are thermatex rugs worth the money?

[blood_magik]

I'm thinking of getting Jerry a thermatex rug to replace his fleeces.
I've found one on ebay (made to order) for £114.

Are they worth the money?

mince pies and irn bru on offer before I go to work

 

[Persephone]

IMO yes, I have a couple. They do stretch though, hence ordering a size smaller.

Beautiful quality and do the job.

 

[springer1021]

Yes they're well worth the money, I couldn't manage without them. I've had one of them about 10 years and it is still in excellent condition. I use them for a cooler and general stable rug.

 

[cob&onion]

Yep i have a heavy type one i've had for about 15 years or maybe more, its still going strong my current TB mare wears it now
Just bought a lighter weight one for my cob, was a steal at £40! agree though, you need to go a size smaller as they are very generous sizes.

 

[Luci07]

Only rug which really does last for ever. Don't use as an under rug through as they will slip back but complete godsend for damp wet horses. I have a good collection now and the oldest must be nearly twenty years old now!

 

[rossiroo]

Yes but I have found coolex just as good.

 

[rossiroo]

And the Nordic exersize ones are terrific

 

[Sparkly Snowdrop]

Yes, well worth every penny. Comes up as good as new when washed, I wouldn't be without mine now.

 

[TGM]

Definitely yes! I am not a 'ruggy' person - tend to go for cheap and cheerful usually, but I have two thermatexes that are superb and do their job brilliantly!

 

[blood_magik]

guess Jerry's getting a new rug then

I'll donate his fleeces to the charity that my vet supports

 

[PitPony]

Definitely and the exercise version is brilliant too...I also have some comfort zone lapel rugs too which do the same but love the Thermatex and have quite a few of both!

 

[poacher82]

Mine is a Tevitex - same concept, made by Teviot Equine Design. LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

 

[milesjess]

I have a mark todd coolex. Got it second hand but great condition and it's fab. Very smart and it's cheaper but just as good.

 

[palomino_pony]

Coolex are lovely and I have a thermatex quarter sheet which is fab too. I wouldn't hesitate in getting another if I needed one

 

[kerilli]

yes, they're great, also wash well and last forever as long as horses don't trash them!

 

[Brandy]

I have one that I got second hand from a horse sale for £12 about 10 years ago, it had a hole in the bum of it, not right through and only small. Still going strong. Yes they do come up big. Also have a comfort zone lapel rug which I also love, it looks so cosy!!

To be honest, I probably wouldn;t buy a new one they are VERY expensive!!

 

[Flame_]

No, they're not really. Other wicking rugs work just as well for less money and have better belly straps on them. Plus they snag on things and get tatty so easily.

 

[ellie_e]

Yup I have the orginial and a summer one- picked the summer one up at Olympia this year for £35

 

[Orangehorse]

Not sure if they are. They pick up every stray piece of shavings or straw, odd sizing (if they "come up big" why not alter the sizes - I am not the only person who has ended up with a too long rug).

The most irritating is the cheap horrible fastenings. You would think that for an expensive rug they could put on some nice buckles and a decent fastening.

I do use it lots though!

 

[MissMincePie&Brandy]

I personally hate the fit, and I really hate the way they slip back, and sit so incredibly tightly on the chest. I have even seen them cause sore withers, because of the awful stretching. They're OK if you want to pop them on for half and hour, but no longer (from my experiences).
The last ones I bought must have been about 6 or 7 years ago, so perhaps the fit/design has been altered to address this issue, as I'm sure someone else would have commented on this? The metal work they use rusts as well.
I wouldn't buy another, even if they were the cheapest.

 

[kerilli]

I personally hate the fit, and I really hate the way they slip back, and sit so incredibly tightly on the chest. I have even seen them cause sore withers, because of the awful stretching. They're OK if you want to pop them on for half and hour, but no longer (from my experiences).
The last ones I bought must have been about 6 or 7 years ago, so perhaps the fit/design has been altered to address this issue, as I'm sure someone else would have commented on this? The metal work they use rusts as well.
I wouldn't buy another, even if they were the cheapest.

Really? I've used them for decades (same ones still going strong), i've never had one rub. they do slip back a bit so i only ever use them on their own, never with rugs on top (defeats the object anyway i think). i've left them on overnight countless times and never seen sore withers etc. never had the metalwork rust either! the only damage has been when a horse has ripped one with teeth (just one particular rug-wrecker). the worst things i'd say about them are the sizing (WHY haven't they addressed this?!) and the fact that bedding such as shavings really sticks to the material very badly. but for purpose, to put on a soaking horse for an hour or two and come back to a toasty dry horse, they're miraculous. (i remember walking horses for hours in winter, and thatching, to try to dry them off, so i regard thermatexes as a godsend!)

 

[ljohnsonsj]

Another big fan,love mine a lot more hard wearing then fleeces with my rug destroyer!

 

[MerrySherryRider]

Love them Mine's over 10 years old gets used for drying a wet horse off. Its incredible the way the outside shows the moisture being wicked away while the inside is dry.
Only warning is, like with all fleeces, make sure you store it away from mice. Little blighters love them.

 

[TicTac]

I have a thermatex ( originally bought for another one of my horses, so slightly big for current one) and a comfort zone lapel. The thermatex are very good but do stretch and are not very good to put on under another rug and leave, should you need too. However they wash and tumble dry a treat.

The comfort zone rug is as good and has excellent wicking properties and I am currently prefering to use this one rather than the thermatex. However when one of my horses came in with a dangerously high temperature one year and sweating buckets when it was - 2 outside, the thermatex rug did a brilliant job by keeping the horse cool and dry while allowing the sweat to evaporate.

I do think that you pay for the name with thermatex but like the way you can customise them and have any colour you choose.

 

[trendybraincell]

I have a Mark Todd Coolex and love it. I didn't want to pay the price tag for the thermatex for various reasons; I only ever use it for a short period of time, slipping back and rubbish fastenings.

I've had the MT for about as long as I've had Shadow (6 years) and its in brilliant condition, I much prefer the buckles on the front and the cross surcingles also doesn't slip back like the thermatex seems to

 

[Dizzle]

Nothing comapres to them! I had one when I had my horse on loan, had to leave it behind when I bought him. Gutted. Have tried various different brands of cooler and NOTHING compares to the thermatex.

 

[irish_only]

Only rug which really does last for ever. Don't use as an under rug through as they will slip back but complete godsend for damp wet horses. I have a good collection now and the oldest must be nearly twenty years old now!

Couldn't agree more!

I love my thermatex - definitely worth the money.

 

[ISHmad]

I love our Thermatex rugs, well worth the money IMHO. Wick moisture away like magic, keep the horses warm at the same time and often use them as travelling rugs in winter. Wouldn't use them as an under rug for the reasons others have already mentioned. We always buy a size too small as they do stretch that little bit.

 

[missponymad]

I'm thinking of getting Jerry a thermatex rug to replace his fleeces.
I've found one on ebay (made to order) for £114.

Are they worth the money?

mince pies and irn bru on offer before I go to work

One word...YES!
I have 7 of them all in colours of my choice and with my initials on them
Love them!

 

[BonneMaman]

There is absolutely nothing to compare to a Thermatex - they are superb in every way and if you get the right size they do not slip nor rub.