Are fleece coolers as good as wool ones?

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Got my bonus today so have been on a little shopping spree at Eland Lodge. ;)

Have been wanting a proper wool newmarket rug for ages but they don't seem to sell them anywhere?? OH bought the dogs some of the horsewear Ireland ones, so Badger had to have a matching one too. ;)

Are they as good though? Seems pretty robust and cost enough, but is fleece the new wool??

Also why do horsewear ireland rugs come up so small???
 
IMO definitely not!! I have a wool day rug (same weight as Witney blanket) and when I have used it to dry the horse off you will find it with a dewy wet deposit on the outside of the rug and the horse and rug are bone dry underneath. Fleece will not do that job. Sometimes the old traditional way is the best. Thermatex rugs have a good measure of wood in them and do a great job aswell. If you google Earlys of Witney (I think!) you will find the proper Newmarket striped wool rugs and if I remember rightly they are about £95. Well worth the money. I would not be without my lovely wool rug and when my youngster has finished growing he will be having a proper wool rug.

Found link after posting!!

www.fridayfox.co.uk
 
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I will disagree with burge,I have a Fal fleece cooler which is fantastic,as with a woollen blanket you can see the deposits of water on the top of the fleece as it is being drawn away from the horse,drys my lad very quickly!Personal preference i guess :)
 
Wool is in a totally different league in my opinion (and unfortunately in a different league in terms of money of course :D )

Wool lasts for ever, looks so smart, has superior wicking, doesn't have static and doesn't smell half as bad when used repeatedly on a sweaty horse..

(Sorry)
 
IMO fleece / Thermo cell /Thermatex are better than wool, mainly because they're easily washable without fear of shrinkage.
So speaks a grey cob owner who has to wash every post=bath rug after every cob-washing! If I didn't the rug would put dirt straight back on him :rolleyes:
 
I think that there is a huge differance in cheep fleece and good quality fleece.

When comparing a good quality fleece to wool I would say fleece are lighter easier to wash. Wool is warmer and possibly more hard wearing but difficult to wash, heavy more expensive.

I think the horsewear fleeces are quite nice

I think thermatex type are the best they are mixture of synthetic and wool so you get the benifits of both
 
There is a reason that the only wool which people doing serious outdoor sports use is smartwool/merino, which costs an absolute bomb. 'Normal' wool rugs would not get anywhere near my horse, they do not wick anywhere near as well as modern technical fabrics! I ride in Icebreaker merino wool tops - which cost an absolute fortune, but which wick amazingly - but since they are £50 for a lightweight shortsleeved polo shirt and £100+ for anything heavier/bigger, the chances of them expanding into horse rugs is slim to nil I'd say!

I think fleece coolers are superb - mind you, most modern rugs are breathable nowadays - so the issue of not putting a rug on a wet horse is pretty much redundant in my eyes.
 
SpottedCat said:
There is a reason that the only wool which people doing serious outdoor sports use is smartwool/merino, which costs an absolute bomb. 'Normal' wool rugs would not get anywhere near my horse, they do not wick anywhere near as well as modern technical fabrics! I ride in Icebreaker merino wool tops - which cost an absolute fortune, but which wick amazingly - but since they are £50 for a lightweight shortsleeved polo shirt and £100+ for anything heavier/bigger, the chances of them expanding into horse rugs is slim to nil I'd say!

I think fleece coolers are superb - mind you, most modern rugs are breathable nowadays - so the issue of not putting a rug on a wet horse is pretty much redundant in my eyes.
Click to expand...

My mum has had a really nice wool rug for years - it still looks amazing and all the moisture comes to the top and horse is dry and toasty warm underneath, they can't be that bad?

I've never had a decent cooler for my horse though (cruel mummy!) so will be interesting to see how this one compares. It is much different to the cheap fleace rugs I've seen.. will see!
 
Wool for me, wouldn't touch a fleece rug, yuk! I think Thermatexes are far superior to fleece too.

I find my old wool rug wicks moisture away well, and if the horse is really wet I put a sting vest type sweat rug under it (very old-fashioned, me!)

I shall be shopping at Friday Fox when I have some spare cash, my old wool day rug is too big for my new boy.
 
ive got 2 wool rugs tbh i use them for winter travelling or at a show, they cost over 100 quid each., and i wouldnt dream of putting them on a sweaty horse!
 
Thermatex for example are made from a high percentage of wool. Witney rugs come both made from synthetic fibres and wool. The wool one will be close to £100 as will most rugs made of wool. The thing is, wool is a natural fibre and breathes which allows the animal to dry. The wet is transferred to the top of the rug and the underneath part will be dry. Of course they are better but that is what you are paying for. I use my Thermatex on wet/sweaty horses and within a short space of time they are both warm and dry. The rug is then wet however! Wool = Warm & dry ... Simples!
 
wool vote from me too!
I have given up on fleeces as even expensive ones pull on her and get v tight across her shoulders.
I have a gorgeous lansdown (thermatex type) rug and a wool day rug. Best things ever!!
 
Thermatex

One of mine is about 15 years old and still looks fab even after years of hard use and washing. Also doubles up as a fab under rug.
I have a new one too which I take to shows as a cooler- but I do travel in a Weatherbeeta fleece cooler as my boy gets a bit warm when traveling.
 
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