Horse Blanket Size Calculator

Fill in the fields above and press Work out the size.

One measurement, and it is not height

Blanket sizes are named after body length. Not height, not weight, not the length of the horse from nose to tail. The tape goes from the centre of the chest, along the side over the widest part of the shoulder, and stops at the point of the buttock — where you want the rug to end.

Height is a poor substitute because it says nothing about how deep or how long the body is. Two horses at exactly 16 hh, one a narrow Thoroughbred and one a warmblood built like a sofa, will not take the same blanket. The height guide in the calculator is a starting point for when you have no tape to hand; the measurement is the answer.

The size ladder

Sizes run in 3-inch steps, and you round up between them — a blanket that is fractionally long still sits correctly, while one that is short rubs at the shoulder and slips back. The centimetre column is WeatherBeeta’s own labelling, reproduced as an example, not a conversion you can apply to every brand.

Body length	Feet & inches	WeatherBeeta euro code	Height band (published guide)
36 in	3'0	90	—
42 in	3'6	105	—
48 in	4'0	120	—
54 in	4'6	140	—
57 in	4'9	145	12.2–13 hh
60 in	5'0	155	13–13.2 hh
63 in	5'3	160	13.2–14 hh
66 in	5'6	170	14–14.2 hh
69 in	5'9	175	14.2–15 hh
72 in	6'0	185	15–15.2 hh
75 in	6'3	190	15.2–16 hh
78 in	6'6	200	16–16.2 hh
81 in	6'9	205	16.2–17 hh
84 in	7'0	215	17–17.2 hh
87 in	7'3	225	17.2–18 hh
90 in	7'6	—	18 hh and over

Why two makers print different centimetres

This trips people up more than anything else about blanket sizing, and it is worth understanding before you buy.

The centimetre number on a European rug is not a conversion of the inches. It is a different measurement — the back seam, running from the wither along the top line to the top of the tail — and each manufacturer built its own number ladder from it over the years. The ladders have drifted apart.

The same label, two different rugs. A 72 in blanket is labelled 185 in WeatherBeeta’s ladder and 130 in another maker’s. And a stated 110 means about 57 in from one brand and about 63 in from another. Order by the inch size.

If a listing only quotes a European size and you cannot find the inch equivalent, ask the seller for the chest-to-buttock measurement in inches — that is the only figure that means the same thing everywhere.

Size is not fit

A correct size is a necessary condition, not a sufficient one. Two rugs built to the same 75 in body length can hang completely differently:

Shoulder freedom — some cuts have a forward-set shoulder gusset, some do not. A rug that restricts the shoulder will rub however well the length matches.
Neck and drop — a high-neck turnout and a standard neck are not interchangeable on a thick-set horse, and the drop at the flank decides whether the hip stays covered.
Broad chests — cobs, drafts and Friesians routinely need one size up on the same measurement. If you are between two sizes with a broad horse, go up.

That is also why a size that fits perfectly in one brand can be wrong in another at the same number. The calculator gives you the number; the fit is the brand’s cut against your horse’s shape.

Frequently asked questions

What size blanket does my horse need?

Measure from the centre of the chest to the point of the buttock in inches, then round up to the next 3-inch size. A 15.2 hh to 16 hh horse usually lands at 72 to 78 inches, but the tape beats the height estimate every time.

Is blanket size the same as the horse’s height?

No. The size is body length, and height only narrows the range. Two horses at the same height can take blankets two sizes apart depending on how deep and long they are built.

What does 6’0 mean on a blanket?

Six feet, which is 72 inches. Feet-and-inches and inches describe the same blanket — 6’0 and 72 in are identical. What it is not the same as is the metric label on the same rug, which is a back-seam figure.

Why is a European 110 sometimes 57 inches and sometimes 63?

Because the centimetre number is a brand code built on the back seam, and different manufacturers built their ladders differently. The inch size is the one that means the same thing across brands.

Related tools and guides

Sources and method

WeatherBeeta — Horse Blanket Size Guide: the body-length definition (centre of chest to point of buttock), the 3 in ladder and the euro codes reproduced in the table above.
Performance Horse Blankets — How to measure a horse for a blanket: the inch-to-height bands, the 3 in steps, the round-up rule, and the warning that brands label the same blanket differently.
Schneiders — published height-to-blanket-size mapping, used as the cross-check on the height bands.

Page last reviewed 2026-10-16. Results are estimates from published formulas and are not veterinary advice.