Talk to me about fly rugs

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Annagain

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..in particular whether there is any science behind them?

I am the only person on my yard not to turn out in a fly rug. He wears a mask as I think protecting his eyes is important but I don't really see why a fly rug is necessary on a horse that doesn't have sweet itch or any other allergy? This week, everybody has been saying that their horses are really sweaty and complaining that it's got too hot too quickly for them but Wig has been fine. This is a horse who was out of work, naked and fluffy all winter and we had to give him an apron clip as he was sweating in his stable. This leads me to think the weather's not so much the problem as their fly rugs.

That's without them ripping or horses getting suck in hedges thanks to their rugs getting caught (in a way that turnouts don't).

Has there ever been any scientific studies into fly rugs, how much hotter they make a horse and whether the protection they offer from flies is really necessary in a healthy horse? Obviously they stop flies landing on the horses but is that so important compared to keeping the horse as cool as possible on a hot day?
 
I put a fly rug on the pony that's had sarcoids removed, but I'm not sure how much it helps as the really sensitive areas (muzzle, teats/inner leg) aren't covered. I think the more breathable ones might help keep dark horses cooler, as a white rug will reflect the sun more than a bay/black coat. Certainly if I put my hand on the old boy (unrugged) on a hot sunny day his coat is baking hot, whereas the surface of the fly rug is much cooler.
 
They definitely help with flies. I don't have any science backing me, just anecdotal evidence. My old horse would go mental and run like an idiot due to clegs and midges if she was out naked, but she was fine in a fly rug.

Hermosa is more tolerant than my old mare, but the fly rug makes her happier, and she has mild sweet itch, so....

Fin has spent most summers naked but we talked him into wearing a fly rug last year. He didn't run away when we put it on, so I think he worked out that it was useful.
 
My horse used to get dreadful hives and I used to flyrug him all Summer to avoid the hives. Now years later he doesn't seem to get hives anymore, so I also leave him naked in Summer as much as possible. It's stinking hot here in Summer and he is definately cooler naked.
 
I only use them on clipped horses or the ones that really get gnashed a lot
Fly mask usually efficient enough for general
 
I put fly rugs on my herd for a couple of reasons. One is that we are in a midgey area, and fly spray and fly traps just don't really cut it. And talking of fly spray, it would cost me a small fortune in fly spray to keep my 7 anywhere near as covered as a cheapy Shires fly rug each can do.
That being said, on an unusually hot day, I will sometimes leave them off if needed. Ours do have access to an open stable yard with shelter, where the shade comes round from lunchtime, so we are really lucky in that respect :)
 
I’m on a farm with cattle and the flies can be horrible so I used lightweight zebra rugs last year for the first time to minimise the annoyance. Neither ponies sweated up and there was a lot less twitching and biting going on. Fly masks are essential during the day but I found the most useful item were the fly leggings. It stopped the stamping and destroying of feet.
 
I got so fed up with Lari destroying his fly rugs. I went through an assortment of four.

I know the PE rugs are fairly heavy but even the light one only lasted 13 hours!

At retirement the horses didn't have fly rugs on, they had masks but most of the time it was a collection of masks being pulled off! We'd walk over the fields and collect them on our twice weekly walk!

In the end I decided not to waste anymore money so now he goes without, I have got a mask so we'll see how long that lasts for!
 

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Depends on the horse really.
I've had some who preferred to be naked and weren't bothered by flies, and I've had others that were clearly irritated and stressed being turned out during fly season without a physical barrier.
One of them was an absolute magnet for flies, and was the sweatiest horse I've ever known and needed clipping during the summer. It was hard balancing keeping her cool with keeping her sufficiently protected from both flies AND the sun. And typically this was the companion pony that didn't do any actual work hah! She cost me a bomb in flyspray!

My current mare is pretty sweaty too, but she seems to appreciate her flyrug on still, fly-y days. She's currently wearing an Amigo Camofly, and I'm pretty impressed by how well ventilated it is, she stays pretty cool in there. Supposedly the design helps deter the flies from landing, and compared to her field mates in plain flyrugs she does seem to have less landing on/sitting on her, but that's just my anecdotal experience. Really I bought those particular rugs because they were half price and comfortably fit her chunky frame.
 
