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Equine Apparel 101

How to Measure

Before you can pick a blanket or sheet, you need to know what size your horse needs. To measure your horse for a Pro Equine Blanket or sheet, take a side measurement. Starting at the center of the chest, run a cloth tape measure in a straight line down your horse’s side to the point of the buttocks (just before the tail.) This measurement, in inches, will be your horse’s actual size.  If your horse’s actual size is an odd number (for example 75”), round up to the next even number, in the case of the example that would be 76”, this will give you the blanket/sheet size appropriate for your horse.  Here is a visual of how to measure your horse.

The Right Blanket for Your Horse

Depending on where and how your keep your horse, what kind of riding activities you plan on participating in this winter, and what kind of weather Mother Nature usually dishes out to your neck of the woods, the type of blanket(s) or sheet(s) that you will need can vary greatly.  So here are some tips and helpful definitions for deciding which will best suit your needs.

Different Types of Horse Apparel

Sheets

Sheets don’t have any fill, so they’re the lightest piece of apparel we offer. There are different types of sheets that Pro Equine offers, and a basic description of each is below:

  • Stable Sheet– Stable sheets are designed to keep the coat dust-free and provide a light layer of warmth. They are water resistant, but NOT water proof.  They are the lightest Denier sheet that we offer.  We have 2 styles available: 420D Open-front and Relentless closed-front.
  • Insect Barrier Sheet– Designed to protect your horse from insects of all kinds, we have two styles of insect barrier sheet available; both are lightweight, breathable.  The Soft mesh is perfect for the stable/stall use, and our 1000D is durable enough to withstand turnout. Both offer UV protection, as well as bleaching protection.
  • Turnout Sheet – Our 600 Denier turnout sheets are waterproof, unlike stable sheets.  They are designed to stay in place when your horse is turned out in the field. These can also be called “lightweight turnout blankets”.

Stable Blankets

Stable blankets are similar in style and material to stable sheets, but unlike sheets, blankets filled with Holofil for extra warmth. Their exterior material is not waterproof, so stable blankets are generally used when the horse is stabled.

Our Stable Blankets (the 420 Denier Open-front style, and the Relentless style) are both considered “heavy weight” as they are filled with 300 grams of Holofil.

Turnout Blankets

Turnout blankets’ exterior material has a waterproof coating and is filled keep your horse warm and dry in the cold/wet winter weather. Sometimes they are called “turnout rugs”.

We carry two styles of Turnout Blankets, our “medium weight” style has a 600 Denier shell and 200 grams of Holofil, and our “heavy weight” style has a 1200 Denier shell and 300 grams of Holofil.  The choice of two different weights allow you to adjust your horse’s apparel for temperature fluctuations throughout the winter.

The Right Blanket for the Weather

There are a lot of factors to consider when figuring out how much you want to bundle up. To help out, we created a quick-reference temperature guide. Of course every horse and every environment has it’s own unique considerations, so if you have specific questions, you should check with your vet.

Approximate Temperature Guide
45° F – Full Coat: Nothing; Body Clipped: light weight blanket
35° F – Full coat: light weight blanket; Body Clipped: medium weight blanket
25° F – Full Coat: medium weight blanket; Body Clipped: heavy weight blanket
15° F – Full Coat: heavy weight blanket & hood; Body Clipped: heavy weight blanket, liner & hood
Below 10°F, Heavy weight blanket, liner & hood for all; may consider more layering in case of body clipped horse.

Glossary of Blanket Features

  • Weight/Fill – The weight of a blanket refers to the amount of fill, which is measured in grams. A lightweight blanket (aka “sheet”) has 0g or no fill. Medium-weight blankets have anywhere from 150-200g of fill. Heavyweight blankets have 250-350g of fill.
  • Denier – Denier is the measure of nylon fiber density, and is used to rate the strength of the exterior material on horse blankets. A higher denier, like 1200D, indicates the blanket is more durable and more water-resistant than a lower denier, like 600D.

If you’ve got a horse that’s notoriously tough on his blankets, the higher the denier, the better. The 1200 denier Turnout Blanket has our toughest exterior shell.

  • Rip-Stop – Rip-stop nylon features a checkerboard weave that helps prevent small rips from spreading.
  • Lining – Since the exterior material is often quite rough, our blankets have liners that are softer against your horse’s skin. Our nylon linings help polish the coat and bring our the natural coat oils.

Pro Equine’s blankets, and turnout sheets, are all lined with 70 Denier nylon.

  • Front Closures –
    • Buckle-Front – Just like a regular belt buckle, with nylon straps and a metal buckle. This offers a lot of adjustability when fitting your horse.
    • Closed Front – Closed-front blankets have no opening in the chest.  The Relentless Stable Blanket or Sheet, offer a seamless fit across your horse’s chest. Eliminating the front closures helps to avoid bulk if you’re layering up.

However, since they don’t have a chest opening, closed-front blankets have to go on and off over the head, so keep that in mind when you go to purchase one.

  • Shoulder Gussets – Our turnout blankets usually have an extra piece of fabric sewn in at the shoulder, to allow for great range of motion.
  • Padded Withers – Fleece at the withers can help reduce rubbing.
  • Surcingle – The belly strap(s) that is primarily responsible for keeping the blanket in place. Our sheets and blankets have with two, which is also the most common number on equine apparel.
  • Leg Straps – These straps criss-cross between the horse’s back legs, to help prevent the blanket from riding up or shifting out of place.

All of Pro Equine’s blankets/sheets come with removeable, elastic leg straps, and whether you’ll want to use them or not depends on your horse.

  • Tail Flap/Tail Cover – An extra swatch of fabric on turnout blankets that covers the tail area, to help seal out cold winds.

If you’re not sure about the information provided or have additional questions, we can help! Call your local dealer

or our experts at 1-800-411-1986.