Ride on fly rugs, do the y work?

cauda equina said:
Whatever you get make sure it is big enough! It's a real pain trying to fit an only just big enough rug around the saddle
For that reason I like the look of the Busse best (never come across them before, so have no idea of the quality) simply because it looks roomy
As I said upthread my 5'6 horse wears the 6'6 horse's rug and it's perfect for him
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The busse is true to size and good quality.
My mare wore a 6ft rug and I got the 6ft ride on fly rug.

Grey is 14.2hh Highland. Bay is 15.1hh HighlandxTB. - both wear 6ft rugs.
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My boy looks like we're about to joust at a tournament but it definitely helps. Flies aggravate him so much it's like he is constantly bucking where he is trying to kick them off and no fly sprays seem to work that well.
 

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paddy555 said:
amigo bottom of the list.
Kramer near to the top

nag is the horse going to be happy with such long fringes and will you get your leg caught

mosquito middle of the list but it is ok

number one criteria would be how they attached to the bridle. There is a gap on the amigo between the front of the rug and where a fly mask would be
you need something that covers the gap, has more material in it there and fastens on the bridle around the sides (like just below the browband on each side. The amigo has a loop that goes through the crown piece and that doesn't keep it far enough forward.
if you look at the kramer and pull the stirrup down you will see there is not much exposed skin (where your heels would go) That is an easy target for flies to get in and under so you want as little gap there as possible (obviously you need to use your legs)
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Thank you
 
Spiritedly said:
My boy looks like we're about to joust at a tournament but it definitely helps. Flies aggravate him so much it's like he is constantly bucking where he is trying to kick them off and no fly sprays seem to work that well.
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I would love to find a fly spray that actually works, but I’ve tried virtually every one on the market and nothing has worked so far!
 
Have you tried Zero Flyz fly repellent? My pony has sweet itch and seems to be a fly magnet - he's had dreadful fly strike on his sheath in the past. I use Nettex Summer Freedom and Zero Flyz which seems to help to deter flying pests. My yard owner commented the other day that her ponies were being plagued by flies and mine wasn't. The Zero Flyz lady is lovely and if you find it's not working she'll send you more of the base to make the mixture stronger. The Summer Freedom is meant to last on them once it's been applied.
 
Chianti said:
Have you tried Zero Flyz fly repellent? My pony has sweet itch and seems to be a fly magnet - he's had dreadful fly strike on his sheath in the past. I use Nettex Summer Freedom and Zero Flyz which seems to help to deter flying pests. My yard owner commented the other day that her ponies were being plagued by flies and mine wasn't. The Zero Flyz lady is lovely and if you find it's not working she'll send you more of the base to make the mixture stronger. The Summer Freedom is meant to last on them once it's been applied.
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I haven’t tried that one, but I will now. I use summer freedom for the midges, it’s brilliant, but it doesn’t stop the horse flies. I’ll try the Zero flyz one. Thanks for the recommendation
 
I have the HKM one, and use it on the horse I ride who HATES bugs (and we're deep in the middle of horsefly, deerfly, and mosquito season here). It definitely helps! I also have an Equiflector orange quarter sheet that I use when hacking out during hunting season.

I do find that the HKM one slides back at the neck and pulls at the bridle - I'm worried that it's acting a bit like a check rein (even though it's fairly stretchy). I'm experimenting with having it tighter or looser to see if that might help. I might also try mixing and matching with a neck from a different fly sheet? The HKM one is two piece so it would presumably work ok, even if the velcro doesn't line up perfectly.

Any suggestions are welcome!
 
I'm going shopping for one. Today's ride was a failure and I turned back because the clegs were so bad and pony was going spare. Pony also managed to bite me on the shin snapping at one on his side.🙄
He takes 6 ft normal rugs. I quite fancy a hi viz one maybe the Gallop.
 
I recently bought the zebra print one. It was the only one I could find with a hole cut for the saddle and good around the shoulders. It's working so far!
 
Does anyone have any recommendations for horses who fit in the XL chunky rugs? My young cob is absolutely huge across the chest/shoulders, and I'd like to have something for him for next year when he's doing a bit more. Our little plods around the block in hand are getting a bit unpleasant.
 
I've got a Kramer zerbra one with fringes. Size is perfect. Just bought my other boy the Lemieux one, that has a removable neck. Again fits very well.
 
Thank you everyone for your help. I finally ordered a Waldhausen one, with a detachable neck, in a size bigger, and it’s been brilliant. The first time I used it, my girl was still a bit jumpy, she was still expecting to be bitten when we saw the horse flies, but now she knows they can’t bite her she is so much more relaxed and happy on our hacks. Here’s a photo of her modelling it when I first tried it on her. Definitely a good investment.
 

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Foxford said:
Does anyone have any recommendations for horses who fit in the XL chunky rugs? My young cob is absolutely huge across the chest/shoulders, and I'd like to have something for him for next year when he's doing a bit more. Our little plods around the block in hand are getting a bit unpleasant.
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I am using the horseware version on my wide cob. It is in 2 parts and doesn't go across their chest. So far I have only been using the back part which fits like a wrap around exercise sheet as he is such a hot boy with a lot of mane but it has made a huge difference in reducing him being bothered by horse flies.
 
Hermosa is absolutely fine in this yellow one, but I really want a blue one. If you have to ask why, you really don't want to know. Any good recommendations for blue ones?

Our saddle is this weird Iberian thing, so a lot of the ones with holes designed for standard English saddles don't work. This is a Horsewear one.

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I have the Bucas zebra print ride on rug. Worth every penny! I didn’t put it on today as didn’t think the flies were too bad and instantly regretted it, spent the whole ride swatting the bleeding things 🤬

We look ridiculous but apparently horse flies hunt by sight and I have to say, when wearing the rug, they do not even hover near us!
 
Birker2020 said:
Gallop do one, it's amazing and is on my bucket list! Here my weekly ride is sporting one!
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webble said:
They definitely do. I would want one like this ^^ rather than a zebra though just for safety
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I thought that the yellow would be good but I had to sell it again as it attracted the little corn flies and I was a walking cloud. They don't bite like horse flies but it was awful. I sold it again quickly!

I have a zebra one. I do fast work in them too and longer rides, so like the ones that come in 2 pieces. The back piece wraps around the saddle, and the front is just the neck and shoulders. This leaves the horse able to freely move and doesn't rub.

I have also sewed tulle material as a skirt to one, to make it longer.

TBH, one of the best set-ups I had was using 2 old zebra ones. I cut them so they made one fly rug, using a strap to fasten the back one over the wither. The front one, I left long enough to go over my legs!

The zebra print really does seem to help!
 
Best one for a Fell pony with a wide chest and big shoulders?

Poor boy has been really distressed by the flies this week. None of our rides have been much fun. ☹️
 
southerncomfort said:
Best one for a Fell pony with a wide chest and big shoulders?

Poor boy has been really distressed by the flies this week. None of our rides have been much fun. ☹️
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I am using the amigo fly rider on my very wide cob. I have the white version and it certainly has made a huge difference to him being bothered by flies
 
Not for flies necessarily, but I had an Amigo Ride-on one for my old boy who had sweet itch.

He looked a bit like a jousting horse in it, but it did the job of keeping the midges off him and it meant we could at least ride-out in the sweet itchy season without him getting hugely distressed by midges biting him.

It was really easy to put on; there were two separate pieces to it, and it was sooh simple. I even managed to use it with a treeless saddle.
 
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