Hot under fly rug or covered in flies?

[asmp]

Never know what to do in this weather. Put a fly rug on due to huge amount of flies and the horse gets hot or leave rug off and he gets irritated by the flies? There is a shelter but he doesn’t often go in it. I use Phaser fly spray but know it won’t last all day. What does everyone else do?

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Mine come in for part of the day if its too hot but we don't seem to get alot of common fly here thankfully, I have Arabi out without fly rug tonight as its going to be 17 degrees so thought he would be hot under it.

 

[Bobthecob15]

Keep him in during the hottest part of the day? I prefer mine naked with a fly mask and fly spray…they are currently out at night and in during the day while it’s hot. Will revert back end of the month. If he won’t go in the shelter then can he come in for part of the day?

 

[irishdraft]

I have my mare in one of the net curtain type fly rugs, she hasn't been too hot in it.

 

[Horseysheepy]

My TB has a detachable neck fly rug, so during this heatwave I've been taking the neck off.
The flies tend to attack him on his flanks and back, so he is still protected here and has a mask on too.
To be honest, he's a real sun lover and never seems to overheat, and has trees to shade, but Im just being a little cautious.
My stables are wooden and face the sun so my 4 are better off out.

It depends on your field and stable set up really and how heat tolerant the horses are.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Mine come in during the day anyway. This evening I hosed them off really well and put thin fly sheets on top without scraping.
I did half consider turning out without as we really have minimal flies compared to the other yards I visit, however Uni (TB) comes up in lumps and had several appear today stood in and Zig hates flies and will hound the ponies round trying to rub on them without a rug on.
I think they would both get hotter without as they wouldn’t be as settled

 

[WestCoast]

Have a look at premier equine mesh air. It’s a sort of air tex material and very cool.

 

[Tiddlypom]

In hot weather I hose mine off while they are wearing their fly rug and then turn them straight out still dripping. They seem to appreciate it and they stay cooler for longer as the rug is wet.

 

[asmp]

My TB has a detachable neck fly rug, so during this heatwave I've been taking the neck off.
The flies tend to attack him on his flanks and back, so he is still protected here and has a mask on too.
To be honest, he's a real sun lover and never seems to overheat, and has trees to shade, but Im just being a little cautious.
My stables are wooden and face the sun so my 4 are better off out.

It depends on your field and stable set up really and how heat tolerant the horses are.

Hadn’t thought of taking the neck off . Stables face the afternoon sun so I’d rather not put them in.

 

[santas_spotty_pony]

Just got a Premier Equine one for one of the horses and it is brilliant - reflects the sun and is see through so keeps him cool. Possibly the thinnest fly rug I have ever seen. Mine still come in for part of the day out of the heat though. My mare has sweet itch so she has her sweetitch rug on at about 8/9pm and off once the midges have gone in the morning and when I turn her out in the afternoon she wears a thinner fly rug until the evening - she can’t go naked as she only has to look at the flies and they make her really itch so something is better than nothing in her case. My old boy is naked (except for a neck scarf for sunburn) so a bit of a mixture. I wouldn’t leave them on if they were really sweating though.

 

[HopOnTrot]

Mine are out naked with fly spray and masks, I do try to bring them in for a few hours most days. One of mine isn’t bothered by flies and the other is but is a very warm pony so she’d melt under a rug.

 

[lauragreen85]

We have a field shelter and are looking into a solar powered fan. its good to have a cool place to stand in

 

[Mrs G]

My TB is better in his fly rug and fly mask - he gets so upset by flies biting him that he starts running about getting hotter and more agitated then he does in his rug even though he's naturally a very hot horse. I don't rate fly sprays and he always hated having them applied so I cover him up instead and he seems much happier like that.

 

[dorsetladette]

Mine are out with fly spray and masks. I spray the masks before they go on - it tends to last longer on material (I think).

 

[HappyHollyDays]

This is the first year I’ve stopped routinely using fly spray and instead they have very thin material zebra striped rugs, fly masks and a generous layer of Sudocreme on their sheaths which works well. When the midges are bad I also put legs wraps on them, it stops my Connie stamping and destroying his feet. I know it hasn’t been that warm but my pony who overheats easily hasn’t sweated up once this year.

 

[9tails]

I use Deosect and my horses are pretty much unbothered by flies. They wear face masks only.

 

[dorsetladette]

I use Deosect and my horses are pretty much unbothered by flies. They wear face masks only.

Oh yes I forgot I use spot on or deosect I don't even know what I can blame that on I trip over the bottle in the feedroom door way every morning

 

[Fieldlife]

Oh yes I forgot I use spot on or deosect I don't even know what I can blame that on I trip over the bottle in the feedroom door way every morning

I seem to be the unlucky person that everyone else's fail safe recommendations dont work for!

I use Spotinor and Deosect. And dont find either amazing! My horse doesnt mind Spotinor (10ml applied) but hates Deosect (as it stinks horribly)

 

[dorsetladette]

I seem to be the unlucky person that everyone else's fail safe recommendations dont work for!

I use Spotinor and Deosect. And dont find either amazing! My horse doesnt mind Spotinor (10ml applied) but hates Deosect (as it stinks horribly)

I've not noticed the smell, but then again I did give myself formaldehyde gas poisoning and chemical burs in my nose a couple of years ago as I 'sniffed' a container of liquid a neighbour dropped of with no label on it. I thought it was cattle fly repellent, turned out it was neat foot dip! So I don't think my sense of smell is very good.

We have sheep so everyone just gets done at the same time. If it rains it needs reapplying as it gets washed out of the coat. (and if you bath them too, which is sad as it's oily)

 

[pistolpete]

Mine has a mask and bite back super fly once a day. He’s pretty happy. I’m very lucky he doesn’t need a rug. If he did he’d have an Amigo Aussie on as they don’t strangle them like the net curtain ones! Never known him sweaty in it. If he was I would hose the rug too!

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Never know what to do in this weather. Put a fly rug on due to huge amount of flies and the horse gets hot or leave rug off and he gets irritated by the flies? There is a shelter but he doesn’t often go in it. I use Phaser fly spray but know it won’t last all day. What does everyone else do?

Personally choice really, some of our have come in sweaty under the rug, but better off than being bitten by flies.

Ours go out early and come in 4pm, don't want to shorten their days out by bringing in also it reduces my time to do errands, we have lots flies here.

 

[Jellymoon]

Naked, Spot on, Nettex fly cream on faces, access to shelter…seem unbothered by flies…

 

[Zoeypxo]

Mine has to wear a mask and a rug when its hot as she goes mental with flies, itching herself to death on trees etc. very happy with her rug on. Luckily shes not a very hot horse