Do fly rugs actually do anything?

Paint Me Proud

Paint Me Proud

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Kasper came in from the field today with fly bites on his sheath area. It seems this is the only place any of my horses have ever been bitten.

I had a fly rug for my previous horse but he still got bitten on the 'bits' as they offer no protection over the sheath.

I've never seen a horse bitten on any area other than bare skin and fly rugs only seem to cover hairy areas.

So, does this make them slightly pointless?
 
my mare was the same today im really knobbed off...

all over her tum/girth and buzzing round her ''boobs''' :D

i got some gel from the tack shop and a brand new fly sheet....fifty quid i could have done without spending - this covers most of her tum

so will lather her up in sudocrem too as im sure if must be really itchy :[
 
Our flys bite the horses on their bodies creating swollen lumps on some horses- the only ones we fly rug! We don't fly rug them all as some fashion statement ;) No one even has a mask yet as we've not had any with bad eyes so far.
 
They do work, especially if you get one with the full neck/tail flap. A friend's sweet itch pony lives in his- it protects his mane/the top of his tail.
 
rara007 said:
Our flys bite the horses on their bodies creating swollen lumps on some horses- the only ones we fly rug! We don't fly rug them all as some fashion statement ;) No one even has a mask yet as we've not had any with bad eyes so far.
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At our yard a horse had a hole in the rug, the flies got in underneath and bit her to pieces :( Now put mine out without a rug if possible.
 
Not the answer to your question but Aqueous cream is very good for putting on the sheath area, its unlikely to cause a reaction (test first though) and extremely cheap
 
I'm not going to bother this year, find it just makes them sweaty when it's hot and hate the static shocks it does when you take them off lol
 
Last year my pony was in a different field and there was no field shelter (there were trees etc.). The flies were horrendous and she didn't know what to do with herself. Fly repellants had limited effect and so i bought a fly rug with a belly flap. Before I put it on for the first time she was tied up covered in flies and couldn't keep still, constantly turning her head to try to get rid of them and stamping her feet. When the rug went on she instantly visiibly relaxed and stood with her head down and eyes half closed as if to say 'thank goodness for that'.

Now she is back in her usual field with the shelter I will only use it occasionally.
 
xxcharlottexx said:
Mine comes out in lumps all over his neck and back due to fly bites. A fly rug providing it fits and doesn't have rips or holes in stops this :-)
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Yes, but what fly rug doesn't rip? I think the longest mine has managed to keep a fly rug intact is about 2 weeks!
 
Of course they work :)
If your horse gets bitten anywhere on his body then a fly rug will work. They are an absolute life saver for sweet itch sufferers who are allergic to the midge.
As for them ripping, well you have to make provision for the fact that they are will rip easier than a normal rug ...although you can buy much tougher ones these days (1200 denier).
 
Cowpony said:
Yes, but what fly rug doesn't rip? I think the longest mine has managed to keep a fly rug intact is about 2 weeks!
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Mine hasn't and it's in it's second summer (including the first where she was turned out with foally climbing all over her)

Some horses don't need them but some do - my girl gets very itchy if not rugged, and not just on her bare bits so she obviously gets bitten on the hairy bits.
 
Wait until the horse flys arrive then your see how much they work, the latter end of last year they were driving the horses demented!

Quality makes do not usually rip unless you have an underlying problem such as sweet itch when using a rug with mesh holes in ( even tiny mesh holes ) as the midge that causes the sweet itch reaction can still get through these.
 
have never had one rip - had amigo and rambo ones and ours do get bitten all over body, F is sporting a few atm!
 
I'm on the fence on this one - I hate the thought of rugging a horse in the height of summer, but do think they have benefit in horsefly season.

Tbh though I think they are happier coming in during the day when the flies are at the worst.

Both mine wear the old fashioned fly fringe as they are hogged cobs, therefore have no forelock to keep the flies of their faces.
 
Having seen a wasp get under a fly rug and badly sting a horse (that was obviously going demented) I stopped using them..
 
