If you have a new horse or are just unsure which size rug your horse needs, using a tape measure, measure your horse from the centre of his chest, horizontally along his side finishing where you require the rug to finish. It is best to allow an extra 3” on top of this for turnouts in most cases, especially if the turnout has a neck cover; however, stable rugs are usually correct at the measured size. If the lining is shiny, despite being easy to clean; it is more likely to slip. So, if your horses aren’t to petite in the chest and you’re between sizes – go a size down on this occasion.

Rugs are sized in feet and inches, every 3” and you are usually better to go up a size than down, unless the horse is narrow chested. Ideally, an existing rug in the correct size can be measured all the way along the bottom edge to give the size required. Remember: different styles also could potentially change the size slightly.

A quality rug and good cleaning service should mean that your does not shrink in any way, nor should it bunch up any of the lining. You can usually feel the thickness of the actually lining and this is a good indication of quality.

A rug that does not fit well will often cause rubbing and bold patches to the horse’s coat. Dependant on the severity, it may be worth adding some sheepskin patching to the areas that it is effecting to help decrease the rate of friction – you can ask your local service to add this on for you.