A question about fly rugs/allergys (I do realise its winter!)

littlen

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Yes, I do realise I am asking this question at the completley wrong time of year, but i have noticed all of the summer/fly rugs are in the sale and if i can pick one up cheap now I will rather than wait until they are in season!



So I have a gelding who every year suffers with some type of allergy to flies which results in pea like swellings which weep and take weeks to go away and hair loss around the face. He also headshakes when ridden in summer. Vet couldnt pinpoint what it is and suggested taking every preventitive measure possible to ensure he isnt bitten at all.

I am looking for a new fly rug and would love some recomendations. I have a weatherbeeta mesh combo but he sweats in it and looks really umcomfy. I would like one thats lighter and more breathable. I like the look of the shires and amigo ones, and try to steer clear of masta but am open to suggestions
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I am also looking for suggestions of masks and other preventitives (sprays etc) I can pick up now cheap as they are out of season!
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I have the amigos, they are great and nice and soft and they dont sweat in them. BUT they an be tight around the shoulders, but dont rub my welsh D. though he isnt as wide as he looks on the shoulders. I would love to be able to afford the V-neck rambo ones but not going to happen. Only other thing with the amigos (and I find with horseware generally) up to 5'9 the neck covers are very small. 6' they get sig bigger

I dont like the masta ones, they are stiff and slip.
 
Try to pick up a cheap Boett sweetitch rug or a cheaper version. Ellie doesn't have sweetitch but the flies drove her mad in the summer. Put on the rug and she was a different horse - very laid back and chilled again.

She hates the normal flymasks with mesh over the eyes but practically shoves her head in the Boett one, she loves it!
 
I love the fal pro silver lined ones - I bought one half price in the sale, but it was an old style and didn't have the lycra bit joining the neck to the body, so it pulled apart quite quickly. Make sure it's the new style with a black stretchy insert between the neck and withers.

If you see any reduced fal ones, let me know! I like to stock up at this time of the year too (along with buying half price xmas cards in January, but I'm not going to admit to that publicly as it makes me sound very sad
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I would also recommend the boett, but they don't often have much of a sale, just sometimes a few old style reduced.
 
My weatherbeeta is terrible really. It is dark green in colour so I dont know if that makes a difference but he was so hot in it the sweat was making puddles on the floor! Its also small fitting. I would like one thats more breathable and loose so he dosent get too hot.

I will certainly look at all of these thanks! I would love a boett if finances will allow, but im wary of spending alot as horse is a serial rug ripper.

Ester that is typical as horse is between a 5'9 and 6' lol!
 
Go for the Boett rug and the mask is wonderful. I've tried seveal flysheets, which ended up being torn badly and as she does suffer from sweet-itch, I finally bought one, she doesn't sweat as with the others, sometimes she'd dripping specially the rambo when it got hot. She has never ripped her Boett rug at all, I have 2 so I can put one in the wash and tumble dry and they are not that expensive at all, as my boett is in it 4th year and not a rip in sight
 
one of mine has severe sweetitch, the boett is the only thing that prevents here being pts if i'm being honest- yes they are pricey but v hardwearing and if yours suffers its worth splashing out on, or try find 2nd hand on ebay. they are fantastic and my welshie doesn't sweat one bit in it, and it drys really quick when wet.
 
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