Measuring for your Horse's Blanket

This post features an article written by Christine Barakat from an old Equus Magazine. I thought it would be great article to share with you as winter approaches. I'll be be breaking it up into two posts. The first will show you how to measure for a blanket and the second will explain how a blanket should properly fit.

Blanket Fitting

A well-fitted blanket is a welcome comfort to a clipped horse on chilly winter days. But a covering that is too small, too large or otherwise fits poorly can cause painful pressure or rubbing. In extreme cases, a blanket can make a horse lame or permanently damage skin and underlying tissues. All of which means you'll want to shop as carefully for your horse's cold-weather garments as you do for your own winter coat.

First, you'll need to take careful measurements to determine what size he needs.

Measuring

1. With a flexible tailor's tape, measure from the center of the horse's chest...

2. ...along his side in a straight line...

3. ...to the center of the horse's tail. This final measurement corresponds to body length.

These measurements are crucial for us in order to help get you the correct size blanket for your horse.