Old fashioned sweat rugs

[littleladylou]

My mare has a reaction to some fly bites and comes up in little lumps that don't disappear. So she will need a fly sheet. However, they all look like they would make her sweat and uncomfortable despite how breathable they say they are. I had a sweet itch rug on a pony last year and I felt so horrid putting it on on a lovely sunny day. He needed it as his sweet itch was bad. Anyway, to the point a women at my yard suggested putting an old fashioned (larger holed) sweat rug on her because as she moves around the holes move too making it difficult for the flies to stay put? Any thoughts?

 

[Happy Hunter]

I know the ones you mean - Depends if your horse is walking or trotting around all the time! - I wouldnt say it would work most of the time tbh.

Fly and SI rugs are made out of really clever fabric now - My girl is cooler in her rug than out!

 

[Jnhuk]

Have you tried a fly rug on her and she come in too hot?

I have a PE one and think it is fab for the few times that I have needed to use it. It is often windy here so flies are not such a nuisance

The older fashioned sweat rugs are harder to come by but I found nice ones by Teviot equine design with reasonably small holes which I could see working in the way you mean. I treated myself to a couple for my boys at Blair Castle few years ago and they are lovely rugs but not the cheapest!

 

[ThePony]

Shires do an old fashioned sweat rug, think it's called the lamborne?

Tbh though I think it would suck as a fly rug! Ours are cooler in their sweetitch rugs than without, a pale colour keeping the sun off really seems to help with the heat, and they are nice and airy for the breeze to get in too.

I think my rambo sweetitch hoody is slightly cooler than their PE sweetitch rugs. If they have sweetitch or are bothered by flys then just get then a sweetitch or fly rug, I'm sure they'd thank you for it!