Fly rugs?

[JBM]

Was wondering if fly rugs are needed? I know a bunch of people who don’t own them and a bunch who do. Judy doesn’t have sweet itch or anything just her tail flicking all around the shop I cover her in fly spray twice a day and it helps but doesn’t get rid of the problem was wondering if anyone here does without? Or how everyone deals with flys? Also wouldn’t they over heat in fly rugs? Seems a shame to be putting layers on in the sun?

 

[Jellymoon]

It’s a real quandary in this heat! I have one pony who hates the flies and reacts to bites, so I do have him in a very lightweight (Mio) fly rug. I think it reflects the sun away and actually keeps him cooler, bit like wearing a loose white t shirt on a very hot day.
I think…but I do worry he gets too hot…and I never quite know what is best!
My stables are wooden and like ovens, they sweat up as soon as I bring them in, so I tend to leave them out. They have a field shelter and some natural hedges.
My other horse doesn’t seem to get bothered too much by flies and never seems to react to bites. So I just put loss of fly spray on him twice a day.
One think I don’t use any more are fly masks. I found they rubbed themselves more with them on. So I wipe sweet itch gunk all over their faces.

 

[Jellymoon]

If it gets really really hot I will go up to the field and chuck buckets of water over them, and then dunk the fly rug in a bucket of water and stick it back on all wet! Seems to keep them cool for quite a long time.

 

[DressageCob]

Depends on the horse. My pink skinned cob wore a fly rug in summer to avoid sunburn. He had a uv filter one.

Some horses are allergic to bites or get very irritated.

my big lad is presently naked because he is far too hot for any layers.

 

[rabatsa]

Mine have an airy, dark barn to go into. They take themselves in when the flies become a problem.

 

[spotty_pony]

I'm not using them at the moment as it's just so hot!

 

[paddy555]

no way would I put chemicals on my horse when I can put a rug on.

 

[M1lbie]

I‘ve always used fly rugs on my three until this year, with this very hot weather they seem better without, also one of them goes ballistic if a fly gets under the rug. They have plenty of natural shelter with hedges and trees but seem to often be in the middle of the field. I use fly spray and they wear fly masks

 

[iknowmyvalue]

Of my two, one does and one doesn’t. Pepsi was getting really irritated and coming up in massive lumps/losing hair from bites, but Henry generally seems ok. Depends on the horse I think! Both wear fly masks though.

 

[TPO]

I use the Amigo Aussie All Rounder rug or Weatherbeeta Cotton Sheet (maybe called Breeze?) when it's hot as they keep horses cool as well as a barrier from fly bites.

They stay much cooler than with a mesh fly sheet on very hot days

 

[DressageCob]

I use the Amigo Aussie All Rounder rug or Weatherbeeta Cotton Sheet (maybe called Breeze?) when it's hot as they keep horses cool as well as a barrier from fly bites.

They stay much cooler than with a mesh fly sheet on very hot days

They are a revelation! I had the Rambo Optimo one last year and it was perfect. My horse wasn't too hot, wasn't bitten and wasn't sunburnt.

 

[milliepops]

i always found them irritating, then had a horse in a field with no shelter so bought her a great fly rug which worked well.. until she got what I assume to be a wasp up inside it which stung her all over as it couldn't get out again.... sold the rug and went back to not using them! i do put fly masks on if they are getting bothered badly, but mine are either stabled by day or put themselves in their shelters.

my yearling is really sensitive and comes up in lumps with the deerfly but she doesn't seem particularly bothered by it, so I am just giving more hay in the shelter to encourage her to stay inside.

 

[I'm Dun]

I had the sensitive skinned TB in a fly rug until something similar to MPs story happened. Something went up inside the rug and started biting him and he went crazy, kicked over a section of my fencing and was so upset I couldnt get close enough to help. When he eventually settled down the rug came off and hasnt been back on since. He doesnt seem to mind flies without it, and I just dont want to risk a serious injury if something gets stuck underneath a rug again!

 

[PSD]

Mine hates the flies so has to have hers on, I feel awful with it being so hot but I turned her out naked yesterday and she was running around the field stressing.

So I’d much rather have her rug on than have her running about in this heat.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I use flysheets, one is allergic and the other is fine but hassles the other trying to rub on him constantly if the flies are bothering him. With a sheet on he will leave the old one alone.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I've also had the fly or other bitey thing going underneath a fly rug and getting trapped before. The horse was panicking and demented, but luckily I was there and was able to whip the rug off.

Pretty blimmin' scary at the time, though.

 

[ycbm]

A lot of horse owners use a cattle/sheep spot on that lasts for 4 weeks. It's been tested on horses but it isn't licensed for use on horses. I've just started testing it as my young horse is very reactive to flies and so far it is a resounding success, with flies just not bothering to come near them. I would rather that than have them dressed in rugs their entire lives. I've also heard too many times about flies getting inside the rug, and the day before yesterday I was myself bitten twice by a horse fly through thick polycotton jods, so they can obviously still bite through most rugs.,
.

 

[Bluewaves]

My horse had a long standing sarcoid growth open up on his chest which has thankfully now dropped off. It was attracting flies so this is the first year ever I've used a fly rug.