Being a sweet itch person I actually don't think I like fly sheets. They all seem to be polyester and not that breathable, but maybe I am just used to seeing cheap ones. They tear so easily and they're impossible to repair yourself, seems like a bloody headache if your horse doesn't actually need one.

The high denier cotton SI sheets definitely keep my bay pony cooler on hot days than she would be otherwise, as they're all white. Pain to wash of course but repairable, breathable, better coverage 🤷‍♀️

Nasicus said:
She's currently wearing an Amigo Camofly,
Click to expand...
I almost passed away at that RRP. Still polyester! 😂 Would need to have been half price!!
 
A lightweight white fly rug can help to stop a dark horse getting so hot, though you do have to balance that against it not allowing the sweat to evaporate off so freely.
I use a fly rug in horse fly season as it is just more pleasant for my horses to not be bitten. Luckily my own fields don’t get horse flies, but they graze some for a friend and we get them there. I also use them for anything a bit itchy with the midges
 
My TB turns himself inside out in horse-fly season, he gets so upset by them. I use sweet-itch type rugs (from Kramer) that cover him as much as possible as I don’t rate or use fly sprays. Fly mask on too and he’s good to go. He doesn’t seem to mind how warm the weather is as long as he’s protected from flies and he’d get far sweatier running around trying to escape them if left naked.
 
I’m with you Annagain, I don’t think they need to be used routinely and some of them definitely cause horses to sweat more.
Which doesn’t mean to say I don’t use them, but it’s definitely horse specific.
My go to is the PE superlite for weather where they might overheat. Although I very much like the Aussie allrounder for more general use
 
Scientific no, but anecdotally if I turn mine out without a fly rug and observe them in the field they will be stamping, tail-swishing and biting at their sides - visibly irritated by the flies. If they go out with their fly rugs on then they are quietly grazing. I think they are a great modern invention and must give horses a lot of relief from being annoyed by the flies all the time, especially when the horrid blood sucking cleggs come out - I feel awful when my horses manage to get bitten by one of those!
 
Much like everything else, I start not using it and then if the horse tells me they're bothered by or need something then I put it on. Dex has a fly mask as he does get irritated with ones on his eyes, but no fly rug, no horse of mine has ever needed one. I also don't bother with fly spray, or brushing/overreach boots, or a flash, or a martingale/breastplate, or a half pad. Not against any of those things, but I think many are added more routinely than as/when needed.
 
So in effect the research shows that
White dry cotton slightly cools the horse from no white cotton
Black cotton heats the horse
Both black and white wet cotton cool the horse.

To apply that to fly rugs ….
To actively cool the horse it needs to be sopping wet to start with.

White cotton may well help to some extent. It is unclear how synthetic materials most fly rugs are made of compared to to the cotton data.
 
smolmaus said:
Being a sweet itch person I actually don't think I like fly sheets. They all seem to be polyester and not that breathable, but maybe I am just used to seeing cheap ones. They tear so easily and they're impossible to repair yourself, seems like a bloody headache if your horse doesn't actually need one.

The high denier cotton SI sheets definitely keep my bay pony cooler on hot days than she would be otherwise, as they're all white. Pain to wash of course but repairable, breathable, better coverage 🤷‍♀️


I almost passed away at that RRP. Still polyester! 😂 Would need to have been half price!!
Click to expand...
I've been a sweet itch slave for about 8 years, so it's been nice to have a horse finally that doesn't have it! I'm up to my eyeballs in Rambo Sweetitch hoodies of various sizes, which I actually really rate, and very easy to repair, they've been under my sewing machine many a time! But again, all bought during bloody good sales, no way I would buy them full price!
 
My horse has pink skin and while she's shedding her winter coat (right now) her back is covered in bald patches.
So, on hot sunny days, she's wears a fly rug to stop her back getting burned.

Occasionally, a few tiny flies do get under the rug and I do find liberal amounts of fly spray and gel are better at keeping the flies away.
She only wears the rug on hot, sunny days.
 
