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Horse Rugs

Your simple guide to selecting & fitting the correct size for your horse

Rug Size Guide

WILD Horse Australia Rugs are designed to fit your horse safely and securely so they stay put on your horse all day long. They should fit snugly as products that are too tight or too loose can cause rubbing and irritation to you horse. They can be dangerous to your horse’s safety, particularly if they are too large.

See our table below to help assist you with the appropriate product size for your horse. You will also need to consider the confirmation and build of your horse when choosing a size. Please contact us if you need advice.

Rug Size (feet & inches)	A-B Measurement (cm)	Approx Horse Height (hands)
4'3"	130	10-11
4'6"	137	11-11.2
4'9"	145	11.2 - 12
5'0"	152	12-13
5'3"	160	13-14
5'6"	168	14-14.2
5'9"	175	14.2-15
6'0"	183	15-15.2
6'3"	190	15.2-16
6'6"	198	16-16.2
6'9"	206	16.2-17
7'0"	213	17

Measuring your Horse to get the perfect Horse Rug size

Measure in a straight line from the centre of the horse’s chest, around the shoulder, along the side of the belly to the furthest rear point of the rump or where you expect the rug to finish. Important not to wrap the tape measure around the rump this will result in a rug that drops too low at the back and puts pressure on the dock. The dock is a sensitive area and needs to be able to move freely without a rug dragging on it. Make sure not to measure around to the tail as this will add a few extra inches. It’s a good idea to measure both sides to compare. This will give you the perfect rug size for your horse.

Remember rugs sizes increase every 3 inches, so go to the nearest size.

Wild Horse Australia rugs have a double overlap at the chest and all our rugs are measured in the closed position.

If you get your horses measurements correct then it is easy to find the perfect rug size to fit.

Extra note: If you spread our rugs on the ground you will notice they are a few inches longer than other standard brands, this is because the inner flap of our chest closure is longer to get better chest coverage, That is why our rugs are measured from the closed position.

Getting the right size is important!

Fitting a Horse Rug

Step 1- Position

Place the rug over the lower part of the horse’s neck, in front of the shoulders. Slide the rug backwards until the neck seam of the rug lies along the line of the horse’s shoulder and forward of the wither. Rugs should sit comfortably around the shoulder but not put pressure on, or pull back on, the shoulders. At the back of the rug, the top of the tail flap (where the tail flap joins to the rug) should be sitting at the top of the horse’s tail. If the tail flap is sitting too low down on the horse’s tail, this could mean that the rug is too big. The sensitive dock/tail area of the horse’s tail should not be restricted by a seam that sits too low.

Step 2 – Leg Straps

To fasten the leg straps attached to the back of the rug, take the left leg strap (nearside), pass it between the horse’s back legs and clip it back to the D-ring on the left side. Then take the right leg strap (offside), pass it between the horse’s back legs, loop it through the left leg strap and the clip it back to the D-ring on the right side. Ensure the leg straps are adjusted so that there is one hand’s width between the strap and the inside of the horse’s thigh.

Step 3 – Chest Strap

Go to the front of the horse and buckle the front straps of the rug. The buckles should be adjusted to allow four finger’s width between the rug and the horse’s chest. If the front buckles are too tight, they will cause rubbing on the withers and shoulders. If the front buckles are too loose, the rug with slip backwards and cause potential danger when the horse lies down.

Step 4 – Surcingles

To fasten the cross over surcingles of the rug, clip the front surcingle to the back clasp and the back surcingle to the front clasp. This way, the surcingles make a cross underneath the horse’s belly. Adjust the surcingles to allow one hand’s width between the strap and the horse’s belly. If the surcingles are too loose, the horse may accidentally get a leg caught when rolling or sleeping, causing leg injuries. Your horse may now safely enjoy the superior fit of your WILD Horse Australia rug.

Common problems of poor fitting Rugs

Too Big?

Horses are not happy in rugs that fit poorly and can spend time trying to remove them.
A rug that is too big around the neck is more likely to cause rubbing than one that is too small. It places additional pressure on the shoulders and increases the chance of the rug slipping. The neckline of the rug should sit in line with the horse’s shoulder.
A rug that is too big may hang too low on your horse and they may stand on it when they get to their feet after sleeping or rolling. Ensure the top of the tail flap sits at the top of the horse’s tail.
If surcingles are left too long, the horse’s leg may get caught , causing serious injury to the horse or damage to your rug. Ensure only one hand’s width between the surcingles strap and the horse’s belly.

Too Small?

Try to find the rug that fits your horse perfectly. If a rug is too small it can apply pressure across the horse’s chest.
The top line is also important and if a rug is too small it may sit incorrectly on the wither area and across the top line, applying pressure to these sensitive areas.

For Broader Breeds

Broader or stockier breeds of horse may need a rug size slightly bigger than the A-B measurement from chest to rump, to accommodate the wider shoulders and chest of the horse.
Another option for broader breeds is to add one of our Chest Extenders which fit simply to all of our rug range.

For Finer Breeds

Finer or more angular breeds of horse may need a rug size slightly smaller than the A-B measurement from chest to rump, to ensure the rug is not too big around the shoulders and to avoid the rug slipping behind the wither and causing soreness and rubbing.