Fly rug/sweet itch rugs

[PSD]

I know this has been done to death but I could do with some recommendations!

As most of you know, my little brat is a rug wrecker. However I’ve come to figure out it’s only rugs with a belly flap on - I think when she’s kicking the flies away she’s getting her foot caught and this ripping the rug.

Last year I had a Rambo hoody that had 3 surcingles and it was the best purchase I made.

However I’m struggling to find one in her size (5’6)that isn’t going to break the bank! I’ve looked at the Aussie rug however with it being a detachable neck, I wasn’t sure how effective it is against the bugs?

If anyone has any feedback on the Aussie rugs or can recommend any others to look at I would be very grateful. She’s managed without a rug for a week or so but her mane is slowly disappearing so I need to get her back covered again.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I think the issue is you have to get the itching under control before you rug or they will just rub with the rug on and destroy it.

One of mine mainly rubs his neck it not real sweet itch as such but I wash him every other week in medicated shampoo then put benzyl benzoate on his neck and mane, he has a shires sweet itch rug but when it's really hot I take it off or he sweats, so I would bath him and cover him in the benzyl benzoate before I put the rug back on.


Google cornerstone browbands she makes made to measure sweet itch rugs in 2 parts and a face covering, they are really good value for money I bought 2 for a previous horse.
Someone recommended cavalesse it's a product you dilute and feed a few mls per day on a treat it's supposed to help with sweet itch and allergies, I was thinking of giving it a try as the same horse can get wheezy when the pollen is bad.

 

[PSD]

She’s not itching at the minute as I’ve got that under control. Started with that back in feb, the flies are just irritating her and I want to keep her cool too. She’s been rugged since feb it’s only because she’s destroyed this one that I’m on the hunt for another!

I’ve found biteback works really well for her. Only having to use it once a week, her buddy has chewed her mane too which has upset me!

She seems to be swatting the flies with her feet and catching the belly flaps of the rugs she’s had on and ripping them that way. So far I’ve seen no signs of her itching her neck or bum which is fab.