Fitting the Rug
Step 1
Hold the rug as if you were fitting a stocking that the
horse is about to "dive" into.... Make sure that the main body of the rug, and
the belly piece, are both on the same side, but otherwise, you need to
concentrate on the neck. If you keep the horse tied up, pass the lead rope
through the neck of the rug then re-fasten it. When horses are used to the rug
they won't need tying up or even holding.
Step 2
Put the neck piece over your horse's nose, and then gently
pull it up over his eyes. If the horse is afraid, try not to let the rug
obstruct his vision any longer than necessary. Most horses relax as soon as they
can see again.
Step 3
Make sure that the correct bit of the neckpiece is on top
(the part with the clip and elastic)
Step 4
Pull the rug over the horse, leaving the belly piece for
now
Step 5
On the offside, bring the belly piece between the front
legs, then pass the straps through the loops on the back, go back to the
nearside and fasten the belly piece
Step 6
Fasten the leg straps, looping one through the other as
you would with a turnout rug
All Done!
Hoods - you will see there are four "button holes" on the
neck of the rug, just up from the clips. Open these button holes with a sharp
knife. You can then put the hood on the horse, then the rug, and insert the
webbing straps on the hood through the button holes; then fasten the clips. The
neck piece of the rug should then be on top of the lower part of the hood. Pass
the strap at the top of the rug through the loop in the hood. It's rare for
horses to be able to remove hoods fitted like this! | 
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