What time of day do you put on & take off fly rugs & masks?

catembi

catembi

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I have been putting masks & rugs on in the morning & taking off when I do evening stables which is 4.30 - 5.30, but then it occurred to me that midges (we have thousands) are more active at dawn & dusk, so I should probably be leaving them on longer? What does everyone else do?
 
Are you stabling? If yes I used to fly spray vigorously (outside ofc) and gel the ears and sheath/udder area instead. If sweet itch, non-negotiable. If clipped or thin-skinned, semi-non-negotiable. 14/7 turnout: For the hot weather I'd take it off in the morning and put it back on a night, after and before the midge swarms. Flies: I rotate fly masks, but generally I've had horses that can reliably take them off themselves in the rain or if uncomfortable etc, so they have that choice. Generally speaking though they leave them on willingly.
 
Not stabling. They are on the yard at night with free access to 6 stables if they want them, & out in the day. I have left the fly rugs on tonight but taken the masks off.

What gel do you use for sheath/udder, please? One of mine is really bothered by flies in the sheath area.

Thank you - I might start leaving my fly rugs on 24/7. I was thinking today that I leave turnouts on, so why not fly rugs. But then, the weather's going to change tomorrow, so it will be all change!
 
I'm stabled deep in a barn and there don't seem to be that many in there in the cool and dark. The blocks of stables outside are heaving with them though from very early.
 
Mine are on 24/7, with rugs and masks. I make a point of taking masks off daily for a scratch and to check eyes if I'm not riding. They have cream to repel midges on their bits & then legs sprayed daily.
 
I change with the time of year but the horse flies come out I do 24/7, My fields have woodland and rivers and there is a lake nearby so its prime fly breeding grounds!
 
I leave fly rugs & masks on 24/7 except when they come in for a few hours. I cover inner thighs & sheaths/udders with sudo creme when their out.
 
I wanted to take the flymasks off last night as they’d had them on for days but the midges were worse than ever - clouds of them. I use a beekeeper mask in the day but try and use a finer one at night.
 
My sweet itch mare who lives out 24/7 is in her rug day and night, her mask only goes on later in the summer when midges are constant, and I leave that on at night too. One of the donkeys who is sensitive but not sweet itch has his zebra rug on 24/7. Dawn and dusk are by far the worse times for midges.
 
Mask is on now until October! He is very phobic about it being put on. Usually removes them himself at some point and I give up! He does get sore eyes often at this time of year. Plen I think so super pleased I’ve found one he’ll keep on. It’s a shires with no ear cover. Seems to suit. I usually buy biteback fly spray for when flies are really bad. No rugs.
 
I leave a fly mask on whenever my horse is out in the field, regardless of whether it's day or night. He does get weepy eyes at this time of year and this can escalate to an infection. He loves his mask and is more than happy to have it on and never removes it.

ETA: I don't leave fly masks on if it's going to rain all night or all day.
 
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She lives out and is thin-skinned so 24x7 in her fly mask. Her body has been Ok so far so no rug as yet. The trouble is the thinn-skin also rubs easily from the mask so I have a few I switch around. She has to have full face ones as its her nose and ears that are really affected.
She'd be OK if I stabled overnight but she's so much happier in herself for living out that we cope with the mask.
 
Mine stay on all night. I watch them in the evenings pacing round really irritated if I don’t. It’s a shame because I love to see them out naked and usually have a window between turnout time and fly rug time but not this year!
 
Another who has them on 24/7. I make sure my fly rug fits really well so that they don't get rubbed and uncomfortable and rotate through different fly masks. Although as poiuytrewq said, it's been a shame not to be able to have a rug free window this year.
 
Mine go out late afternoon in their fly rugs, not having to use masks yet but the midges are really bad when I catch them in about 7:30 am. If the midges are bad and they don't have their rugs on they just pace round the field. During the day they are in their stables and I take their fly rugs off.

Last night they went out without fly rugs as it was nice and windy and was still very breezy this morning and they were all off happily grazing.
 
catembi said:
I have been putting masks & rugs on in the morning & taking off when I do evening stables which is 4.30 - 5.30, but then it occurred to me that midges (we have thousands) are more active at dawn & dusk, so I should probably be leaving them on longer? What does everyone else do?
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Mine keep their fly rugs on day and night, I just fold neck back at night. They are in at night but cannot be bothered to remove it and makes the am easier.
 
I’m another who keeps fly masks on 24/7 no rugs though. If it’s raining I’ll take the mask off for a bit to give them a break but they seem to understand the mask helps them and will happily shove their face in it to be put back on 😀
 
Fly rug mostly on 24/7 when flies are bad,had a week or so rug free but waterproof fly rug on tonight due to forecast. I'm not a massive fan of fly masks but my mare has developed weepy eyes recently,no infection but they're absolute magnet for flies so she's been having it on 24/7 recently. I dislike most flymasks for one reason or another but I do like the shires ones so have got a few of those.
 
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