best cooling options

paddi22

paddi22

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You have a sweaty unclipped horse that you've hosed down. You've to put them in a box for a drive home - what kind of fleece do you find best?

I've been sorting through rugs and have a range of fleeces and sweat rugs - would love to know which ones are most effective!

options are
• old-school hole-y sweat rug
· horseware amigo jersey fleece
• waffle cooler
• Horseware Amigo All in 1 Fleece 400g

have never done a test to see which are most effective. would be curious what people finds works best and in what situations?
 
following on this thread - so applecart would you advise a fleece after exercise (without the hose down) just to cooldown - or one of the specific cooling sheets with wicking properties, that are really expensive?
 
None I'd use a thermatex or one of the cheaper Mark Todd/Weatherbeeta ones. Fleeces seem to get damp without drying the horse off. Failing that, the holey sweat sheet under another rug
 
You need a wicking rug. Some do come specifically marketed for that; but most decent fleeces will wick as well. (Cheap ones usually don't - but there are exceptions!) A waffle works by allowing evaporation rather than positively drawing water away.

Which you use will depend on the ambient temperature. If it is cold then something fleece like which wicks. Thermatex are probably the gold standard - but I have a fleece I got from Ruggles that wicks like nothing else I have ever seen! Moisture absolutely beads on the surface and the underside is quite dry. I also have a ghastly fleece from Lidl which rather unexpectedly wicks quite well. The other option could be something from the hunter range which is a good wicking fleece on top and mesh on the bottom.

But if it is warmer you only need to allow evaporation rather than prevent cooling. A waffle will do fine and if really warm one of those string vest for horses thingys - although I confess I don't personally feel those are safe for transport and use and ultra light skrim cooler instead.
 
great, thanks for the advice. I had used the fleece one and had seen the mosture beads and got worried the rug was soaked. But that makes sense that it wicks to the surface!
 
In my opinion, you cannot beat the Rambo Horseware double bond fleeces. They are expensive but AMAZING! Dries my boy off in half hour, keeps him sooo warm when he's clipped, its cosy, doesn't rub, makes an excellent exercise fleece to wrap around you too when riding in the cold. It's my go-to rug for absolutely everything. It gets washed all the time cos my piggy pony loves lying in poo, and it still looks brand new :)
 
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