I don't use them on my two boys - they wear masks, and are sprayed with Tritec every 3/4 days, and seem fine. Our old TB mare is driven demented by flies, and is much happier in a fly rug, so she wears one, and has Tritec on her stomach/teats.
 
I get the Rambo protector for mine as only ones they don't rip. They cover the belly too. They seem much more comfortable wearing them and less stressy about the flies. I cover the rugs in fly spray too although it says the fabric has built in fly repellant.
 
Trad-Lad has to wear one as he has Sweet Itch; I put him out on loan a few years ago and they turned him out without it. In the space of only one weekend he'd managed to rub his mane, tail and face absolutely raw, I was so gutted. But it goes to show that as far as he is concerned it is an Essential Item and not an option.

For mare; she seems to send out a homing beacon to flies, particularly horseflies, saying "come and attack me", and so I've put her in a light fly rug with neck - and she's been an awful lot happier and far less stressed in it since then.

With fly rugs, IME its not always a case of "cheap" being "cheerful". Cheap rugs made out of flimsy mesh don't last: our record here is just five hours for one of these to be thoroughly trashed :(. I don't bother buying them now, only go for makes like Rambo & Premier Equine.
 
Im having this argument with myself at the moment. M was covered in those horrid, midgy, bitey things one night this week, especially his chest, tum and sheath areas. I have sprayed him well and he is wearing a fly veil. For now Ive left a rug off, I really dont want him rugged all summer but if he starts to get bitten he will be wearing a Horseware one. I dont want infected bites. My biggest concern is that I cant see how the horse cant be too hot wearing a mesh rug!
 
They absolutely do work, but obviously only on the areas they cover! It's worth spending the extra pennies for a decent brand like the premier equine ones that aren't likely to rip easily. I can't stand seeing horses covered in flies in the summer, and have also never had a horse come in too hot wearing a fly rug!
 
For those worried about them overheating - I actually find Roo is cooler in her rug as it's pale and she's dark, she tends to be less sweaty in her rug than without it.
 
I have one with SI that HAS to wear one throughout Spring and Summer and they are an absolute life saver.

I have another pony who, although she doesn't have SI, the flies seem to love her and she'll rub to try and get the flies off. I've just bought her one of the new Gallop fly rugs and it is fantastic! Only cost me £24.95 off Ebay and she is SO much happier with it on! :)
 
The only fly rug my cob sweated up in was a snuggyhoods but it was quite a thick material a bit like jodhpurs but that was years ago and they may have changed by now. Any standard type of fly rug or sweet itch rug should not make them sweat up anymore than they would without it. My cob actually seems cooler to the touch under his rug than my pony without one. I think they are a fab idea and my cob would certainly not be around today with his.
 
Yes, my lad gets driven mad by the flies ... he gets bitten all over and comes up in lumps ... they bite him and are all over his face and he hates it. He wears a PE sweet itch rug, and a fly mask and has the option to go in a field shelter and is a lot happier for it. He`s also jet black, and I find the rug reflects the heat keeping him cooler.
 
You can get a sheath and udder cover for the snuggyhood rugs, a friend uses this and finds it great, so I am going to get an udder cover added to my mares rug.

I find the snuggy hoods rugs are the best for keeping the flys out as they are snug fitting.
 
Is your product working if his sheath was bitten, i have found neem oil to be brilliant and when i have finished whiping the sheaths and under bellies and behind elbows and under neck i just finish the wipe over the body and their coats are not oily.
 
I have a large black mare who gets driven mad by horseflies. I bought her a fly rug last year and it was the best thing I have done to protect her from them. She is usually a hot mare who sweats at the drop of a hat in a rug which is why I had never tried one before. However, she is cooler in the rug. It still looks like new (Rambo) so will be back on again when she is out this summer. At the moment she is spending the days inside as she is sill eating all her hay net while in. Once she stops wanting hay she will be out in it again. It also stops her fur going dull and brownish and she stays glossy and black. I am a convert.

Horseflies hunt by sight and are attracted to dark colours so the light coloured rug also makes it harder for the flies to find the horse.
 
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