Nasicus said:
I've been a sweet itch slave for about 8 years, so it's been nice to have a horse finally that doesn't have it! I'm up to my eyeballs in Rambo Sweetitch hoodies of various sizes, which I actually really rate, and very easy to repair, they've been under my sewing machine many a time! But again, all bought during bloody good sales, no way I would buy them full price!
Click to expand...
We got one donated to the sanctuary once, a teeny tiny one for one of the little shetlands and it was like opening a box and seeing the holy grail 😂 only for me tho, as only I knew how much it would have cost BRAND NEW.

Sadie was in some cheap waterproof fly sheet that I didn't even ask to take with her when she came to me, with a bog brush mane and tail 😂 but beggars can't be choosers! Donations are donations! I got her a couple of the shires highlanders and haven't deviated much tbh, I think I have 5 of them, also easy peasy to repair! The OG one is 3.5 years old and still in use, the one she had when she was turned out with her 4yo gelding cousin also from the sanctuary for whom bitey bum was a lifestyle.
 
ihatework said:
So in effect the research shows that
White dry cotton slightly cools the horse from no white cotton
Black cotton heats the horse
Both black and white wet cotton cool the horse.

To apply that to fly rugs ….
To actively cool the horse it needs to be sopping wet to start with.

White cotton may well help to some extent. It is unclear how synthetic materials most fly rugs are made of compared to to the cotton data.
Click to expand...

Yep- it's of limited use, but does at least show that a rug *could* be better than no rug, assuming it's made of cotton (I notice PE have one in the sale), I would say a darker coloured horse might find some benefit
 
Mine have them on when it's horse fly season. I only started doing this last summer, as where we are now the bitey horrors are plentiful! They were being eaten alive and reacting to the bites. The rugs do seem to minimise how munched they get. Masks end up getting pulled off, so I'm not bothering with them again. I did dry the leg wraps too, as the bot flies here were bad last year and one of them lost his mind over them, but I'm not bothering with them again either. They had great fun taking them off each other and flinging them about the field. As soon as horse flies disappear, the rugs are off!
 
Thanks all. I think even these limited (in number, not content!) responses have confirmed my thoughts that unless there's a reason (allergies, sensitivity, sunburn) they're better off without them - or they're no better off with them at least - unless they're a dark horse in a wet, white, cotton sheet on a hot day. Wig seems perfectly happy in just his mask so I'll keep to my non rugging ways!
 
TheMule said:
Yep- it's of limited use, but does at least show that a rug *could* be better than no rug, assuming it's made of cotton (I notice PE have one in the sale), I would say a darker coloured horse might find some benefit
Click to expand...

Now my inner scientist wants data for cotton v synthetic and each of those for grey horse versus black horse.

Must back away quietly …. 🫣😆 Before I start including humidity and anything else variable in my hypothetical analysis
 
ihatework said:
Now my inner scientist wants data for cotton v synthetic and each of those for grey horse versus black horse.

Must back away quietly …. 🫣😆 Before I start including humidity and anything else variable in my hypothetical analysis
Click to expand...

If you can source his original resource (probably through membership section of his website) it does have more detail on those things
 
Or we all just take the unscientific approach ….

Is my horse a) being a tit because of the flies or b)going to cost me a lot in vets bills or alternative lotions and potions due to the flies?

Yes - stick a fly rug on
No - don’t put one one

If yes - is my horse now sweating it’s beejesus off

No - great, right decision
Yes - sorry you are screwed and the worst horse owner in the world

By IHW, May2025
 
Mine get sweaty and irritated by pacing round being annoyed by flies so I always rug and they are definitely happier and more chilled.
I have one that won’t wear a mask and that’s fine. I hate seeing flies on his face but that’s what he prefers so that’s what he gets!
 
Pepsi is usually out overnight in the summer, so I worry less about him overheating in one. But he does wear one overnight because they’re out over dawn/dusk when the midges are bad and he really hates flies and really reacts to fly bites. He also has fly boots from when he was out 24/7 and was coming in with cuts all over his legs from kicking himself to get flies off (to the extent we thought he’d fractured his splint bone once)

Currently they’re still out by day, and he’s come in with hives/bites where his rug neck and fly mask meet twice this week and a few welts on his belly which isn’t covered 🙃
 
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