Spine measurements are the most affected. Contours are generally much longer under saddle than a flat blanket, as flat blankets tend to get shrunk down when the curved surface of the saddle presses down on the non curved wool blanket. This creates a bunching-up in uncontrolled areas to force the curve and usually shortens the actual coverage length. Contours have the natural curve already built into it, so this does not happen. The barrel measurement or “drop”, as it is often referred to when the saddle blanket is folded in half (like it would on a horses back), is also different. Contours have 3 different drops… Front, Mid & Rear to accommodate for the curved shape of a horses back. When we refer to this measurement we are usually referring to the mid drop which would be the shortest of the 3 drops. The mid drop is ultimately what’s responsible for how much hang you have in view under the skirt of the saddle.
With this in mind we stock two sizes, The Twiggy & The Chiquita. Our larger size is called The Twiggy and smaller called The Chiquita. These names tend to confuse new Cuttinup lovers, but those who have followed us from the early days know we started with “The Bertha”. But Bertha was WAY too big! So, The Bertha went away and left us with a large size called “The Twiggy”. Best laid plains, right?…
The Twiggy size is approximately 34″x40″, with 34″ being the spine measurement and 40″ being the mid barrel measurement. This size is comparable to an over size flat blanket. The Twiggy is the most common size, however with the longer fit of a contour under saddle it isn’t always the perfect fit. The average mid drop on a Twiggy sized blanket is 20″ which creates the 40″ barrel measurement. Front drops can range from 21-22″ and rear drops can range from 20.5-21.5″. This size is usually the choice for very thick or extremely contoured under pads and larger framed horses.
The Chiquita size is recommended for mid-thickness to thinner under pads or smaller framed horses. The Chiquita size is approximately 32″x38″ with 32″ being the spine measurement and the 38″ being the mid barrel measurement. The average mid drop on a Chiquita sized blanket is 19″ which creates the 38″ barrel measurement. Front drops can range from 20-21″ and rear drops can range from 19.5-20.5″.
