Best/Most lightweight sweet itch rug?

F

FinkleyAlex

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 October 2006
Messages
1,407
Visit site
Hi all - been battling sweet itch for well over 8 years now with my elderly gelding! He has moderate sweet itch and we've tried a number of rugs so far - he hated his Boett and shredded it within weeks so we've moved onto more 'conventional' SI rugs. At present I have the Premier Equine SI rug (PE) and the Shires SI rug - I absolutely love the Shires rug on him as it has lots of excess material and covers him well but it can make him sweat on really warm days. His PE rug is slightly on the narrow side for him and is not quite as good, though is less warm. However the PE rug has been shredded a fair bit over the years and needs replacing - can anyone recommend a sweet itch rug that covers all the way up to the ears (ideally) and keeps your horses cool even on really warm days (most important factor!)? My budget is about £115 max.
 
The best I've used is the Horseware sweetitch hoody. It doesn't get too hot here, but I'd still trade a slightly warm horse for one rubbing itself to flitters any day.
 
I have 2 horses with SI. By far and away the best is the Boett. they are fantastic. I also have Rambo hoodies (Horsewaer)which are for spares when the Boetts are in the wash whilst I save up to buy 2 more.

You have to be careful with the imitation boetts. some allow the midge to bite through and some make them sweat so they are a total waste of money especially when you consider how good the real thing is.
 
FairyLights said:
I have 2 horses with SI. By far and away the best is the Boett. they are fantastic. I also have Rambo hoodies (Horsewaer)which are for spares when the Boetts are in the wash whilst I save up to buy 2 more.

You have to be careful with the imitation boetts. some allow the midge to bite through and some make them sweat so they are a total waste of money especially when you consider how good the real thing is.
Click to expand...

I didn't find the real thing good at all - it was a very strange fit (and it was the correct size), it ripped very easily and made my horse sweat. He hated wearing it and it rubbed him in places. Within weeks the buckles had been ripped off and it had multiple tears! I would personally never buy one again. He is much happier in conventional rugs (fortunately - they are much cheaper!).
 
I have had Boett, Shires sweet itch and Rambo.

I liked the Rambo best, but the Shires one is very good and a fraction of the price. It looks like it will be sweaty, but Jay does not even have sweet itch and uses it as a very effective fly rug as we have terrible flies here. I would not buy him a Boett or Rambo for the cost.

The Boett was OK when new, but the elastic quicky sagged, and then we had the odd mishap with it not staying as it should, the final straw was when the hood slipped and blinded him, causing a panic and fall down.

The Shires Sweetitch combo comes with a little hat piece, and then I use an Equlibrium fly mask on top for semless protection.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shires-Sweet-Itch-Combo-Rug/dp/B007V3A306
 
I have used Rambo SI hoody (best you can buy IMO); Pessoa SI hoody (best I've ever had, lasted YEARS, but don't think they do them anymore :( ); PE SI hoody's, and the Pagony which is an imitation Boet.

Rambo SI hoody is unsurpassed IMO, easy to use, does the job, but carries a high price tag.

Premier Equine are good, but their sizing is such a poxy nuisance as they don't seem to have this sorted: I've had to send so many of theirs back for exchanges because they were either too big or too small! And I've ordered the same size every time! Horse hasn't changed shape!!! But they are very nice little rugs which do the job and last well, and are considerably cheaper than the Rambo's.

The lighter fabrics like the Mark Todd, Amigo Mio etc are a waste of money IME. They aren't strong enough to last - my boy's record to thoroughly shred one of these is 4 hrs turnout! But the Amigo Mio is a good rug for putting on to stand in the stable or at a show etc.

The Pagony is supposed to be an imitation Boett. Don't waste your money. It was badly made, the stitching wasn't strong enough to hold up a knat's knickers and somehow my boy managed to get a hind foot caught up in some of the elastic which is used to anchor a fastening :( That was the final straw, it went on the bonfire after that. I'd never buy another.

Have never used the Boett so can't comment.

Have not tried Shires either.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top