Which Blanket Fit is Right for Your Horse
A properly fitting horse blanket is crucial for keeping your horse comfortable, safe, and well-protected, especially during cold or wet conditions. However, finding the right fit can be challenging, as an ill-fitting blanket can lead to issues such as rubbing, slipping, and restricted movement. Every horse is different in shape and size, so understanding how to correctly measure and fit a blanket is key to ensuring it performs its best.
In this guide, we’ll explain why a good fit is essential and show you our solutions for different fits. Whether you’re a new horse owner or just looking to fine-tune your blanketing practices, this guide will help you make informed choices and find the perfect fit for your horse.
Why Proper Blanket Fit Matters
Ensuring your horse's blanket fits properly is about more than aesthetics - it's a matter of comfort, health, and safety. A blanket that fits too tightly can restrict movement, cause painful rubs, or even cut off circulation in extreme cases. On the other hand, a blanket that’s too loose may slip, get tangled, or cause tripping hazards, increasing the risk of injury. Horses spend a lot of time moving in their stalls and pastures, so a well-fitting blanket allows for freedom of movement while staying securely in place.
A properly fitted blanket also enhances your horse's well-being by helping to regulate body temperature, especially during cold or wet conditions. Ill-fitting blankets can create pressure points or gaps, exposing your horse to drafts or causing overheating. Ultimately, a good-fitting blanket protects without discomfort, helping to keep your horse healthy, happy, and stress-free throughout the season.
Evaluating Your Horse's Conformation for Blanket Fit
To find the best blanket for your horse, we must first determine the points of your horse’s conformation that matter for properly fitting blankets. But first, you need to know your horse's blanket size. You can learn How to Measure Your Horse for a Blanket here.
When evaluating your horse’s conformation for the perfect blanket fit, ask yourself these 4 questions:
- Are your horse’s shoulders sloped or upright?
- Is your horse wide or narrow?
- Does your horse have high or low withers? Is their head carriage high or low?
- Is your equine friend a horse, draft, pony, or mini?
Are your horse's shoulders sloped or upright?
Our horse blankets consider the slope of your horse’s shoulders. For example, Quarter Horses and Arabians tend to have sloped shoulders, and the V-Free® Wither Relief blankets fit them best. Thoroughbreds, Warmbloods, and Appendix horses have upright shoulders, and the VTEK® wither relief blanket would be the best choice for their conformation.
Is your horse wide or narrow?
You don’t want your horse’s blanket too tight or loose around the neck opening. This can cause air to seep through if loose or rub if it’s too tight. Our Adjusta-Fit® system adjusts the width of the neck opening so you can get a perfect fit, whether you have a chunky or wide Quarter Horse or Warmblood or a narrow, fine-boned Arabian or Thoroughbred.
Does your horse have high or low withers? Is their head carriage high or low?
Ill-fitting blankets will most often rub horses on the withers. Many of our blankets are specifically designed to accommodate high-withered horses using a special V of fabric that “tents” over top of the withers, relieving the pressure felt from competitive blankets. If your horse also has a high-head carriage, our Cutback fit is designed to leave the entire neck, mane, and withers uncovered, preventing any discomfort from rubbing. If your horse has a low-head carriage, our closed-front blankets are designed with a Deep-V, providing extra space at the base of the neck.
Is your equine friend a horse, draft, pony, or mini?
From a huge 18-hand, 2,000lb Draft Horses wearing a Size 96 blanket down to a tiny 30", 200lb Miniature Horse wearing a size 36 blanket, and everything in between, we’ve got you covered. To determine your horse’s blanket size, measure from the chest's center to the tail's edge. The number of inches from this measurement is also your horse’s blanket size.
We’ve got the perfect blanket for any width, conformation, breed, or height! We guarantee we have the right blanket for your equine or your money back!
Schneiders® Original Horse Blanket Fits
With our original designs with patented features, we guarantee there’s a fit for any horse’s conformation. But how do you know what fit will work best for your horse? We’ve compiled a fit guide for our five styles to help you decide.
