Fly rugs a cautionary tale

BlackRider

BlackRider

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When I was at the yard yesterday, another horse was galloping up and down, so I rang his owner and asked if she wanted me to bring him in.

I've brought him in twice before and he's usually quite good, but he was really bargy, I got him through the gate and then when I got to his stable door, he charged and and threw himself against the wall.

I managed to get in and take his head collar and fly mask off, then he was bucking and throwing himself against the wall.

I rang his owner and said he was going demented - luckily she's only 5 mins away.

I went back in to see if i could get his rug off, but as he had leg straps (which I never use) I didn't think I could get to his hind legs to unclip these, so went back outside to safety, I could also hear a buzzing noise, so I'm fairly certain he had a wasp stuck under his rug.

About 30 secs before his owner arrived he calmed down (think he'd squashed the wasp).

We took him out and got his rug off, and he had 3 lumps on his rump, which swelled dramatically in 30 mins, and then seemed to stay the same. The horse was fine in itself and then ate his tea happily.

I do use a fly rug, but this has given me second thoughts, perhaps a few horse fly bites are better than something like this happening?
 
I'm put off them for the same reason. I saw a pony with a fly trapped under its fly mask and it was going nuts until I got it off. That was only 5min because I was catching mine and it was next to him and I saw the fly go in there. I think the sweet itch rugs are better, nothing can get in because all the edges are elastic.
 
I use one on occasion but you are right, there are definite cons to them! Sometimes I think I'd prefer he had a few bites than wear a rug out in the heat, despite the rug being white I think he is definitely warmer with it. I've also seen lately a fashion for zebra patterned fly rugs- our vet (he was out for a reason, didn't just ring him for his opinions on rugs!) reckons they are awful, more black than white so a recipe for overheated horse.. one of ours had heatstroke and had to have 10l of fluid on a drip, so now she just comes in when its hot and the flies are bad. Simples!
 
I won't use fly rugs or masks for this reason. To me anything but a snuggy or Boett for a sweet itch sufferer is pointless as the insects can so easily become trapped under the rug. If we are competing the next day I do pop on a simple cotton sheet that is well fitting to keep dust and dirt to a minimum, but some of these fly rugs are so baggy and badly made it's ridiculous.
 
I don't use them any more for this reason. I always bought an excellent brand, they were well fitting, but nothing can stop an insect going underneath from the belly, on a normal fly rug.
I just bring in ,during they day, and they can cope with the rest.
 
And another cautionary tale to add - I looked out of the window last night to see my pony walk past with a still-done-up surcingle strap draped over his hocks. He'd obviously kicked at a fly on his belly, caught a toe in the strap (which were shortened as far as they physically could be), the strap tore the side of the rug as his foot went back down and then he'd stepped through the strap with both back legs.

Lesson learned: Masta Zing rugs might be cheap, but their 6'0s are too deep in the girth strap-wise for a 14hh pony. It's gone in the bin and I'm going to try and repair his old one before the sunshine comes back (I'm in midge country so on the whole he's better off with one on).
 
OP, I think you are absolutely right. The only 'fly rugs' worth using are the Boett-type rugs for horses which suffer from sweet-itch, when bitten by midges.
There is a risk of injury when using any rug, owners really should think very carefully and weigh up all the pros and cons when deciding to put a rug on their horses, remembering that horses have evolved to deal quite successfully with all that nature can throw at them, except in a small minority of cases.
I'm afraid that in most cases, this is another example of marketing triumphing over common-sense.
 
I saw a horse badly bitten/stung by something that got stuck under a fly rug as well-also a nice vets bill for a'biotics due to the secondary bacterial infection that set in very quickly.
I haven't been using them during the day in the very hot weather (I have an excellent, very big and deep field shelter) but have used one on a pony overnight due the midges. twilight is very long up here both in the evening and at dawn and it helps him-paddocks are surrounded by trees and we have a river. a well fitting bug rug is no more dangerous than any other sort of rug as far as straps are concerned although with my lot, I don't actually use rugs in the winter if I can really help it.
 
CarolineJ said:
And another cautionary tale to add - I looked out of the window last night to see my pony walk past with a still-done-up surcingle strap draped over his hocks. He'd obviously kicked at a fly on his belly, caught a toe in the strap (which were shortened as far as they physically could be), the strap tore the side of the rug as his foot went back down and then he'd stepped through the strap with both back legs.
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I nearly always need to shorten surcingle straps (with the sewing machine) as even on the shortest setting, they are too long. I think that people are well aware of the need to adjust leg straps correctly - which is why many prefer rugs without them. However long surcingles are just as dangerous as long leg straps.

I'm glad the horse in the OP was OK.
 
Old post I know but I've just come inside a little shaken up after witnessing my TB gelding absolutely charging around his paddock furiously swishing his tail, I could see his eyes glaring scared through his mask.

