Wool Types for Saddle Blankets

Wool saddle blankets can help horses in many ways. The fine, tubular nature of wool hairs makes it excellent at regulating temperature and wicking sweat away from the horse's body. Wool saddle blankets can also prevent abrasions and offer shock absorption for the horse's back. To select the saddle blanket that is best for your horse, consider the properties of different types of wool.

  1. Source

    • Wool comes from many animals, but saddle blanket wool is usually either Merino wool, from Australian sheep, or mohair, from Angora goats. Both are comfortable, durable and elastic. Merino usually costs less than mohair and is more readily available. Merino can often be machine-washed on cold without shrinkage, whereas mohair may require special cleaning. Some people prefer the texture of mohair and believe the horse finds it more comfortable because of its silky texture.

    Quality

    • Merino wool quality is judged by length and feel. Wool saddle blankets should be made from hair that is 3 to 5 inches in length. Merino that comes from sheep raised for meat rather than wool may sometimes suffer breakage; patchy wool will wear quickly and won't protect your horse properly.

      The best quality mohair usually comes from South Africa, but acceptable mohair can come from goats raised anywhere in the world if the farms and wool collection methods are of high quality. Good quality mohair has a tight, subtle crimp and a silky feel. Rougher mohair indicates lesser quality.

    Grades

    • Grades do not necessarily refer to quality as an absolute in the context of saddle blankets. Grades are the values assigned to final wool products and are reference points for a variety of characteristics, such as fineness, yield, length, color and uniformity.

      Merino grades should be 20 or higher to be suitable for saddle blankets. Anything that is a lower grade than that is a poor investment and will not help your horse. If your supplier doesn't know the wool grade, you can usually tell if it will protect the horse simply by touching it. If it feels too thin, it's best to avoid it.

    Yarns

    • Choose a yarn type for your wool saddle blanket that will last. Virgin wool will have a fine feel to it, but can be prohibitively expensive. Recycled wool is fine to use for saddle blankets. Ragg or worsted wool are good bets, because they are sturdy and easy to clean. Sweat will not deteriorate the weave or weft. Both ragg and worsted yarns provide ample padding for shock absorption.