V-Free® Wither Relief
Our V-Free® Wither Relief fit is designed to prevent rubbing and relieve pressure on low to moderate-withered horses. With the larger neck opening and sloped neckline that covers the shoulders, this fit is designed specifically for breeds with conformations similar to Arabians, Quarter Horses, Stock breed horses, or those with sloped shoulder conformation. The drop on these blankets is longer, allowing a slight wrap around the barrel. Darts at the hip form a contoured fit around the rump. It begins where the mane ends, leaving it uncovered with fleece placed where the mane meets the sheet, further preventing rubbing.
Key Features:
- Wither Conformation: Low to Moderate
- Head Carriage Conformation: Low to Level Head Carriage
- Shoulder Angle Conformation: Sloped
- Mane Coverage: Uncovered
- Neck, Wither, Shoulder Coverage: Large neck opening, sloped neck line, covered shoulders and withers up to the start of your mane
- Adjusta-Fit® Available: Yes
Best for Breeds:
- Quarter Horses
- Paints
- Appaloosas
- Arabians
- Morgans
- Tennesse Walkers
Attached Neck V-Free® Wither Relief
Our Attached Neck V-Free® Wither Relief fit is the same as our V-Free® Wither Relief fit but comes integrated with an attached neck cover. The neck cover is attached with a 15oz lycra that stretches as the horse puts their head down to graze. This stretchy panel prevents the rest of the sheet from slipping forward and maintains coverage no matter the conditions.
Key Features:
- Wither Conformation: Low to Moderate
- Head Carriage Conformation: Low to Level Head Carriage
- Shoulder Angle Conformation: Sloped
- Mane Coverage: Fully Covered
- Neck, Wither, Shoulder Coverage: Large neck opening, sloped neck line, covered shoulders and withers up to the start of your mane
- Adjusta-Fit® Available: Yes
Best for Breeds:
- Quarter Horses
- Paints
- Appaloosas
- Arabians
- Morgans
- Tennesse Walkers
VTEK® Wither Relief
Our VTEK® Wither Relief fit is designed to prevent rubbing and relieve pressure on moderate to high withers. The upright shoulder and shape over the withers are designed to fit breeds with similar conformations as Thoroughbreds, Warmbloods, Appendix horses, or those with upright shoulder conformation. It includes an extended drop to cover a deeper heart girth, and they are shaped with darts at the hips to give a more contoured fit around the rump. Extends 6 to 8 inches onto the mane with fleece placed where the mane meets the sheet, further preventing rubbing.
Key Features:
- Wither Conformation: High to Moderate
- Head Carriage Conformation: Low to Level Head Carriage
- Shoulder Angle Conformation: Upright or Straight
- Mane Coverage: Extends 6-8" onto mane
- Neck, Wither, Shoulder Coverage: Small neck opening, upright neckline, fully covers shoulders and withers
- Adjusta-Fit® Available: Yes
Best for Breeds:
- Thoroughbreds
- Appendix Horses
- Warmbloods
Attached Neck VTEK® Wither Relief
Our Attached Neck VTEK® Wither Relief fit is the same as our VTEK® Wither Relief fit but comes integrated with an attached neck cover. It's designed to prevent rubbing and relieve pressure on moderate to high-withered horses, allowing full protection from ears to tail. The neck cover is attached with a 15oz lycra that stretches as the horse puts their head down to graze. This stretchy panel prevents the rest of the sheet from slipping forward and maintains coverage no matter the conditions.
Key Features:
- Wither Conformation: High to Moderate
- Head Carriage Conformation: Low to Level Head Carriage
- Shoulder Angle Conformation: Upright or Straight
- Mane Coverage: Fully Covered
- Neck, Wither, Shoulder Coverage: Small neck opening, upright neckline, fully covers shoulders and withers
- Adjusta-Fit® Available: Yes
Best for Breeds:
- Thoroughbreds
- Appendix Horses
- Warmbloods
Senior VTEK® Wither Relief
Our Senior VTEK® Wither Relief fit prevents rubbing and relieves pressure on moderate to high withers. The upright shoulder and shape over the withers are designed to fit senior horses of all breeds. It includes an extended drop to cover a deeper heart girth, and they are shaped with darts at the hips to give a more contoured fit around the rump. Extends 6 to 8 inches onto the mane with fleece placed where the mane meets the sheet, further preventing rubbing. Memory Foam has been strategically incorporated into the wither, shoulder line, and hip panels, targeting areas where Senior horses commonly experience muscle loss and prominent bone structure. This additional layer of protection helps prevent rubs and sores, especially as older horses tend to lie down more frequently.
