Horse Wear

The Perfect Fit – How to Measure for a Horse Blanket

5 Comments
blanketfitting
As I sit here looking out one of the windows in the office, and I see the first snow of the year falling, I’ve come to the realization that it is that time of year again, and I haven’t replaced my horses winter blankets yet! Which got me thinking, maybe I should post a reminder on how to measure your horse for the perfect fit.With literally hundreds of different brands and types of horse blankets out there, finding the perfect fit for your horse can be overwhelming. However, if you find your horse’s size before starting to shop, you are already ahead in the game. Although many first-time blanket shoppers think that their horse’s blanket size is based on his/her height or weight, it is actually based on your horse’s length. Here is a quick breakdown of how to measure you horse for a blanket:

First:

stand your horse on a hard leveled surface being sure that he or she is nice and square.

Second:

using a soft measuring tape or a long piece of string, place one end in the center of your horse’s chest.ย  Measure from the center of the chest, along the left side,ย to the middle of the tail. Be sure to cross over the point of shoulder (widest part of the shoulder), and that you keep your tape pulled tight. If you used a piece of string, once you got the length, simply compare it to tape measure to get your horse’s size.

Measuring is usually easiest with the help of a second person, however if you have to do it alone, draw the tape along your horse’s left side as far as you can, once you have reached as far as you can, mark the spot with your right thumb AND take notice of the measurement. Then restart measuring from that point to the furthest point of the rump, then simply add the two measurements together to get your horse’s size.

Most stock blankets come in even sizes, so if your horse measures an odd number, round up to the closest even size. For example, if you horse measures 73″, use a size 74 blanket.

blanket-measuring

Why is finding the correct size important?

A blanket that is too big is more likely to cause rubs than one that is too small, and can be dangerous.

Leg Straps and surcingles that are not properly adjusted (allow for a hands width) can cause rubs if too tight or you run the risk of your horse’s legs getting caught and tangled in the straps if they are too long.

If the neck of the blanket is too big, the blanket will hang off the back of the horse, which will place pressure on the chest and shoulders, which can restrict the movement of your horse and cause muscle soreness. It can also increase the possibility of rubbing and slippage and the horse may be in danger of stepping on the blanket when trying to stand after laying down or rolling.

Now comes the fun part!

Just like dressing smartly for winter riding, you want your horse to look classy and smart in their winter dubs too! Also, don’t forget your dog! We carry matching blankets for dogs and horse!

Measuring your dog is pretty easy too:

dogmeasure

5 thoughts on “The Perfect Fit – How to Measure for a Horse Blanket”

  1. Unfortunately some blanket manufacturers measure their blankets differently. Some are from the front edge while others are with the blanket buckled. I have gotten a blanket that’s size was based on the front edge so when it was buckled it was a shorter than what I liked. Customer service can usually help you with this. You may need to order one size up or down for best fit.

  2. Thank you so much for the information on how to measure your horse for a blanket. This is my first time to buy a blanket and the the information was extremely helpful.. My horse is 33+ years old and pretty thin despite the weight builder. The lady at the feed store told me to measure from the hip to the ground. So glad I kept searching web sites to make sure.

  4. I have several size blankets, all by different brands and they are all too large in the neck area. What am I doing wrong.

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