I got one in zebra print as i read it confuses the flies from landing. It really does work and has protected him very well all over. He has a very fine coat in summer though which has maybe stopped him getting too hot.

 

[PSD]

A lot of horse owners use a cattle/sheep spot on that lasts for 4 weeks. It's been tested on horses but it isn't licensed for use on horses. I've just started testing it as my young horse is very reactive to flies and so far it is a resounding success, with flies just not bothering to come near them. I would rather that than have them dressed in rugs their entire lives. I've also heard too many times about flies getting inside the rug, and the day before yesterday I was myself bitten twice by a horse fly through thick polycotton jods, so they can obviously still bite through most rugs.,
.

This is interesting. How do you go about using it? Assuming a patch test is enough?

 

[JBM]

A lot of horse owners use a cattle/sheep spot on that lasts for 4 weeks. It's been tested on horses but it isn't licensed for use on horses. I've just started testing it as my young horse is very reactive to flies and so far it is a resounding success, with flies just not bothering to come near them. I would rather that than have them dressed in rugs their entire lives. I've also heard too many times about flies getting inside the rug, and the day before yesterday I was myself bitten twice by a horse fly through thick polycotton jods, so they can obviously still bite through most rugs.,
.

I used coopers spot on and it works grand but didn’t really notice it helping with the horse flies?

 

[Sandstone1]

Horse flies hunt by sight not smell so nothing keeps the buggers off only fly rugs.

 

[JBM]

Horse flies hunt by sight not smell so nothing keeps the buggers off only fly rugs.

Ah that’s fair enough thank you

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I have took mine off in this weather as they were sweating under them.

 

[poiuytrewq]

A lot of horse owners use a cattle/sheep spot on that lasts for 4 weeks. It's been tested on horses but it isn't licensed for use on horses. I've just started testing it as my young horse is very reactive to flies and so far it is a resounding success, with flies just not bothering to come near them. I would rather that than have them dressed in rugs their entire lives. I've also heard too many times about flies getting inside the rug, and the day before yesterday I was myself bitten twice by a horse fly through thick polycotton jods, so they can obviously still bite through most rugs.,
.

I think I’m using similar. Mine needs an X on his bum every 10 days. The first dose was life changing and I had a different horse. However after 9 days he started itching again. He’s due his 3rd next week. I think it’s still helping but disappointed after the amazing first week.

 

[ycbm]

I used coopers spot on and it works grand but didn’t really notice it helping with the horse flies?

I saw only one fly near my mare today and she's a magnet. It was a horse fly and it flew up to her, around her, went on for a landing and changed its mind and flew away. We are only on day one so far, but the blurb on the bottle says it will deter all biting insects including ticks.

Horse flies hunt by sight not smell so nothing keeps the buggers off only fly rugs.

They may land by hunting by sight, but this stuff is fatal if they bite into it so if the horse is exuding it all over its body they should fly off as soon as they realise.

This is interesting. How do you go about using it? Assuming a patch test is enough?

You pour 10ml immediately behind the wither in 1 spot. The stuff I've bought is called Spotinor but it's the same chemical, deltamethrin, as Coopers just cheaper. I should have patch tested but I read some research where they had zero adverse reactions in horses so I'm afraid I just sloshed it on. I seem to have got away with it but I can't advise doing it!
.

 

[NLPM]

Mine all do, for various reasons. One is wearing a fly rug for the first time this week because he's scared of hornets (which we seem to have lots of!) and will run around madly if one lands on him - it's too hot for him to be charging around and winding the others up!

I think they've helped keep them cool a little, especially the black horse and especially as I've been hosing them all down with their rugs on. Interesting the only one who has been sweating up in the heat is the one who has an Amigo Aussie Allrounder! (She does run very hot generally though - I don't really think it's any flaw in the rug. It is definitely a nicer rug than the others). One used to have a brilliant Premier Equine sheet which was soft and light and the BEST for hot weather, but unfortunately something shredded it & when I tried to replace it they'd stopped doing it

 

[Spotherisk]

My elderly skewbald has a Shires sweet itch hoody rug on now as they’ve moved to a field without a field shelter (there are plenty of hedges). The biggest problem he gets is sunburn. Now he’s older his hair isn’t as thick over his rump, and his mane has been groomed out by his companion and of course being skewbald he is pink skinned.

when he was younger he hated fly rug and masks but he’s changed with age!

 

[ycbm]

Update on Spotinor.

I put it on 3 horses with no ill effects at all and it definitely stopped flies from landing on them.

I repeated it two days ago and two have had no reaction at all. But my youngster has come up in a raised patch exactly where it was put. I would not dare use it again, as his reaction next time could be off the scale now his immune system has been primed.

Obviously anyone planning to use it for the first time should spot test, but my own experience is that spot testing for the second application would also be wise.
.

 

[Willowbankstables]

It depends on the horse and the location of the field. I kept mine on a windy hillside field for years and never needed fly rugs. They are now in a field which has a stream running through it and much less windy so they have to have fly rugs on every day, especially my mare who has mild sweet itch. I hate rugging all the time but they are much happier with the protection.