How to fit & adjust horse rug belly surcingles
How to Fit & Adjust Horse Rug Belly Surcingles for Comfort and Safety
Updated September 2025
A practical guide for Australian horse owners on how to correctly fit and adjust belly surcingles - improving comfort, safety, and rug longevity in all seasons.
When it comes to keeping your horse safe, comfortable, and well-protected in the paddock, belly surcingles are one of the most important features of a horse rug. They ensure the rug stays securely in place, even when your horse is rolling, playing, or scratching. But for surcingles to do their job properly, they must be fitted and adjusted correctly.
What Do Horse Rug Belly Surcingles Do?
Belly surcingles are straps that fasten beneath your horse’s belly to keep the rug secure. Without them, rugs can slip sideways, twist, or even come off completely, especially when horses are active. A well-fitted surcingle ensures:
- Improved comfort by preventing rug movement and rubbing
- Better rug longevity by reducing strain on buckles and fabric
- Safety for your horse by minimising the risk of tripping or entanglement
Think of surcingles as the anchor that keeps your rug stable in all conditions.
Why Do Some Horse Rugs Not Have Surcingles?
Not every horse rug is designed with belly surcingles. Lightweight designs, such as summer flag rugs or hybrid crossover rugs, are often made without them to maximise airflow and reduce heat build-up. In these cases, the focus is on breathability and climate control rather than extra stability. However, for most turnout and winter rugs, surcingles are essential for keeping the rug in place.
How to Fit Belly Surcingles Correctly
Delzani horse rugs are designed with two surcingles that crisscross under the belly for maximum security. Proper fitting is crucial — too tight, and you risk rubbing and restricted movement; too loose, and your horse may catch a hoof or damage the rug while rolling. Follow these simple steps:
- Crisscross the straps - Attach the front left strap to the rear right buckle, and the front right strap to the rear left buckle. This creates a cross that stabilises the rug.
- Adjust the slack - Leave enough room to fit a vertical fist (around 10 cm) between the horse’s belly and the straps. This ensures freedom of movement without compromising security.
- Check regularly - Surcingle fit can change as rugs stretch with use. Regular adjustments help maintain comfort and safety.
Taking the time to fit belly surcingles correctly not only protects your rug investment but also ensures your horse stays comfortable, secure, and happy in the paddock.
Explore Delzani’s full collection of horse rugs - from lightweight fly mesh rugs to durable winter turnout rugs - all designed with premium fittings and features for Australian conditions.
Written by Jane Griffiths - An experienced Australian horse owner and product developer with over three decades immersed in equestrian life. Jane has spent years refining horse rugs, tack, and riding apparel to better suit Australian climates. She has enjoyed countless weekends at gymkhanas, show jumping events, and pony club competitions with her daughter, and still loves hitting the trails with friends whenever she can. Her lifelong passion for horses and hands-on understanding of equine comfort continue to shape her practical, rider-first approach to horse care and product design.
Leave a comment
Related Equestrian Guides
Affordable Horse Rugs Australia | Quality, Comfort & Durability
Discover Delzani’s full horse rug collection from lightweight summer mesh and flag rugs to durable ripstop paddock rugs and waterproof turnouts. Built for real Australian conditions, each rug combines comfort, fit, and strength without the premium price
Delzani Horse Rug Sizing Guide
We have put together this comprehensive guide to help you purchase the ideal size Delzani horse rug.
Wash Guide - Horse Rugs
To get the best life from your Delzani horse rug, taking a few simple washing precautions will go along way.
Understanding your horse rugs waterproofing
Learn how horse rug waterproofing and breathability really work, why membranes matter more than fabric, and how to test, care for, and choose rainsheets. Explore Delzani’s 600D Waratah and 1200D Wyndham rugs, built for tough Australian conditions.
Understanding Denier: The Key Differences Between 600D and 1200D Turnout Rugs
Confused about 600D vs 1200D horse rugs? Learn what denier really means, how it affects toughness (not warmth or waterproofing), and when to choose Delzani’s Waratah 600D rainsheets for lighter use or Wyndham 1200D rainsheets for maximum durability.
Horse Rugging: 8 Common Mistakes Horse Owners Should Avoid This Summer
Rugging in the Australian summer can protect your horse from sun, flies and coat damage, but the wrong rug can cause overheating, rubbing and discomfort. Learn 8 common rugging mistakes and how to keep your horse cool, safe and comfortable this season.
Ride Stronger, Safer, Cooler: 10 Reasons Horse Riders Rely on UPF 50+ Sun Sleeves
Delzani Sun Sleeves keep riders cool, protected, and comfortable. With UPF 50+ UV defence and breathable fabric, they outperform sunscreen alone — but together with sunscreen, they deliver ultimate sun safety in the saddle.
