Part 3 in our 3 part series on Horse Rugs
A step by step guide on How To Fit A Horse Rug Correctly
It is important to learn how to fit a horse rug correctly for the comfort of your horse.
Horse rugs provide comfort, protection, and warmth for your horse.
Although many horse owners feel horses can survive just fine without a rug, research indicates that whilst they certainly can, many do appreciate the protection a horse rug provides.
However, selecting the right size horse rug to fit your horse can be challenging without proper guidance, especially if you’re new to this ‘horse owning’ business, or have never had reason to put a rug on a horse before.
So…in this article, we will explore the step-by-step process of measuring your horse and selecting the perfect fitting rug.
We will also address frequently asked questions to ensure your horse stays cosy and happy.
Why Is Proper Rug Fit Important?
Ensuring your horse rug fits correctly is essential for your horse’s comfort. Importantly, a well-fitted rug prevents rubbing or chafing, and allows freedom of movement.
Conversely, a badly fitted rug can cause discomfort, chafing, restrict circulation and movement, and potentially lead to injuries.
Measuring Your Horse And Selecting The Right Size Horse Rug
Before purchasing a horse rug, you need accurate measurements of your horse.
This is how you measure your horse correctly…
Measure The Length
Start by measuring from the centre of your horse’s chest horizontally to the point of the buttock.
Ensure the tape measure follows the contour of your horse’s body to get an accurate length measurement.
Make a note of this measurement because this determines the size you need. It will also help if you note the measurement in feet and inches (imperial) or convert metric to imperial once you’re done measuring.
We explain why further down…
Measure The Neck And Shoulder
To measure the neck and shoulder, place the tape measure in front of the wither, just before it starts rising into the neck.
Extend it along the angle of the shoulder and around to the middle of the front of the chest right where it meets the base of the neck.
This is another important measurement because too big a neck will result in the rug slipping backwards and creating pressure points on the horse’s shoulders.
Too tight and the chest strap will dig into the base of horse’s neck, making in uncomfortable for the horse, and creating another pressure point. It will also restrict shoulder movement.
Measure The Drop
The ‘drop’ on a rug is simply its width, or depth, from the centre of the back to the bottom of a side.
To figure this out, measure from the center of the chest right where the neck joins it, towards the ground, and establish where you want the sides of the rug to come to.
Ideally, the rug should cover the horse’s entire barrel without hindering movement.
However, you may want the sides to only come down a quarter of the way down the forearm, or have it slightly deeper and finish mid forearm.
Some people like the drop to be even longer and will look for rugs with a drop that ends at the knee.
Typically though you’d mostly only want this for a summer fly sheet as too long a drop can get in the way when the horse stands up after lying down or rolling.
Selecting The Right Size Horse Rug For Your Horse
Once you have the measurements, it’s time to choose the correct rug size.
Most rug manufacturers provide size charts based on length and drop measurements.
Compare your horse’s measurements to the size chart, and select the size that corresponds most closely to your horse’s measurements.
Here in Australia we follow the UK system of rug sizing, which, ironically, uses the old imperial measurements i.e. 6 foot or 6’. They go up or down in size in 3-inch increments.
So you’ll find rugs labelled 6’3 etc, which means it measures 6 feet 3 inches (6’3”) along the horizontal measurement from chest to buttock we explained above.
However, most rug manufacturers also note the metric measurements on the labelling.
When talking rug sizes, you’ll usually hear them referred to as six (6) three (3), meaning 6’3, or four (4) six (6), which is 4’6. And so on.
Although the rug sizes are typically written on the bag, there may be times when the rug you’re looking doesn’t have one handy.
Fear not though – the rug size is usually written on a label or tag sown into the front of the rug somewhere, usually on the inside. With canvas rugs, it may be stencilled on the outside of the drop at the front.
Frequently Asked Questions About Fitting A Horse Rug
Have some questions about how to go about measuring and fitting a horse rug properly? We answer some of the most common FAQ’s about how to fit a horse rug correctly.
How can I tell if the rug is too small?
If the rug is too small, it will be too tight across the chest and shoulders, causing rubbing and restricting movement.
Additionally, the drop may be insufficient, leaving the horse’s sides exposed to the elements.
It will also be too short in rump, leaving too much of the rump exposed.
Ideally, you want the rug to sit comfortably along the base of the neck where it meets the shoulders, and finish at the TOP of the tail head.
All too often people make the mistake of thinking the rug should extend further down over the back of the hindquarters.
This is not correct; nearly all rugs have tail flaps these days and it is the job of the tail flap, not the rug, to protect this part of the horse’s anatomy!
Quite apart from creating drag across the length of the rug, horses lift their tail to poop, and mares also lift it to pee.
Having a heavy rug sitting over their tail impedes this and you end up with pee and poop all down the back of your rug and leg straps.
What if the rug is too large?
An oversized rug may slip or shift, causing discomfort over the chest and shoulders, and potential safety hazards as strap lengths are usually proportionate to the size of the rug.
Therefore, an overly large rug will have overly large straps for your horse, and can result in your horse getting its legs caught in leg or belly straps when it lies down and stands up.
Can I use one rug for different seasons?
It depends. You can layer rugs.
For example, if you have a 100-gram polyfill rug, or a good quality waterproof unlined rug, you can put a polar fleece or woollen rug underneath for added warmth at night.
You can also use light rugs like these on their own during spring and autumn when the temperatures are still mild.
However, horses living on mainland Australia rarely require anything more than perhaps a flysheet or unlined canvas from late spring to early autumn, and that’s mainly to keep insects at bay.
So if you intend to keep your horse rugged all year round but don’t want a heap of rugs, you could get by with a good quality, waterproof unlined rug PLUS a woollen/polar fleece/doona rug.
Note – unlined rugs alone are not suitable for cold weather because they stop the coat hairs standing up to trap warmth against the horse’s skin.
In other words – your horse will probably be colder with an unlined canvas rug on than going without!
So – in cold weather always ensure you have some type of thermal insulation i.e. another rug, underneath an unlined one.
How often should I check the rug fit?
Regularly check your rug and how well it is fitting your horse. Canvas rugs for instance can shrink as the fibres within the fabric weave tighten up.
Horses also drop and gain weight and muscle tone, all of which can alter the way their rug fits.
If your horse is fat or skinny when you first rug it, you may find you have to go down or up a size as it loses / gains weight respectively.
Key Takeaways About How to Fit A Horse Rug Correctly
Selecting the right size horse rug is essential for your horse’s comfort.
Measuring your horse accurately, comparing those measurements to the manufacturer’s size chart and getting the right size rug, you can ensure a proper fit.
