Oh wise horsey peeps, I need help with rug sizes please.

[PestoFrostissimos]

I want to buy a new turnout rug for one of the little Welsh ponies we currently are loaning and wondered how you measure them for size?

She is about 12.2 hh and lives out. So my next question is do I look for a medium weight turnout rug.

All advice welcome (having said that, I'm wondering if it would just be easier to measure the one she's currently wearing.... it has a large hole over her backside )

if the one she's wearing fit then just take it with you to the tack shop and get another the same. if not then you measure from centre of chest to where the back of the rug would sit (so in alignment with the top of her tail). Measure in ft and inches. There are some good video's on you tube to show you.
I'm not to sure on weights for a welshie - medium sounds good to me unless clipped. Sure someone else will be able to advise on this in a bit.

There should be a label in it somewhere with size on it. My welshes are 4'6 -5'. If you can't find the sizeon the rug, I'd order/buy a 4/9 or 5' try it on overa sheet and see how it fits. As long as they are clean, rugs can usually be returned. Which brand are you going for? I find Rhino Pony Wugs are excellent and aren't a problem if they are a little large. Long Melford Saddlery usually has them for a good price online. Don't touch Masta with a barge pole!
And be careful, every make of rug is a little different in shape and sizing.

Ooh thanks all. I will look for label on it and see if there's a size.

I can't easily take it to the tack shop as I don't want to leave her out rugless!

Thanks for the measuring advice, will take a tape measure with me up to the yard. She has got a good coat so medium weight i suppose is what I'm after.

All tips and advice much appreciated. Thank you

My welsh is in a 5' no fill rug - mostly to keep the worst of the mud off and keep him dry as no field shelter. He doesn't get any fill unless the weather is below 2' in the day as he really doesn't need it - his coat is like a fluffy teddy bear

Be careful of getting too big a rug. It wants to end where the tail joins the horses bum! Too far over angle you'll get a dragging action, causing it to chafe at the front and withers. The Wugs are good because they have a clip fastening which floats better than buckles and doesn't make pressure points. A welsh shouldn't need much rug unless clipped, but I do find that ponies stabled at night get colder in the day. The don't get so acclimatised to the weather. All mine live out 24/7 and have huge coats and no rugs. They were toasty in the freeze last week.

Measure from centre of chest all the way round till you get level with top of tail. Ta da!

It's not as easy as that though is it?! Different makes have different cuts, neck holes are different shapes, straps in different positions, different depths... You need to try each rug on and take each one on its own merits.

This is going to be trickier than I thought...

OP asked how to measure for a rug. I answered. Correctly. So no need for the sarcasm Cats.

I wasn't being sarcastic! You did answer correctly. I was just adding that there are also other things to no taken into consideration. It's all very well to measure your horse and buy a rug, but there's no guarantee it will fit.

Well, just to update you. I didn't need to buy a rug after all, as the DPony's owner has this morning provided me with a lovely snuggly one (not new, but that doesn't matter), which DPony was very grateful for when I took off her old ruined one this morning and swapped it over

Yay!!