Horse Blanket Fitting Guide
Which Blanket Fit is Right for My Horse
Finding the right turnout blanket for your horse is important because a great-fitting blanket will keep your horse comfortable and protected from the elements. After all, the better your blanket fits, the more your horse will want to wear it… and not try to remove it!
Here at Schneiders, we understand that every horse is unique, so we set out to design blankets specifically made for your horse’s unique conformation. Just like how we want our jeans or breeches to fit us perfectly, our horses want blankets that do the same.
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 watch our video on measuring for a horse 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?
Is your horse’s shoulder 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 Fitted V-Free® Blankets fit them best. Thoroughbreds, Warmbloods, and Appendix horses have upright shoulders, and the VTEK® 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 rubs if it’s too tight. Our Adjusta-Fit® system, exclusively available on our ARMORFlex® line of blankets, 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. Our premium ARMORFlex® line of VTEK® and V-Free® 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 center of the chest to the edge of the tail. The number of inches from this measurement is also your horse’s blanket size.
Any width, any conformation, any breed, any height, we’ve got the perfect blanket for you! We guarantee that we have the right blanket for your equine or your money back!
Schneiders’ 5 Original Horse Blanket Fits
With our five 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.
Fitted V-Free®
Our Fitted V-Free® turnouts are designed for horses with sloped shoulder conformation, meaning that the horse has a long shoulder that is more horizontal from withers to point of the shoulder. Breeds with this conformation type are stock breeds and light saddle or harness breeds.
This design includes our patented Adjusta-Fit® system, which adjusts the width of the neck opening, so the same blanket fits a wide, hefty Quarter Horses and a narrow fine-boned Arabian. The patented fitted V-Free® design prevents rubbing, relieving wither pressure for low to moderate withers for horses. The Fitted V-Free® design also leaves the mane uncovered with its larger neck opening. This line comes in a wide range of sizes, from mini through Draft.
Key Features:
- Includes Adjusta-Fit® system
- Prevents rubbing
- Relives wither pressure for low to moderate withered horses
- Leaves mane uncovered with its larger neck opening
- Sizes from Mini to Draft
Best for Breeds:
- Quarter Horses
- Paints
- Apallossas
- Arabians
- Morgans
- Tennesse Walkers
Our Fitted V-Free® blankets are exclusively included in our ARMORflex® line. If this blanket fits the bill, view our Fitted V-Free® Horse Blankets line.
VTEK®
Our VTEK® Wither Relief turnouts are designed for horses with upright shoulder conformation, meaning that the horse has a shorter, more vertical shoulder and higher, more prominent withers. Breeds with this type of conformation are Thoroughbreds, Appendix horses, and Warmblood breeds. This design also includes our patented Adjusta-Fit® system, which adjusts the width of the neck opening, so the same VTEK® blanket fits a wide, chunky Warmblood or Draft-Cross as well as it fits a narrow Thoroughbred.
Our patented VTEK® Wither Relief technology is made of an extra V of fabric at the withers, which removes pressure from moderate and high withers. This design covers 6-8 inches of the mane to relieve pressure and prevent rubbing on the wither. These blankets also have a longer side drop and an enlarged tail cover to offer extra protection from wind, precipitation, and rubbing.
Key Features:
- Includes Adjusta-Fit® system
- Removes pressure from moderate to high withers
- Covers 6-8 inches of the mane
- It prevents rubbing on withers
- Long side drop and enlarged tail cover
Best for Breeds:
- Thoroughbreds
- Appendix Horses
- Warmbloods
Our VTEK® blankets are exclusively included in our ARMORflex® line. If this blanket fits the bill, view our line of VTEK® Wither Relief Turnout Horse Blankets.
Cutback
Our Cutback blankets are designed for horses with an upright head carriage. Breeds that generally have this type of conformation are Arabians, Morgans, Friesians, Saddlebreds, and Tennessee Walkers.
Our Cutback blanket design has a large neck opening which leaves the mane uncovered, and a special notch cut back around the wither. This blanket is great for horses with long manes. This provides a rub-free fit for horses with an upright head carriage. The Cutback turnout also has our Adjusta-Fit® system to allow you to customize the neck opening of the blanket to fit your horse best.
Key Features:
- Includes Adjusta-Fit® system
- Designed for horses with upright head carriage
- Large neck opening with mane uncovered
- Rub-Free fit
Best for Breeds:
- Arabians
- Morgans
- Friesians
- Saddlebreds
- Tennessee Walkers
Our Cutback blankets are exclusively included in our ARMORflex® line. If this blanket fits the bill, view our Cutback Turnout Horse Blankets line.
Contour Collar
Our Contour Collar blankets have a shaped collar for a snugger fit around the neck. This shaped design comes up 4-6 inches onto the mane, with a smaller neck opening, and prevents leaks by fully covering the shoulders and withers. The Contour Collar blankets also have no back seam for greater protection against precipitation and wind. The blanket fit is straight from the withers to the back, providing a comfortable fit for average conformations.
Key Features:
- Shaped collar for a snug fit around the neck
- Covers 4 to 6 inches of the mane
- Smaller neck opening, fully covering shoulders and withers
- No back seam for protection against wind and rain
- Straight from the withers to the back
Best for Breeds:
- All breeds
Our Contour Collar blankets are included in our StormShield® line. If this blanket fits the bill, view our Contour Collar Euro Turnout Horse Blankets line.
Extra Coverage Euro
The Extra Coverage Euro turnouts are designed with no back seam to guard against leakage. These fit straight from the withers down the back with no seam to ensure protection in wet and windy weather. The high and full attached neck designs offer more protection against drafts and leaking in driving rain and snow. The high neck styles come halfway up the mane. The full attached neck varieties come up to behind the ears. The Euro fit is straight from the withers to the back, providing a comfortable fit for average conformations.
Key Features:
- Designed with no back seam
- Straight fit from wither down the back
- High and fully attached neck
- High neck styles cover halfway up the mande
- Full neck styles come up to behind the ears
Best for Breeds:
- All breeds
Our Extra Coverage blankets are included in our StormShield® line. If this blanket fits the bill, view our Extra Coverage Turnout Horse Blankets line.
Learn more about when to blanket your horse, how to measure for a blanket, and blanket durability by reading out Horse Blanketing 101 guide.
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