Key Features:
- Wither Conformation: High to Moderate
- Head Carriage Conformation: Low to Level Head Carriage
- Shoulder Angle Conformation: Upright or Straight
- Mane Coverage: Extends 6-8" onto mane
- Neck, Wither, Shoulder Coverage: Small neck opening, upright neckline, fully covers shoulders and withers
- Adjusta-Fit® Available: Yes
Best for Breeds:
- Senior horses of all breeds
Cutback
Our Cutback Wither fit cuts away at the withers to provide a rub-free fit for horses with high-head carriage and a lower wither. The larger neck opening and sloped net line cut back for the withers make this the perfect design for breeds with conformations similar to Arabians, Morgans, Friesians, Saddlebreds, and Tennessee Walkers. The cutback wither is also a favorite when caring for long-mane horses, so manes are not damaged.
Key Features:
- Wither Conformation: Low to flat and mutton
- Head Carriage Conformation: Low, level, or high head carriage
- Shoulder Angle Conformation: Sloped
- Mane Coverage: Uncovered
- Neck, Wither, Shoulder Coverage: Large neck opening, sloped neckline, and cutback for the withers
- Adjusta-Fit® Available: Yes
Best for Breeds:
- Arabians
- Morgans
- Friesians
- Saddlebreds
- Tennessee Walkers
Contour Collar
Our Contour Collar turnout blankets have a seam-sealed shaped collar that fits snugger around the neck to provide greater protection in wet, windy weather. Designed to drape comfortably on low and medium-withered horses and adapts well to most Conformations with a generous drop for good coverage. Fleece at the wither.
Key Features:
- Wither Conformation: Low to Moderate
- Head Carriage Conformation: Low, Level, or High Head Carriage
- Shoulder Angle Conformation: Average (slightly more upright than a sloped, but not a straight shoulder)
- Mane Coverage: Extends 4-6" onto mane
- Neck, Wither, Shoulder Coverage: Small neck opening, upright neckline, fully covers shoulders and withers
- Adjusta-Fit® Available: No
Best for Breeds:
- All breeds
Euro
The Euro Fit is designed to fit straight from withers to back, ensuring greater protection. The absence of back seam guards against leakage in rain and snow, while the fleece at the withers provides extra comfort and protection against rubbing.
Key Features:
- Wither Conformation: Low to Moderate
- Head Carriage Conformation: Low, Level, or High Head Carriage
- Shoulder Angle Conformation: Average (slightly more upright than a sloped, but not a straight shoulder)
- Mane Coverage: Extends 4-6" onto mane
- Neck, Wither, Shoulder Coverage: Small neck opening, upright neckline, fully covers shoulders and withers
- Adjusta-Fit® Available: No
Best for Breeds:
- All breeds
Attached Neck Euro
Our Attached Neck Euro turnout blankets fit straight from the withers through the back for a comfortable fit for ALL breeds. The attached neck prevents the blanket from slipping forward, maintaining coverage no matter the conditions. With the Attached Neck Euro Fit, your horse will be protected from ears to tail.
Key Features:
- Wither Conformation: Low to Moderate
- Head Carriage Conformation: Low, Level, or High Head Carriage
- Shoulder Angle Conformation: Average (slightly more upright than a sloped, but not a straight shoulder)
- Mane Coverage: Fully covered
- Neck, Wither, Shoulder Coverage: Small neck opening, upright neckline, fully covers shoulders and withers
- Adjusta-Fit® Available: No
Best for Breeds:
- All breeds
High Neck Euro
Our High Neck Euro turnout blankets fit straight from the withers through the back for a comfortable fit for ALL breeds. With this fit, your horse will have their shoulders and withers fully covered with additional coverage halfway up the neck. Your horse will be comfortable in the High Neck Euro fit regardless of breed.
Key Features:
- Wither Conformation: Low to Moderate
- Head Carriage Conformation: Low, Level, or High Head Carriage
- Shoulder Angle Conformation: Average (slightly more upright than a sloped, but not a straight shoulder)
- Mane Coverage: ⅓ to ½ mane covered depending on neck length of horse
- Neck, Wither, Shoulder Coverage: Small neck opening, upright neckline, fully covers shoulders and withers
- Adjusta-Fit® Available: No
Best for Breeds:
- All breeds