Privacy Policy
Delzani is committed to providing you with a high level of customer service. This includes protecting and maintaining the privacy, accuracy and security of your personal information. We are bound by and will abide by the National Privacy Principles in the Privacy Act (Cth) 1988 . This is in addition to our existing obligations under the Privacy Act.
What personal information do we collect and hold?
In the process of conducting our business we are likely to collect a wide range of personal information about you. The type of personal information we collect always includes your name, residential and billing address, email address, telephone or mobile numbers and products and services we provide to you. We don’t store any credit card information on our web site. We pass it onto our bank for processing.
How do we collect personal information?
Delzani collects personal information directly from you when you submit it online at Delzani.com.au . There may be occasions when we collect information from publicly available sources or third parties. This information includes names, email addresses, telephone numbers and social media profile name sourced from permission based marketing activities.
Cookies and Web beacons
A cookie is a small text file that is stored on a user’s computer for record-keeping purposes. We use cookies on this site. We use session ID cookies. We use session cookies to make it easier for you to navigate our site. A session ID cookie expires when you close you browser. If you reject cookies, you may still use our site, but your ability to use some areas of our site will be limited.
Some of our business partners (e.g. tracking utility company) use cookies and Web beacons on our site. We have no access to or control over these tracking technologies.
Delzani advertises with Google. Google may show you our ads based on your having visited our site. If you do not wish to see these ads you can opt-out by visiting the Google advertising opt-out page here http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html.
Rate and Review
If you provide a review or rating for a product available through Delzani Online we reserve the right to publish part or all of your review or rating together with your first name and suburb.
Links to Other Sites
This Website contains links to other sites that are not owned or controlled by Delzani. Please be aware that we, Delzani, are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage you to be aware when you leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every Web site that collects personally identifiable information. This privacy statement applies only to information collected by this website.
How do we use personal information?
In order to improve and better our offers and service, we may keep track of patterns of use in the e-mails and social interactions we send. By supplying us your information, you have given us permission to communicate to you via mail, e-mail, SMS, MMS, social media and telephone to inform you about services we deliver relevant to you indefinitely.
Disclosure of personal information
We may use or disclose your personal information to organisations outside Delzani for purposes relating to the management of your account with us. Such organisations include: Service providers who manage the services provided to you; mailing systems which organise delivery of the products you have purchased; live help service providers, maintenance and repair services; market research; and our professional advisers, accountants, lawyers and auditors.
We require these organisations to adhere to strict confidentiality of your personal information and also seek to ensure that they adhere to the National Privacy Principles. These service providers may not use your personal information for their own marketing purposes.
Security
Delzani takes reasonable steps to ensure that your personal information is secure. We have robust systems and procedures in place to protect your privacy whenever we collect, store and use or disclose personal information. We are continually upgrading these systems and reviewing our procedures to ensure the highest standards of security are used to protect your personal information.
How to access and amend personal information
If you wish to obtain a copy of our data privacy policy, access the personal information we hold about you or your personal information is inaccurate, incomplete outdated or to unsubscribe, please direct any queries regarding your privacy rights email sales@delzani.com.au.
The release of information is subject to some exceptions such as information relating to existing or any anticipated legal proceedings, together with exceptions provided by the Privacy Act. Our objective is to respond to any request within a reasonable timeframe and no later than 30 days.
How your information may be shared
Except for the purposes outlined in the Delzani Privacy Policy, we never sell or disclose your personal information. However, we may release personal information under the following circumstances:
-
when requested by the courts or laws (for example, a subpoena) or regulation or is requested by a government agency;
-
where we deem a company or an individual may be engaged in fraudulent activity or other deceptive practices that a governmental agency should be made aware of; and/or to appropriate persons, where your communication suggests possible harm to others.
Changes in this Privacy Policy
If we decide to change our privacy policy, we will post those changes to this document, the home page and other places we deem appropriate so that you are aware of what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we disclose it. We reserve the right to modify this privacy policy at any time, so please review it frequently. If we make material changes to this policy, we will notify you here, by email, or by means of a notice on our homepage.
Shop Now. Pay Later.
Always interest-free.
Add your favourites to cart
Select Afterpay at checkout
Log into or create your Afterpay account, with instant approval decision
Your purchase will be split into 4 payments, payable every 2 weeks
All you need to apply is to have a debit or credit card, to be over 18 years of age, and to be a resident of country offering Afterpay
Late fees and additional eligibility criteria apply. The first payment may be due at the time of purchase
For complete terms visit afterpay.com/terms