Horse rug sizes and fitting

The right blanket fit for your horse!
When you want to order a blanket for your pony or horse, it is very important to know exactly what size blanket you need. With the right size, your horse can enjoy your blanket a lot. On this Agradi page, you will find explanations on how best to determine the blanket size and fit of your pony or horse.

The size
The sizes in the table below are all indicated in centimeters. The only exception is the UK size, which is indicated in inches ("). The table also lists sizes for a neck or mask on your pony or horse. The sizes in the table are an estimate. Two horses with the same height may have different blanket sizes due to their different build.

For the best estimate, you can measure the horse yourself. You do this by placing the beginning of your measuring tape at the middle of your horse's chest (point A), and then around the shoulder to the end of the hindquarters (point B). Make sure your measuring tape stays at the same height as the entire line. The resulting size is the bottom length of the required rug, which you can find in the table as the Dutch rug size.

The horse blankets in our webshop come in two sizes. The first size indicates the back length of the rug and the second size indicates the underlength. In the Netherlands we are used to using the lower length, but, for example, Horseware and Bucas indicate their own sizes in back lengths.

The rug model
Not only is the right size important, but also the right model. If you have a broad and/or baroque built horse, there are blankets with models specially designed for this type of horse. Apart from horses with a broad build, there are also ladies' horses with a narrower build than the average horse. They will benefit from a rug with a narrower neck.

Would you like advice on a suitable model blanket for your horse? Call us or send us an email with a picture of your horse.

Fitting
When you have, to the best of your knowledge, chosen a size and a model of blanket and have received the package with the blanket, it is time to try on your new blanket. Do this carefully, of course, so that, should the blanket not fit nicely, the next customer is not inconvenienced. The next customer also wants a blanket without hair and dirt, but with the smell of new. Therefore, make sure your horse is as clean and dry as possible when fitting. First put a clean sheet or other thin blanket on your horse so that as little hair as possible can stick to the new blanket. Especially with fleece-lined blankets, loose hair is very difficult to remove.

First put the blanket on slightly too far forward and close the front closure. Make sure that the fabric of the left side and the right side are at least touching. Now slide the blanket a little further back so that it lies in the right place. This way, the horse's hair will also lie in the right direction under the blanket. Finally, close the belly girth and buttock straps. For buttock straps, pull one strap through the other to make the blanket lie as stable as possible.

The stitching seam of the tail flap should be approximately at the horse's tail start. Many people think that a horse is nice and warm when the blanket falls longer, but a blanket that is too long often pulls back and is also more likely to lie crooked. Therefore, a blanket that is too long is not at all comfortable for your horse. When the stitching of the tail flap is at the base of the tail, the blanket is really long enough.

Also take a critical look at the neck size. If it is too large, the upper edge of the blanket will get stuck behind your horse's withers. It is better to choose a rug with a smaller neck. If the collar is too tight for the horse, it will pinch. This reduces your horse's freedom of movement and can cause pressure. Also, go between the blanket and the withers with your hand when your horse is eating with its head to the ground, after all, horses stand in this position for many hours a day. Is there enough room?

Examples
Here are three examples of always the same horse wearing three blankets; a blanket that is too short, a blanket of the right size and a blanket that is too long.

1) The blanket below is too short for this horse. This has the following consequences:

• The blanket is too tight around the neck. This also prevents the horse from fine grazing
• There is little room for the shoulders, which limits the blanket's freedom of movement
• The blanket is too short and does not protect the belly properly
• The blanket does not fully cover the hindquarters
• There are many folds in the rug because the rug pulls

2) This blanket sits just right! This has the following implications:

• The neck gives room for this horse to move downwards.
• The fabric of the blanket falls looser around the horse's shoulders to allow the horse to move comfortably
• The blanket falls over the belly
• The blanket is just long enough. The start of the tail flap starts at the base of the tail
• This rug has significantly fewer folds

3) The blanket below is too long for this horse. This has the following consequences:

• You can see that the blanket falls well over the horse's tail. Because the back is too long, its weight causes the blanket to pull backwards
• Because the blanket pulls backwards, there is a lot of pressure on the shoulders. If the neck size is also too big for the horse, the rug will get stuck behind the withers at the neck.
• Lying askew when in use is also a nasty habit you regularly see recurring with blankets that are too long for the horse. The blanket is no longer stable on the horse due to its length.

Would you like to receive advice on a suitable model blanket for your horse? Call us or send us an e-mail with a picture of your horse. Should you find out that the fit could be better for your horse, you can return the rug for free at Agradi! On this page you can register your free return. In doubt or do you have other questions? Then please contact us. For all our blankets such as winter blankets, rain blankets, fly rugs and more look here.