Reasonably priced sweetitch and fly rugs

[Welshie Squisher]

Some help please with sweetitch and fly rugs needed

What sweetitch and fly rugs actually do the job they are designed for and don't cost the earth?

I'm currently using the Rambo sweetitch hoody for my mare at £125.00 - I'd like the one to wash and wear for her to be cheaper!

My gelding doesn't have sweetitch but does get driven mad by flies, so I'd like to find him a fly or sweetitch rug that gives him some relief that again isn't too expensive.

I really like the ones that ears go through, they seem to give good protection.

I've looked at the shires sweetitch rug in the local tack shop, it just seemed the same as a rain sheet to me that came right up the neck and had slots for the ears - is it effective against sweetitch, how does it compare to the Rambo?

I'm not even sure how sweetitch and fly rugs compare?
Is a sweetitch rug going to protect a horse who gets irritated by flies? is the fabric thick enough?
And vise versa I guess, do midgies get through on fly rugs? is the fabric suitable.

Please let me know what works for your horses. Thanks

 

[Lancelot]

I use a Hy Guardian on my sweetitch boy. I love it and it fits him like a glove, been a godsend in managing the SI. It has holes for ears, a belly flap and a good deep tail guard. They are about £50. I'm about to use the same one we've used for the last 2 years and it still looks in very good shape.

 

[littlemisslauren]

The Rambo SI rug is the cheapest I have found to be any good on SI horses.

Fly rugs tend to still let flies in and for a SI horse they are next to useless. I really rate the Snuggy Hoods SI rug and the Boett type rugs. Both are an investment though, they should last years with only small repairs.

 

[Honey08]

I use the sweet itch hoodies on mine, and last year bought the Shires one as a cheaper alternative. It didn't come near being good enough. The fabric is more sweaty, I hardly use it. The only time it is better is in heavy rain, as it doesn't saturate as much.

I've bought other fly rugs over the years, they always rip and never last more than a season, even on the ones that don't have sweet itch. I now have two sweet itch hoodies for each horse, so they can be swopped over. It may be more to pay initially (although have got some great ones second hand from ebay over the years) but they are better value in the longterm..