Finest in the Field Since 1986
About Thermatex
Made for generations
Made for a life outdoors
We're British, we love to talk about the weather. Combine that with a love of horses and the weather becomes integral to the way we live. From the long summer months of poo-picking to the 'are your horses in for the night yet,' first cold morning of the Autumn, we are constantly monitoring, caring and adapting to the ever-changing seasons. There is a moment when you reach for the Thermatex, the rug that's been hanging in the tack room for years, quietly doing exactly what it was made to do.
For generations of horse owners, a Thermatex has simply been part of the yard.
It's the rug you reach for when your horse is wet after work, when the temperature drops, or when you want them warm and comfortable without wrapping them in something that leaves them too hot. Its clever knitted construction helps draw moisture away while allowing heat to escape, helping horses stay dry, cosy and comfortably regulated.
And then there's the first Thermatex.
For some, it was something they saved up for. A considered purchase. The rug they'd heard other people talking about and eventually bought for their own horse. And for many, that first Thermatex is still around today, sometimes looking a little more lived-in, perhaps, but still doing its job.
Born from British knitting expertise
The story began more than 40 years ago, with three knitters in Leicestershire and an idea to use specialist knitting techniques in a completely different way.
Leicester was a natural place for the business to begin. The city has a long and proud textile tradition, and it was here that the foundations of Thermatex were established.
But the company soon headed west.
Thermatex moved from Leicester to Cardigan, West Wales, where the business found a new home beside the River Teifi. We don't yet know the precise year of that move, but it was early in the company's story and Cardigan would become an important part of the Thermatex identity.
Even our little otter has a story to tell.
The otter on the Thermatex logo was inspired by Cardigan's river and its association with otters a small piece of local character that has travelled with the brand ever since.
From those beginnings came the unmistakable Thermatex thermal rug: a simple idea, refined through years of knitting expertise, practical experience and listening to the people who actually used the products.
From the stable yard to the world stage
Thermatex grew through word of mouth.
Horse owners trusted it. Grooms trusted it. Riders trusted it. And, eventually, so did some rather famous customers.
Thermatex found its way onto horses competing at the highest level, including the Olympic Games, with the brand associated with both Atlanta in 1996 and London in 2012.
But perhaps one of the loveliest endorsements came away from the competition arena altogether.
The late Queen was also a Thermatex customer, wearing one of the brand's gilets.
It's an anecdote that says something about the versatility of the original idea: what began as a specialist knitted rug for horses became a fabric and a way of thinking about warmth and comfort that could be appreciated by people, too.
From 1986, to 2026 and beyond
A new chapter
Today, Thermatex is beginning its next chapter with Racesafe.
In 2026, Racesafe acquired Thermatex, bringing together two British brands with a shared passion for equestrian sport, technical textiles and specialist manufacturing. The intention is to preserve the knowledge and character that made Thermatex special, while giving the brand the investment and expertise to move forward.
It feels like a natural home.
Racesafe has spent decades developing technical products for riders and producing them in Britain. Now, Thermatex's distinctive knitting expertise joins that story.
The name stays. The heritage stays. The little otter stays.
And the next chapter begins.
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