Measuring for a Horse Blanket
Stand your horse up squarely. Tie him, or ask someone to hold him.
Standing on his left, take the end of the tape in your left hand and place it at the point where his neck meets the center of his chest.
With your right hand, draw the tape along his left side as far as you can. Make sure the tape crosses the widest part of his shoulder; if you measure too low on the chest, your blanket will be too small. The tape must be level and taut, or you'll add inches to your final measurement, and end up with a blanket that's too big.
When you've reached as far as you can, mark the spot with your right thumb, noting the measurement. Then measure backward from that spot, holding the start of the tape there with your left hand, and again reaching back with your right.
Still keeping the tape level and straight, bring it across the
point of his buttock (the hindmost point of the quarters, about 10 to 12
inches below the place where the tail joins the body). Stop at the edge
of his tail,
Always round up to assure a good fitting horse blanket.
A horse blanket or
rug is a blanket or animal coat intended for keeping a horse warm or
otherwise protected from wind or other elements. They are tailored to
fit around a horse's body from chest to rump, with straps crossing
underneath the belly to secure the blanket yet allowing the horse to
move about freely. Most have one or two straps that buckle in front, but
a few designs have a closed front and must be slipped over a horse's
head. Some designs also have small straps the loop lightly around the
horse's hind legs to prevent the blanket from slipping sideways.
Standard horse blankets are commonly kept on a horse when it is loose in a stall or pasture as well as when traveling. Different weights are manufactured for different weather conditions, and some are water-resistant or even waterproof. Modern materials similar to those used in human outdoor wear are commonly used in blanket manufacture.
Blankets are sometimes used to keep the horse's hair short. If horses are blanketed at the beginning of the autumn, especially if kept in a lighted area for 16 hours a day, they will not grow a winter coat. Blankets also protect horses that are kept with a short, clipped hair coat for show purposes. When a horse is given a full body clip, or even a partial "trace clip," it needs to have a blanket kept on at all times if the weather is cool because the horse no longer has the natural insulation of a longer hair coat. If a blanket is put on a horse at the beginning of the winter in order to suppress the growth of a winter coat, or if the horse is kept clipped in cold weather, the blanket it cannot be taken off until warmer weather arrives in the spring. If a horse is subjected to cold weather without either a blanket or a natural hair coat to keep it warm, it may become ill, vulnerable to sicknesses such as influenza.
A Cooler, is literally a square blanket with ties that is draped over a horse that is hot and sweaty from an intense workout, or one that has just been bathed and is wet all over. It is kept on while the horse is being walked to cool down and allows enough air circulation for the horse to dry, but prevents chills and drafts from causing problems for the horse. It is tied shut in front, often with a small browband that keeps it positioned well up on the neck, and has a loose cord behind to prevent the wind from blowing it off from the rear, but usually has no other straps or attachments. It is intended to only be used on a horse while the animal is being led by a person and cannot be left on an unattended horse. In very windy weather, a loose surcingle may be added to prevent the cooler from blowing completely off.
A horse wearing a summer blanket to ward off flies and prevent coat bleaching. Although heavy blankets for warmth make up the bulk of the horse blanket market, lightweight blanket may be used in the summer to help the animal ward off flies and to prevent the hair coat from bleaching out. Such blankets are usually called a "sheet" or a "fly sheet." They are usually made of some type of nylon or strong synthetic fiber, but with the capacity to "breathe" so that the animal remains cool. Most have a smooth nylon lining in front to prevent hair from wearing off on the shoulders. They are becoming increasingly popular, particularly with the rise of insect borne diseases such as West Nile Virus.
A horse wearing a fly sheet with attached neck cover.Any blanket may be supplemented with a neck cover or a full hood. Neck covers are often attached directly to the blanket. Hoods are a separate piece of horse "clothing," which cover the neck and come down the head to just above the muzzle of the horse, with holes cut for the eyes and ears. Summer weight hoods and neck covers help keep away insects and are also frequently used to keep a horse clean prior to a horse show. Winter weight hoods are used for warmth.
Quarter Sheet . They do not cover the horse's entire body, though a hybrid design that is a cross between a saddle blanket and a horse blanket, called a quarter sheet, is a blanket placed under the saddle but which covers the horse from shoulder to hip while riding. Quarter sheets are sometimes used in cold weather to keep a horse's muscled loosened up when warming up for competition, or on horses that may have to stand around when under saddle and run the risk of stiffening up if their muscles get chilled.
FREE long cloth tape to measure your horse to ensure proper fit. Contact US
Standard horse blankets are commonly kept on a horse when it is loose in a stall or pasture as well as when traveling. Different weights are manufactured for different weather conditions, and some are water-resistant or even waterproof. Modern materials similar to those used in human outdoor wear are commonly used in blanket manufacture.
Blankets are sometimes used to keep the horse's hair short. If horses are blanketed at the beginning of the autumn, especially if kept in a lighted area for 16 hours a day, they will not grow a winter coat. Blankets also protect horses that are kept with a short, clipped hair coat for show purposes. When a horse is given a full body clip, or even a partial "trace clip," it needs to have a blanket kept on at all times if the weather is cool because the horse no longer has the natural insulation of a longer hair coat. If a blanket is put on a horse at the beginning of the winter in order to suppress the growth of a winter coat, or if the horse is kept clipped in cold weather, the blanket it cannot be taken off until warmer weather arrives in the spring. If a horse is subjected to cold weather without either a blanket or a natural hair coat to keep it warm, it may become ill, vulnerable to sicknesses such as influenza.
A Cooler, is literally a square blanket with ties that is draped over a horse that is hot and sweaty from an intense workout, or one that has just been bathed and is wet all over. It is kept on while the horse is being walked to cool down and allows enough air circulation for the horse to dry, but prevents chills and drafts from causing problems for the horse. It is tied shut in front, often with a small browband that keeps it positioned well up on the neck, and has a loose cord behind to prevent the wind from blowing it off from the rear, but usually has no other straps or attachments. It is intended to only be used on a horse while the animal is being led by a person and cannot be left on an unattended horse. In very windy weather, a loose surcingle may be added to prevent the cooler from blowing completely off.
A horse wearing a summer blanket to ward off flies and prevent coat bleaching. Although heavy blankets for warmth make up the bulk of the horse blanket market, lightweight blanket may be used in the summer to help the animal ward off flies and to prevent the hair coat from bleaching out. Such blankets are usually called a "sheet" or a "fly sheet." They are usually made of some type of nylon or strong synthetic fiber, but with the capacity to "breathe" so that the animal remains cool. Most have a smooth nylon lining in front to prevent hair from wearing off on the shoulders. They are becoming increasingly popular, particularly with the rise of insect borne diseases such as West Nile Virus.
A horse wearing a fly sheet with attached neck cover.Any blanket may be supplemented with a neck cover or a full hood. Neck covers are often attached directly to the blanket. Hoods are a separate piece of horse "clothing," which cover the neck and come down the head to just above the muzzle of the horse, with holes cut for the eyes and ears. Summer weight hoods and neck covers help keep away insects and are also frequently used to keep a horse clean prior to a horse show. Winter weight hoods are used for warmth.
Quarter Sheet . They do not cover the horse's entire body, though a hybrid design that is a cross between a saddle blanket and a horse blanket, called a quarter sheet, is a blanket placed under the saddle but which covers the horse from shoulder to hip while riding. Quarter sheets are sometimes used in cold weather to keep a horse's muscled loosened up when warming up for competition, or on horses that may have to stand around when under saddle and run the risk of stiffening up if their muscles get chilled.
FREE long cloth tape to measure your horse to ensure proper fit. Contact US
