Exercise Sheet

This sheet is used on a horse that has been clipped. It helps to keep the horses back warm when being exercised or dry if it is raining.

1) It is best to put the numnah or saddle pad underneath the sheet. This will help to keep your sheet cleaner. Put the numnah well forward on the horse.
2) Fold the sheet in half. Put over the numnah. Open out the exercise sheet and make sure the centre lines of both the numnah and exercise sheet are lined up with the horse's backbone. This will ensure there is an even amount of rug and numnah on each side of the horse.
4. Place the saddle on top of both the numnah and exercise sheet and slide all back into place. By putting them all well forward on the horses back, this will make sure that the hair underneath lies flat and smooth.
5. Lift the pommel (front of the saddle) a little way off the horse's back and pull up the numnah and exercise sheet into the hollow. This will prevent the them from pressing down onto the horse's withers.
6. Go around to the left side of the horse and lift the saddle flap, fold the exercise sheet back so that it makes a right-angled triangle and place the triangle flap under the girth straps. 7. Repeat No. 5 on the right side and then do up the girth
8. Finally smooth out the sheet behind the saddle and standing to one side of the horse place the fillet string under the tail. The fillet string prevents the rug blowing up off the horse's back.

Comments

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zoe 8th Dec 02

is this how an exercise sheet is supposed to fit? Mine is much longer and covers the first inch or so of his tail. Is mine too big?

sarah 20th Jan 03

i use a newmarket exercise rug on my thoroughbred and it hangs much lower than the one in the diagram. also if youre meant to fold up the front corners of the rug why are there girth loops

Sallie Roberts 4th Feb 03

How do you correctly measure an exercise sheet

karen 4th Apr 03

If your exercise sheet is hanging over the tail it is because it is not fitted far enough forward over the withers. The reason for folding the front corners up, is to keep the horses quarters warm which may also help prevent a horse which has suffered from Azoturia, (known as tiying up) from having an attack. But the main reason is so a racehorse trainer can see the flanks of the horse and watch the horses action and breathing.
I have never seen girth loops on a NEWMARKET SHEET. The reason for the loops on a rain sheet is because the girth is fitted through the loops as the corners would get wet if they were folded back and this would defeat the object of a rain exercise sheet.

sarah 9th Apr 03

I can confirm my newmarket has girth loops. strange!

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Library Index

How to Put on an Exercise Sheet