Sweet itch rug ..... going mad ....cant decide

[gwniver]

What sweet itch rug do you suggest ? I need to get one for a currently thin mini Shetland and a 15hh standardbred .
I have bee looking at the buccas zebra ones and the boett rugs ..... but I am just to confused ????? I need one that will cover there bellies really well as it looks like we are going to have nightmare midge , fly and horse fly attacks

 

[Wheels]

I'm not sure about the zebra rug, doesn't look from the pictures like it is robust enough for a sweet itch sufferer but I could be wrong.

I've used a Boett in the past but now use rambo sweet itch hoody on my horse and a ruggles mesh fly rug for the Shetland

 

[southerncomfort]

I use the Rambo Sweet Itch Hoody on our little welsh section B. Fits nicely although her ears always pop out of the ear holes. Keeps the midges out VERY well and stops her rubbing.

I can't remember the make but Equestrian Clearance were selling a SI rug recently that looks like the Boett but was MUCH cheaper. If I were buying one now I'd probably look at that one.

 

[WelshD]

The Masta sweet itch set is pretty good as is the rambo one. I have both. I use a normal good coverage fly rug with a belly flap on low risk days (Derby House zebra one and Wetherbeeta Freestyle)

My 'go to' rug is the Snuggy hood one though.

 

[_HP_]

In 15 yrs of sweet itch I have found the Rambo sweet itch hoody to be the best. It's tough and fit very well. I use one on my cob and have an IV Horse fly rug for my mini Shetland.
I will say that whatever you choose, it's really important to use electric fencing to keep them away from anything that may snag the rug especially if you go for the Boett type of rug.
A good fly spray will help too and I love Coopers a Fly Repellent plus .

 

[_HP_]

I also have a Premiere Equine sweet itch rug...very similar to the Rambo...a little cheaper £80 ish. They do seem to come up bigger so it's not as snug a fit as my Rambo and uses Velcro on the belly flap instead of clips, so I use it as my spare but I would recommend as a cheaper alternative to the Rambo

 

[_HP_]

http://www.theponytackshop.co.uk/fo...iature_shetland_pony_fly_rug_wee_pony_fly_rug

Tough little rug...no belly flap but it reaches well under the belly . So far no itching from my mini despite living in a very midget field.

 

[becca1305]

Snuggy hoods do a 'solid' material version thats a good rug. Has belly flap as standard and a good tail cover, and you can even add an udder cover and half legs if necessary. Only downside is its slightly warmer in the middle of summer than regular fly sheets I found, but haven't compared it to other sweet itch rugs of different material. I have a bucas Zebra and its a lovely rug, but not sure its solid/ sturdy enough or has a long enough tail flap for sweetitch sufferers imho.

 

[Gloi]

I got a snuggy last year after having Boett's but found it a nightmare. Not only did I have problems with the hood going over his eyes and having to have several attempts to alter that so it didn't happen, when the material gets wet it gets really heavy and was dragging back on his body, rubbing his withers and the tail wrap was starting to slip down his tail. With it being such a wet summer I gave up and put a Rambo on him.

 

[Abbeygale]

Last year I got my ,mare a Z-itch rug' and if she hadn't grown out of ot it would do at least the start of this season, but I've had to upsize lol. The Z-itch is another Boett copy,

http://www.z-itch.co.uk/products/62/z-itch-sweet-itch-rug-with-hood/

My mare seemed to be quite comfortable in hers, even on the hottest of days last summer. She got one rip in the back leg straps, but that was due to he doing a spectacular slide and fall manoeuvre! I was pleased enough with it last year to go and get two more (larger) ones this year. Last years one will go on to my pony now

 

[Foxy O]

I found the snuggy hood rugs great and we have a midge killing thing that covers one and a half acres

 

[WelshRuby]

Foxy O - do you have link to the midge killer, please.
OP - sorry to hijack!

 

[mynutmeg]

I use the shires sweet itch combo - covers everything, stays well up on the neck as it goes over the ears and has a good belly cover

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Another vote for the Rambo SI hoody; unsurpassed IMO. Closely followed by the Premier Equine ones; good and serviceable.

I tried a "Pagony" thingey a few years ago; its advertised as being a kind-of cheapie version of the Boett. It was FA useless!!! Stitching was badly done and rapidly came undone at the seams, and my boy somehow managed to get caught up in all the complicated array of straps and elastic. I wouldn't recommend touching them with a bargepole!!! Also you had to put it on over the horse's head........... my boy hated it and got really headshy and the whole thing got to be a battle, so I switched to the Rambo ones.

I've never tried the Boett but would imagine (???) that they have to go on over the head also????

IMO "cheap and cheerful" definately isn't when it comes to sweet itch rugs.

 

[welshied]

I have had a snuggy which lasted about 2 weeks before it was destroyed found it made him really hot too. I have had the rambo sweet itch and found them to be fairly good but my favourite is the shires sweet itch rug really light weight so he doesnt get too hot and gives as much coverage as the rambo and is also shower proof.

 

[Foxy O]

Foxy O - do you have link to the midge killer, please.
OP - sorry to hijack!

I 'm not sure where we got ours from but this is the makes web site I think:
http://www.mosquitomagnet.com/

We have had it just over two years now and we never get bitten now and the horses don't either. It turns itself on and off automatically as well

 

[chesnutty]

Another vote for the Z-Itch, although it does go on over the head so you need a very tolerant horse.

 

[sonjafoers]

FoxyO that looks like a great idea.

Are you in the UK and if so do you remember if you ordered online from the States?

Do you think it really covers an acre or so as advertised?

 

[Foxy O]

We bought it from an on-line shop in the UK (sorry my husband ordered it so I'm not sure where from). I do think it covers over an acre as when the horses are in the field in front of the stables they are fine and it also covers where we sit outside the house. It is one of the best things we have ever bought