We often get requests for 100% cotton ripstop paddock rugs, especially from those who have just gotten back into horses after a long break. Those of us with a few years under our belts will remember when horse rugs were generally 100% cotton, and we will also likely recall how terrible the first polyester horse rugs performed. (very hot) . This created a belief for many of us that cotton is King. A lot has changed over the last 10 years and you will be hard pushed to find a 100% cotton rip-stop horse rug.

100% cotton rip-stop rugs haven't been around for a long time. Still many retailers promote them as ‘cotton’, knowing full well they aren’t – some manufacturers even go as far as to use deceptive commerce labels for fabric descriptions on their rugs. In days gone by, 100% cotton horse rugs were not uncommon, cotton was cheap and the rugs were made from a thicker weave - and if you recall they also shrunk or lost their shape easily and didn't wear so well.

Over the last decade there has been huge leaps and bounds in fabric production technologies and new generation Ripstops in polyester resemble cotton in just about every aspect. The majority of rip-stop fabrics are now either 100% polyester (but look and feel like cotton) or will be a blend of cotton and polyester. Given the huge increase in raw cotton since 2010 - many manufacturers now use 100% polyester.

Cotton is naturally weak and needs a blend to give it strength and durability. Cotton does offer better breathability compared to polyester, but this gap has narrowed significantly in just the last few years. At Caribu we use approx a 70/30 blend in our rugs. 70% Polyester to 30% Cotton. If we use a higher cotton ratio - rugs start to lose strength and lose shape. More than 70% polyester, and the rugs start to lose breath ability.

We also use a 300gsm fabric (that’s the physical weight per square meter), many have reverted to a 240gsm to counteract increased raw material prices. So keep in mind than when you look for your next rug, query the supplier about the fabric construction and weight.