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Make Sure That Blanket Really Fits!  
Is your horse a little grumpy when riding during the late fall and winter months? If you blanket him, you may want to re-check how it fits. Poor fitting sheets and blankets can cause discomfort, muscle soreness, and even lameness. It can also lead to unsightly bald spots and chafed skin where the blanket rubs portions of the hair and skin. Worse yet, those rubbed areas can even result in open sores. To avoid such pain for your horse, there are a few key points to remember in evaluating how well the sheet or blanket fits your horse.

First, make sure the blanket does not slip back behind the withers and pull tight over the shoulders – this is the most common problem with a blanket that doesn’t fit. The edge of the neck opening should lie somewhere between three (3) and six (6) inches in front of the withers. A horse that carries his head low requires the larger range (4 to 6 inches), while a horse with high head carriage needs only the 3 to 4 inches. These measurements enable the blanket to shift when the horse moves his head down, thereby allowing plenty of room in the shoulders. Also, the front of the blanket across the chest should be no more than a couple of inches below the point where the neck meets the chest. If it falls lower, your horse’s movement will be restricted – once again causing stiffness, soreness, and possibly lameness.

One suggestion is to check the blanket after he has been wearing it a while – either after overnight turnout or stabling. If you have problems unhooking the front closures or you can not comfortably fit four fingers of your hand between the blanket and his chest, then the blanket is too tight.

If you are testing a newly purchased blanket, you can check the fit during and after you longe him. This will enable you to see how the blanket moves with the horse while simulating the activity of your horse in turnout. Once you have longed him a while, check to see the position of the blanket. You may also want to hand graze or feed some grain to him to evaluate how the blanket shifts when he is eating. In any of these cases, if the blanket has fallen behind the withers or if it is pulling across his shoulders, then the blanket is too tight.

If you find that the blanket is actually too large, then you can more easily fix this problem. Pin darts on each side where the shoulder meets the neck. To create the dart, you fold the material into the shape of two triangles, and then bring those two folds together and pin in place. Once you have pinned the darts on each side, check the blanket’s fit as recommended above to make sure it has not been adjusted for too tight a fit. If it doesn’t slip back, then you may either sew it in place yourself or take it to a blanket repair shop.

One other important point to keep in mind is the weight of the blanket. Though a heavy blanket may sound warm, it may also be just that – heavy. If you face a struggle each time to lift it over his back in putting it on, imagine the extra weight he has to carry with it on. For this reason, many experts recommend turning to the lighter weight blankets made of synthetic material that is both thermal insulated and waterproof. They also suggest applying the blankets in layers – three lightweight layers versus one heavy blanket. Not only is it not as much weight for the horse to carry, it is also easier to put on or take off the different layers depending upon the outside temperature and that of the horse.

Blanketing becomes an important factor in the life of many horse owners and horses during the fall and winter months. Given that, it is of the utmost importance to help make sure the horse is comfortable when wearing these thermal aides. If the blanket or sheet does not fit, then you may find yourself with a horse that is very grumpy to ride or even one that is not rideable at all.

Click here for a quick tip on "Measuring Your Horse for a Blanket."



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