Cybèle Geideman is the founder and blanket developer. ThunderCloud Saddle Blankets is a product of U-BRAID-IT Braiding Supply Co. LLC. Read Our Story for our journey into saddle blankets.

Our blankets are 50% Mohair/50% New Zealand Wool. It took ten years of conceptualizing and the discovery of a unique felting process to achieve the perfect blanket thickness while maintaining Mohair’s luxuriously soft touch.

Our blankets are painstakingly made in South Africa.

Being a mindful consumer sent me on a mission to create and offer a saddle blanket I could personally feel good about using.

The dedicated weaving mill is family owned and connected to our cinch yarn mill whom we have worked closely since 2011. Our blankets are not produced in a substandard factory. They are crafted with integrity from Oeko-Tex Certified Manufacturing in South Africa. With South Africa being the largest producer of Mohair in the world, our blankets are sustainable from grower to mill.

• Oeko-Tex certified yarn
• REACH compliant
• Responsible Wool Standard (RWS)
• Responsible Mohair Standard (RMS)

Employees have sponsored medical aid, sick leave pay, pension, paid holidays, and a guaranteed year-end bonus. As well as a clean and tidy work environment, transport provided and canteen facilities.

Our blankets are designed to drape across the spine with no bunching and no break-in period required. Note: Depending on your horse’s conformation and each blanket’s unique structure you may notice minimal puckering behind the shoulder when the blanket is placed on the back (especially on horses with prominent withers and high set necks), this however will resolve once the saddle is in place. This is not to be confused with bunching that does not smooth out, as commonly seen on some blankets. A new ThunderCloud may shift and pucker if a horse is not standing still before saddling. You can adjust the fit and smooth this out with your hand before placing a saddle on your horse’s back.

Yes! We pride ourselves on being the softest natural fiber woven saddle blanket created with your horse in mind. We took MOHAIR-the diamond fiber-and combined it with pure New Zealand Wool.

Simply put, the natural fibers provide exceptional wicking and breathability to increase your horse’s comfort level.

Our blankets may be soft, yet they are dense. At a compressed thickness they are around 1/2” and weigh in over 4 pounds. Keep in mind, ThunderCloud is a felted saddle blanket, NOT a saddle pad.

No. We’re certain you’ll find our “single” blankets plenty thick and even comparable to a “double” blanket.

Yes! Our blankets have a 99% compression recovery rating as independently lab-tested by the Wool Testing Bureau SA. That being said, much will depend on your horse’s conformation, saddle fit, activity, and riding style. If you choose to use only a ThunderCloud under your saddle, your saddle needs to fit well. Poor-fitting saddles may result in blanket shifting (a sign that your saddle does not fit). A ThunderCloud can be used on top of a thin pad or blanket liner. However, we do not recommend placing a ThunderCloud beneath a pad as you may experience slipping. We will not be held accountable for blanket slippage for any reason. Whether there is an issue with rider incompetence (not properly cinched), saddle fit, riding style, or the conformation of the horse.

Our blankets will eventually be offered in two sizes: 33” x 33” and 30” x 32”.

To maintain the life of your blanket we recommend the following care:

• Never machine wash or dry
• Spot clean with a wet rag
• Vacuum occasionally to remove sand and dirt
• Lightly use the StripHair Gentle Groomer available on our website
• For extreme sweat and dirt, spray with a hose and hang on a fence or stand. Do this in warmer weather so it has adequate time to dry
• We do not recommend the use of any soap or cleaners on our blankets. Use water only
• Moths and rodents love natural fibers. To avoid any damage, keep rodents away from your blankets. If you store your blanket in a container, use natural moth prevention (lavender or cedar). Watch your dogs too—they love the blankets!

Horse tack is subject to normal wear and tear, and is therefore not returnable after it has been used. By used we mean placed on your horse’s back without a pad or liner. If a saddle blanket arrives damaged or does not meet your expectations of quality, we will issue a refund. Returns must be made within 7 days from the time of arrival. Please get in touch with us first.