It seems there was a large buzzy fly trapped at flank level and my boy's tail just couldn't dislodge it. Never seen him so stressed. I managed super human quick to whip rug off but almost got caught in the path of a flying, luckily unshod rear hoof of the 3 year old who was getting equally worked up.

Its horsefly season, but I think I'd rather him be able to swish flies off than risk panicking and getting concussion or soft tissue injury with how concrete hard the ground is at the moment.

Oh horse, I was just trying to help you as well!.
 
Both of the Appys have had a reaction to something in the grass these past few days. I think caused by me from topping the buttercups and stinging nettles/docks so I feel guilty as they have rubbed bald patches on themselves. Had Vet out today for something else so got some steroid cream to hopefully settle it down. They had fly rugs on but I think I disturbed the midges and they went into attack mode and went under the rugs. 😞
 
I much prefer fly repellent to a fly rug, so long as you do a patch test before covering the horse in it it's much safer imho. And if the horse doesn't like sprays, it can be sponged on. It's so windy here today that I can't see flies being a problem at all.
 
spotty_pony2 said:
Both of the Appys have had a reaction to something in the grass these past few days. I think caused by me from topping the buttercups and stinging nettles/docks so I feel guilty as they have rubbed bald patches on themselves. Had Vet out today for something else so got some steroid cream to hopefully settle it down. They had fly rugs on but I think I disturbed the midges and they went into attack mode and went under the rugs. 😞
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Oh poor things, I hope the cream helps settle things down for them.
 
Horseysheepy said:
Oh poor things, I hope the cream helps settle things down for them.
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I hope so! I took my boy’s rug off to have a look and it was like the world had ended and he was trotting around. Managed to get some benzyl benzoate on it to calm it down and I almost brought him in for the night but he seemed to settled afterwards. My mare actually has it worse but as she usually gets sweet itch, it doesn’t seem to have bothered her as much as I think she’s used to being a bit itchy anyway (even though she is vaccinated against it and I’m constantly applying sprays and lotions).
 
Pearlsasinger said:
OP, I think you are absolutely right. The only 'fly rugs' worth using are the Boett-type rugs for horses which suffer from sweet-itch, when bitten by midges.
There is a risk of injury when using any rug, owners really should think very carefully and weigh up all the pros and cons when deciding to put a rug on their horses, remembering that horses have evolved to deal quite successfully with all that nature can throw at them, except in a small minority of cases.
I'm afraid that in most cases, this is another example of marketing triumphing over common-sense.
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Agree!
Boetts and De Meulenkamps are good, against ordinary flies as well as midges, and will rip easily enough if a horse did get snagged up.
One of the worst seen was a youngster with some fly rug and hood combo that had dislodged down its neck, over its entire head - blind, panicking, terrified animal! So risky, shouldn’t even be manufactured!
Never been a fan of fly masks - flies trapped beneath, rubbed eyes- but last couple of summers we’ve used Lycra / stretchy, pull-on masks like a racing hood, with mesh ears and huge mesh goggles that stand well clear of all eyelashes.
Because they are so close fitting and elasticky, there’s no method for flies to enter (unless, maybe, the goggles got badly torn ?? In which case, could fly off again) and altho we’ve not experienced a single issue, these should pull off easily if a horse really started rubbing or dragging - no straps or fastenings anywhere.
None of ours have sweated beneath these goggle-hood masks, and all happy to stick their noses in to be pulled up round their faces. Rinse them out regularly, dry and fresh v quickly.
 
I don't use fly rugs or fly masks, my first reason he just gets too hot under them, he has a very thick forelock, mane and tail that do a very good job, I use Phaser fly spray and cream on his ears and bits and he does fine. A friends horse got stung under a rug and the reaction it had was a vet job and the poor lad was hyper allergic. I do think some times nature provides the protection for our horses but then again I have a thick skinned cob and a good old role in the muck which helps.
 
My old boy some how managed to get the buckle of his fly rug hooked over his tooth when he bit at a fly on his chest, luckily he was a chilled out personality and just stood looking like he was doing some sort of weird rolkur while I tried to prize it off. Thankfully I was there when it happened I dread to think if I wasn't. Safe to say it went straight in the bin (this was some years ago when fly rugs were becoming a thing and were made out of that awful thick material). He also walked along the five bar gate in his turn out and caught the edge of the binding in the gap where the diagonal bar goes across the gate ,qué me thinking he had some neurological thing going on cos his legs were still walking but body not going anywhere 🤦. I didn't rug him in anything after that 😂
 
Some horses seem to be shaped in such a way that flies get caught under the rug. My cob is one, but my sweet itch mare has never had an issue - without the rug she'd be covered in open wounds. Same for the fly mask during horse fly season (I get away without for the rest of the year, bathing her head and ears in BB and neem oil).
 
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