It is important to ensure that your turnout rug fits correctly and all fittings are done up properly. A poorly fitting rug can cause a host of issues, from the rug slipping and causing pressure points or rubs, to the horse's legs becoming tangled in surcingles or leg straps. This can be extremely dangerous for the horse and is likely to cause damage to the rug.
If you are purchasing your rug, the measurement for a turnout rug is taken from the centre of the horse's chest, in a straight line along the horse's side to a point level with the top of the horse's tail. Turnout rugs are sold based on measurements in feet and inches, which increase in 3" increments. So you will need to convert the length measurement into feet and inches in order to purchase a rug of the correct size.
When purchasing a rug bear in mind the build of your horse; if he is chunky, he will need a deeper rug, whereas a finer horse will require a more neatly cut rug.
The front of the rug should sit approximately 3" ahead of the withers, and never on the withers, as this sensitive area will be unable to withstand a heavy rug putting pressure on it. Remember that turnout rugs will weigh even more once wet or muddy.
Ideally the chest straps should be done up on approximately the middle hole, allowing the fabric beneath the straps to overlap and hence ensuring that the whole chest is covered. However this may vary depending on your horse's size and shape.
The rug should sit snuggly around the chest; you should be able to comfortably fit a hands width between the front of the rug and the horse's chest. This allows the horse room for movement and prevents chafing or drooping often seen in rugs which are too small or too large. These common problems can reduce warmth and protection, and can also put pressure on the horse's withers.
The shoulder dart or gusset should sit at the point of the horse's shoulder and the side of the rug should wrap around the horse's stomach. If the rug hangs down too low at the stomach; it is too deep, whilst if the horse's stomach is exposed; it is too short.
Attach the cross surcingles by passing them under the horse's belly. As the name suggests, they need to be crossed. This means that the more forward surcingle needs to be attached to the more rear attachment on the left hand side of the horse. The opposite is true of the more rear surcingle, which needs to be done up to the front of the rug. There should be a hand's width of space between the straps and the horse's belly. This will ensure that they do not cause discomfort to the horse, nor will they risk getting caught up in the horse's legs.
To attach the leg straps, pass the left-hand leg strap between the horse's legs and clip it onto the d-ring on the left hand side. Then take the opposite, right-hand leg strap and thread this through the left-hand leg strap and around the horse's offside leg before clipping it to the right-hand side d-ring. As with the cross surcingles, there should be a hand's width between the leg straps and the horse's thighs, again to prevent discomfort or potential danger.
If the turnout rug features a filet string, ensure that you pull the horse's tail over it, so that the filet string sits below the tail, helping to keep the rug in place.
The tail flap of the turnout rug should begin at the top of the horse's tail. If the rug extends beyond the horse's tail then it is too long and could pull backwards uncomfortably on the horse's withers. If the rug finishes before the horse's tail, it is too short and will not offer full protection to the horse.
You can find a wide range of turnout rugs available in all sizes and at great prices at Equestrian Clearance
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