Fly rugs - love or loathe?

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Erehwemos

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It is official; Ellie is the only horse at our yard (out of 14) who doesnt own a fly rug! Personally, I hate the things. I bought one once when we suffered from a particularly midgy summer, but took it back to the shop, unused, the same day - I just hated it. I cant think of anything worse than having a horse turned out all summer, wrapped up from top to toe! Ellie does get a little bothered by the flies, but I just make sure she is fly sprayed every day, and if they start to bother her eyes, I bring her in during the daytime.

It has struck me though - this year in particular - that virtually every field I drive past contains horses with full neck fly rugs - I dont remember seeing so many before! Is it a new fad; are fly rugs the 'in thing' at the moment? And does anyone hate them like I do, and refuse to buy one!?
 
Cant stand the things. i use quality fly masks and the yellow summer fly cream on the privates and it works wonders !!
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I have one for my mare, but only use it when the horseflies are out in force. I always feel a bit sad putting her out wrapped up but otherwise she charges round all day trying to escape the flies. She hasn't worn it yet this year (several days with a mask on though, otherwise she gets sore ears).
 
I wish my TB could do without her Boett, but the midges eat her chest and belly to shreds and she does the rest with her own teeth.

I think there is nothing nicer than a horse to be out naked. My pony does not own any rugs, but I am afraid my horse has to wear one, ... and I do hate it.
 
Use a fly mask and spray on my mare on days when flies are around as she hates them. Don't put on the ponies as they are in during the day ATM.

Hate fly rugs. Feel sorry for the poor horses wearing them! Round here there don't seem to be too many. They are probably a good idea for very sensitive horses or sweetitch sufferers but I like my horses as natural as pos.
 
I hate them but unfortunately my little pony has to wear one otherwise she wouldn't have any mane and tail left.
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I wouldn't put one on a horse unless they really needed one.
 
My mare only wears one as she hates the sound on fly spray, so i spray her rug & headcollar then put it on her. its not worth the drama trying to spray her, as she freaks out so putting the rug on and spraying it works for us.

My gelding just gets squirted in fly spray

The both have fly fringes.

our pet cow used to have a fly mask and sometimes my mares rug on as she was a delictae cow! people used to laugh at her, but she would get ulcers in her eyes if you didnt!!

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My sensitive TB mare gets eaten alive by flies and goes bald where they bitten her- plus I cant spray here: so she's well covered up in a rug soaked in fly pel.

Big lad also seems to get bitten alot so he wears one when its 'fly-ie'.

Baby and Gray go naked.

What's worse is the lady who turns her Dartmoor pony out in my field still has a turnout rug on it with a hood so it 'does not get dirty'.....Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!
 
I don't like them, I look forward to summer so I can have a naked pony out in the field 24/7, not swathed in a rug!
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I use Cooper's fly repellent every couple of days as well as a citronella-based fly ointment around her ears and eyes and she isn't unduly bothered by the flies that way. On really midgy days I'll put a fly mask on.
 
My horse is allergic to fly bites so he has to wear one 24/7 even in the stable, I feel so sorry for him. He has 3 fly rugs and our other three horses dont have any, they go naked!
 
I think they have a purpose. I put my horse out in one when I think the flies are bad but I do like him to go out naked. If you drove past my field today you will see him with a fly rug on. Not because of the flies but because I didnt want a turnout rug on him due to this lovely sunny day BUT the field is still wet and he is grey and crossed with a hippo and I couldnt bear the thought of him coming in and me trying to clean off 3" of mud. Dual purpose fly rug for me today
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My cob is black and really absorbs the heat and is very uncomfortable so he wears one from 5pm until he comes in at 9ish. As the weathers been so miserable this week he hasnt worn it. Takes full advantage by rolling in the mud!
 
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