COTTON vs POLYESTER – What's best?
There are a lot of products on the market making claims about their breathability. It is something that is important when choosing garments for your horse because your horse doesn’t have a choice about what they wear!
Breathability allows the horse’s natural sweat and evaporation process to help them cool as they do naturally in their naked state. Isn’t that what we all need in hot conditions? If you think about your favourite summer clothes (excluding gym and swimwear) it’s highly likely they’ll be made from a high percentage of natural fibres, (cotton, linen silk, hemp) and they’ll be loose fitting to allow plenty of natural airflow to help you keep cool.
In contrast, synthetic fabrics (polyester being among the most prevalent) wick moisture, which draws moisture away from the skin, but without a breathable barrier, the moisture and heat are trapped. Many polyester products are marketed as being breathable. The “breathability” is from holes manufactured into the fabric to create airflow, but the fabric itself is NOT breathable. I was recently speaking with an Australian horse rug manufacturer who put it quite succinctly - “putting a horse in a polyester rug in summer is like putting a plastic bag over them”.
So why do so many manufacturers continue to push synthetic horse wear? Here’s some of my thoughts on why:
- They’re in business to make money and synthetic materials are cheaper than natural fabrics.
- The marketing of the “breathability” of polyester is has been effective in convincing consumers.
- Synthetic materials are generally stronger and more durable than a similar weight in a natural fibre.
So why by natural fabrics when synthetics are cheaper and lighter weight? Here are some of the reasons I choose natural fabrics (cotton):
- They are breathable – (not marketed as breathable, but truly breathable).
- Natural fabrics such as cotton allow evaporation for cooling.
- Natural fabrics are biodegradable and do not shed micro plastics.
- They’re hypoallergenic (unlikely to cause an allergic reaction) as opposed to polyester which can irritate the skin.
If you have to cover your horse for whatever reason, wouldn’t you want them to be as comfortable as possible? They can’t run off for a shower, sit in front of a fan or run for the air conditioning. All they have at their disposal is shade, cool water and evaporative cooling. For me it’s a no brainer that when my horses are in protective wear they’re wearing a high percentage of cotton (if not 100%).
Don’t get me wrong – I’ve used many synthetic summer rugs with my horses and I’ve believed the “breathability” hype. But when I was recently asked by a customer what I did in the heat with my horses, it got me thinking more about what I was doing.
Recently in my infinite wisdom I resorted to stripping my horses naked to help them deal with the very hot days. After 2 days of them coming in really sweaty (I can only assume this is from their coats absorbing heat and the extra activity required to keep the biting insects at bay) I reverted back to rugging. I decided to run a little test with my horses in different rug types on a day of 39oC, and here are the results:
|
Horse |
Rug |
Pants |
Result |
|
Crissy |
100% polyester mesh |
None |
Dripping wet and hot Required hosing |
|
Reena |
Poly/cotton |
100% cotton |
Showed signs of having sweated but came in dry and cool |
|
Fozz |
Poly/cotton |
None |
Showed signs of having sweated but came in dry and cool |
When they came in that night after a day in the paddock, the only one who was actively sweating was Crissy in her “breezy” polyester rug. She was hot and dripping wet and needed a full hose down. The other two had been sweating slightly, but the sweat had dried and they were dry and cool. Reena has Cushings and is currently sporting a “winter” coat, so her results in both rug and Canterpants were the most impressive, and I now don’t let my horses out on a hot day in anything but cotton or poly/cotton.
Looking back on this test makes me wonder at my lack of common sense – I avoid any clothing made with synthetic materials because they make me sweat. I’d also done the research and decided on cotton for my Canterpants fabric because of it’s cooling properties. It took this test on my horses of rugs on a hot day to remind me of what I already knew (Doh!).
If you’re interested in reading more about Cotton vs Polyester I’ve included some independent articles in the links below.
🐴Together - making our horses’ lives better – regards, Yvette
Cotton vs Polyester Articles
MF Safety & Workwear – Cotton vs Polyester (What’s the difference, and which keeps you cooler in summer?)
Kita-Ku – 10 of the best & worst fabrics to wear in summer
Fibre2Fashion – Choosing between Cotton and Polyester: What you need to know.
https://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/9157/cotton-vs-polyester-similarities-and-differences
Quora – Why is polyester clothing bad to wear?
https://www.quora.com/Why-is-polyester-clothing-bad-to-wear-I-heard-people-say-to-not-buy-it
Disclaimer: These are my thoughts and opinions and should not be considered expert or medical advice. I recommend that you seek professional advice in relation to your horse/s.