Riding Fly sheets

[poiuytrewq]

I'm half considering one. I don't really want the neck though as i can swat flies myself the front end and I think my horse may get a bit too warm. (they also look a bit silly )
The Rambo ones, which appear to have been discontinued basic sheet shape looks perfect with the neck removed as it seems to just be the same cut as a winter type wraparound sheet, Others that I've looked at seem to be more the shape of a walker rug- they have a buckle and do up at the front. Do these not potentially pull back under saddle and get really tight around the shoulders/neck?
Does the saddle sit on them or is there a cut out? The only photos show tacked up horses and it looks like the saddle is just on top of the sheet- I definitely don't want that. Are they worth it with horses who really dislike flies, bearing in mind i guess the worst place is under their tummy which it wouldn't cover anyway

 

[Caol Ila]

I've had a few of these over the years. They are a godsend. My old horse used to lose her mind at a single cleg (more than one, you could kiss your arse goodbye), but you could hack her quite happily in a riding fly sheet, and no one would regret their life choices.

I had one with a saddle cut-out and a detacheable neck. The sides sit under the saddle flap but there is a hole that fits around the saddle. Never had an issue with it moving. I used the neck when the flies were at Defcon 1, but would leave it off if they were bad, but not that bad.

However, I discovered the hole only fits around traditional English saddles. It did not fit around my weird treeless/leather treed/Iberian things both my current horses use. I bought the Horse Wear one, which works like a winter wrap-around quarter sheet and fits any saddle. If you detach the front half, it's just a quarter sheet. You have to attach the front to protect their chest and shoulders. I kind of preferred the other design, to be honest, which covered the chest and shoulders without the neck attachment, but those don't work for my saddles, so it is what it is.


Hermosa in the Rambo one. You can see the attachment points just in front of the saddle...where the gap is on the knee roll.





Gypsum in the Gallop one. It has much better coverage than the Horse Wear rug. No gap on their side where your leg is, and if you remove the neck, it still covers their shoulders and chest. It drapes lower than the Horse Wear one.

 

[winnie]

I found them an absolute godsend too. My horse would happily plod through clouds of horseflies while his companions would be going nuts. A faff to get tacked up but really worth it. I had a couple of different makes and they all had cut out holes for the saddle.

 

[Identityincrisis]

Another who values her life and the horse’s sanity to for go looking like a tw*t mine is a zebra print as the horse flies are vicious (i had 9 bites from one ride ) yet the horse was perfectly happy

 

[vhf]

I'm half considering one. I don't really want the neck though as i can swat flies myself the front end and I think my horse may get a bit too warm. (they also look a bit silly )
The Rambo ones, which appear to have been discontinued basic sheet shape looks perfect with the neck removed as it seems to just be the same cut as a winter type wraparound sheet, Others that I've looked at seem to be more the shape of a walker rug- they have a buckle and do up at the front. Do these not potentially pull back under saddle and get really tight around the shoulders/neck?
Does the saddle sit on them or is there a cut out? The only photos show tacked up horses and it looks like the saddle is just on top of the sheet- I definitely don't want that. Are they worth it with horses who really dislike flies, bearing in mind i guess the worst place is under their tummy which it wouldn't cover anyway

I have a gallop one. I won it in a Like and Share about 6 years ago - still going strong and I don't hack without it as it's hi-viz and people comment on how visible I am as they pass! You can (and I do) take the neck off. Depending on the saddle/horse I've had it under the saddle or over. Yes, flies do still land under belly etc. but they seem to start higher, and you can often get them before they attempt to bite through the rug/move lower down. Plus you can spray/gel just those areas and use far less product! They do get a bit warmer under it than without, but not massively so, and I have schooled in it when the flies are a nightmare.

 

[Mrs G]

I have a ride on flysheet from Kramer with fringing along the bottom to help prevent the flies getting under my horses belly. I CANNOT hack out in horse-fly season without it - horse gets violent trying to dislodge them (and therefore me) otherwise!

 

[Armchair Eventer]

I have an HKM one with a detachable neck which is a life saver for my mare. They have Zebra and fringed options as well as the plain one. Very light weight and she doesn't get to hot at all. https://gsequestrian.co.uk/products...n7zO2hz9WPzb0dGE7kB4D8JUKBsRvIVxoCJnEQAvD_BwE

 

[Squeak]

I've got a rambo vamoose one and it is good and doesn't move or rub but if I was to get another one I'd try the zebra print with fringes as my horse still gets upset with them around his stomach with the rambo one.