With Winter approaching :(, I wanted to start looking for a quality wool cooler at an affordable price. Looking for an 84 (horse is an 81 blanket but with saddle underneath, I will need bigger) and would need to be made from quality wool.
I have looked at a couple and found they were extremely thin and cheap! I had an older Dover brand wool cooler and is significantly better quality then the ones they are selling now. The ones they have now are so much thinner.
wool in ladies clothes has pretty much disappeared in the last decade.
About ten years ago someone who owned a knitting craft store warned me of a coming shortage of wool because the devastating fires in Australia had killed off a large part of the sheep the provide wool world wide.
I am just starting to see wool sweaters back in the stores the past year or two. But they are rather skimpy in fabric. No big cable stitches.
I imagine the same problem would hit the horse cooler industry as well.
Your best bet would be finding an as-new second hand sheet that someone has held onto and never used, probably.
Could you maybe try a custom blanket place and see if they would sell you one without the embroidery? Most of those places have really nice wool coolers.
I was recently looking for an affordable wool quarter sheet and ended up buying a very old used but in good condition one on Ebay. Affordable AND that nice, heavy wool. It’s a bit of the old style (plain square) but that’s what I was looking for because nostalgia. I think used is the only way to go, unless your affordable is a lot more $$ than my affordable 
Does it have to be wool? There are (IMHO) better alternatives now that are much cheaper.
Rambo has a heavyweight fleece option that is a thick plush quality. I’ve only needed to pull it out a few times, it is that heavy. Goes great under a rainsheet for the not-quite medium-weight days and does a good job of cooling my guy out. It is on par in terms of wicking capability as any wool sheet I’ve ever had and the bonus is I can wash it without fretting about dissolving it. Fleece also IME dries faster post-wicking, and doesn’t get the same smell that wool can if not air-dried properly.
I loved wool until I had to care for it. A lot of the horses at the barn I rode at in college had the old, oft-recalled-fondly wool rugs - they collect shavings and hay like no other, don’t breathe as well (IMHO) as polar fleece, were very heavy and you could not wash them… With fleece you can brush it down easily and throw it in the wash with no worries on ruining it.
Drawback to using fleece over wool is IME fleece tends to move around more under blankets, and also can stretch over time. Other drawback is I’ve shocked the everloving heck out of my horses with fleece and never had static be a problem with wool…
This is the Rambo one:
http://www.doversaddlery.com/rambo-g…ce/p/X1-24778/
I have it in the Newmarket version which appears to be discontinued. I got the 81. My guy is a big horse and he practically swims in the 81…
If you aren’t averse to two blankets I find the best drying out post sweaty-ride comes from an irish knit under a lightweight fleece cooler.
For wool sources, I honestly agree they don’t make them like they used to. They are outrageously expensive for thin blankets too. I think you’d be better off searching “wool rug” “newmarket rug” on consignment shop websites (or ebay). I haven’t been impressed with any of the wool coolers I’ve felt as of late.
I found the Shires Newmarket rug and quarter sheet to be of good quality. Think, heavy wool and plenty warm. I got mine a couple years ago and still look like new. I don’t recall them being cheap, though.
Most I’ve seen lately, even some wool/acrylic blends, have been very thin. I think you may have to go with custom if you want quality wool. Like Blue Ribbon Blankets, Triple Crown Custom, or The Clothes Horse.
My favorite one is a Wilsun brand. There is a company making them again, but I don’t know if the wool they are using for the dress sheets is the same.
My horse doesn’t fit into any of my dress sheets anymore, so I’m on the lookout for something for him this winter. Fleece creates too much static–which he HATES.
Have you looked at Thermatex? Not 100% wool, but really nice quality. http://www.thermatex.co.uk/thermatex/Rugs.html
Love nice wool horse clothes. I’d troll FB, ebay and consignment places. Lots of people with otherwise good taste - talking to you, Beowulf - hahaha - hate wool and you can scare up some beautiful stuff for cheap. Like my thick Baker tartan cooler - yep, wool - from ebay for $30. Sorry not sorry.
You can find nice ones used on Ebay.
If you want the heavy duty wool for a lower price, and aren’t picky about colors, I’d hit eBay - search for “custom cooler”, or some of the brands that make them - Clothes Horse, etc.
I’ve seen even some of the custom brands moving towards a more lightweight wool recently - it makes hanging them up and traveling with them a lot easier, and you can always layer. I have the SmartPak wool cooler and really like it - it has lined shoulders and while it is light weight, it doesn’t feel as cheap as some others I’ve seen
thank you everyone!
I do love the Rambo fleece cooler and it won’t break the bank. I recently purchased a Rhino fleece from smartpak to have around the barn because 1 - it was on sale and 2 - my barn stays pretty warm when closed up. I’d be more looking for shows - so thicker is going to be better for me.
I will keep an eye out on Ebay as well.
@jhg140 I’ve actually wanted to try the SmartPak one. It is on my wishlist but I was just hesitating bc I didn’t want to be super disappointed.
Don’t forget the free returns on sized items 
Contact The Clothes Horse!!
I wish I were in the income bracket where The Clothes Horse qualified as “affordable!” Great people, great stuff - but priced appropriately for the quality.
http://www.brubachersharness.ca/contents/en-us/d743.html
Brubachers Harness is a Mennonite shop here in Ontario that makes nice quality wool coolers in house at a reasonable price, you can even choose your own colour combos. I’ve had two made and have been very happy with them, they are nice and heavy and will last for years. Assuming you are in the US, you get the price advantage of buying in CAD as well.
The Clothes Horse is certainly best, but for a more wallet friendly option you may like Curvon (who makes Baker.) They have an 80% wool blend that holds up very well and feels quite thick and plush.
Bumping this old thread- My lovely Blue Ribbon cooler got trashed while I was away 
I can’t afford to replace it (close to $350 to $400 us now…). I need your alternatives! Any other to add to the ones listed above?
Brubachers looks like the most bang for the buck at the moment, and I’m from Canada, so that helps with the dollar.
Thermatex look neat, but are they really that much better than wool??
I have a fleece one for in the meantime, but I hate the static of fleece which is why I loved the wool one so much. Sigh… [h=2][/h]
Schneiders sells a wool cooler that is affordable and good quality; I have several of them.
Had no clue about Brubacher’s Harness. They look awesome for all kinds of things. Thank you!
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