Talk to me about fly rugs

We have a grey who reacts horribly to every fly bite - not sweetitch, but every bite causes a big lump so she looks like she has bubblewrap under her skin :( She lives in fly rugs from April to October/November.
The others wear them if the horseflies are being particularly nasty.

I spend most of the summer hunting for fly masks - They all get weepy eyes if they don't wear one, but at least one horse will lose one most days.
 
Annagain said:
..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?
Click to expand...
I’ve had to use them on some really sensitive ones but this year we don’t have any turned out in fly rugs or masks and they’ve been fine. I think some horses are much more sensitive than others and some are obviously more tasty 🤣🙈
 
My grey mare gallops if the horseflies are out so she has an aussie all-rounder as they can't bite her through the material. My grey gelding doesn't care so he doesn't have a rug.
She doesn't have a mask on as it annoys her and she waves her head around.
He does have a fly mask as flies make his eyes run.
It's just using common sense and knowing your horses. I'm lucky in that they live at home so I don't have the peer pressure of a livery yard to force me to consider putting rugs on when I don't want to!
 
Annagain said:
..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?
Click to expand...
I always turnout in fly hood unless its going up to 35 decrees, and usually buy the zebra ones which seem to work better.
 
Annagain said:
..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
Click to expand...
Annagain said:
..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?
Click to expand...
Boett and De Meulenkamp blankets (for sweet itch, but also keep flies at bay) get sold round the globe, including places like Saudi, and manufacturers claim the ‘sunshade’ effect actually keeps horses cooler than those exposed to full sun. Boetts used to be retailed by two doctors who kept Icelandics in mid Wales, citing research on the fabric conducted in Scandinavia, if remember rightly.
We’ve used them on horses (where applicable, obviously) for 20+ years, do a great job against midges, and never had any over heating issues, despite several intense heatwaves during this time. But they are polyester.... and regularly need repair if there’s a lot of rough and tumble.
Any other brand ‘fly rugs’ - personally, wouldn’t give them house room, for all the criticisms already pointed out, also having ‘dealt with’ some of them on other people’s animals - save your money and save the horse a load of aggravation!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top