretchy. I read the previous reviews that said the belly stap sometimes loosens by itself so when I put it on my horse I grabbed a few inches of electrical tape and ran it around the strap to make it a bit more secure to stay in place. I've had no problems with this product & the hair seems to be growing back quickly.
Date published: 2013-01-11
Rated 5 out of
5
by
HunterJumper30 from
Great Investment!
Before I purchased this item I was unable to even put a fly sheet on my horse because he would get terrible rubs at the withers. He got one infection that prevented me from riding him for 2 weeks while he healed. If your horse gets rubs on the withers or shoulders, this is a great product. It does run fairly large and the girth takes a bit of adjusting every time to make sure it is correctly tightened. Thank you SmartPak for giving me peace of mind when my horse has his blankets on!
Date published: 2012-12-26
Rated 3 out of
5
by
Cliffy from
Too small
I was disappointed in the neck opening. I have order other stretchies items and never had a problem however the neck opening (large) was way too small for my 15.2 hand quarter horse.
Date published: 2012-11-07
Rated 3 out of
5
by
patsquared from
Shoulder Guard - Good Product but Runs Small
I love using these for my horse but this one really does run small. Buzz wears a 78 blanket so I thought large would work...but I bought a large and it just doesn't fit right. It's too tight but I paid a pretty penny for it and can't afford a new one. Will know better next time!
Date published: 2012-10-30
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Louise from
Best stretchie ever
Love this stretchie for my xl warmblood mare, keeps her from getting ugly blanket rubs and it stays on with belly belt.
Date published: 2012-03-31
Rated 2 out of
5
by
BT00 from
Way too small
The XL was way too small for my quarter horse. He is 15.2, and wears an 82 blanket, and an XL Schneiders shoulder guard fits fine. The quality seemed to be ok otherwise, I can't say anything about the durability becasue I couldn't get it on him. If you have a smaller horse it looked like it would be fine, but I would order a size up.
Date published: 2012-03-28
Rated 5 out of
5
by
lisx from
love this
Perfect solution to preventing blanket rubs. Easy to get on and off and works very well. Liked it so much bought another!
Date published: 2012-03-14
Rated 3 out of
5
by
Shanyrae from
Solid Value with Caveat
I bought this for my Fjord mare as the winter blankets resulted in significant chest rubbing. She was already clipped and with her rugged pasture endeavors, her chest became bare no matter what type of blanket she wore. Within 2 weeks of wearing this guard her hair was returning and the balding areas are no longer irritated. My only complaint is that the plastic clasp is quite large and when tightened, sits directly behind her elbow. The product runs small and I ordered a medium, even though the small is suggested for a 70" blanket size. The product is easy to take on and off, appears comfortable but the surcingle does loosen throughout the day and should be checked at least daily.
Date published: 2012-02-24
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Caroline08 from
Does it's job
Bought this Shoulder Guard to keep blankets from rubbing.....only started using it and hair is already coming back on the point of his should!! Very Happy!!
Date published: 2012-02-22