Turned out 24/7 and blankets/ sheets

[KarinUS]

I would like to outfit my horse with one of those tough and protective Baker Fly Sheets.
They are made from special material to not only offer UV and fly protection but also protect from 'pasture mishaps'.
I just hate it when my boy loses skin and hair to a bite by another horse.
Honestly my main goal is to protect him from horses rather than flies.

He is turned out 24/7. The info on the sheet says it's made with non-abrasive material and elastic straps.

What are your thoughts on this? Can I leave it on all the time. Certain times? Never?

[Ipsa]

I'm not familar ith those rugs so I suspect others may not be too.
Can you post a picture for us to see what they look like.

[KarinUS]

Certainly. They are very lightweight fly sheets.
Protective Fly Sheet by Baker (http://www.bakerblankets.com/sheets/sheets_fly.html)

My question is actually more general. A fly sheet- any fly sheet- can it be left on all the time or would that cause problems?
Of course I would come by, take it off, brush him, check for any hidden injuries, etc.

[Ipsa]

We have our horses turned out 24/7 in lightweight sheets in the summer with no ill effects so I reckon you would be fine.

[KarinUS]

Thanks, for the quick reply Ipsa!
Do they show any signs of rubbing on the withers? How often do you take the rugs off to check them?

[KarinUS]

just bumping my thread so I get some expert answers... :D

[Shiny McShine]

Where I ride we are all out 24/7 (horses anyway :)) and about 50% of the horses would be rugged all year round in one form or another to suit the conditions. As long as they are checked on every day it doesn't seem to cause any problems for horses who are used to it, though there are always going to be horses that just seem to get into trouble no matter what. The heavier the rug the more rubbing will occur so I would say that a flysheet shouldn't be a problem, especially if you can check it and groom everyday to make sure everything is lying flat. The main problem would be keeping it on, which again if you are out everyday you shouldn't have any trouble with.

[Ipsa]

We have no problem with the light sheets causing rubs. Our horses are on the property so are checked daily but if they are not being ridden may not have the rug off that day.
The only time we have had rubs is with heavier winter canvas rugs and we use anti rub vests to prevent the rubbing.

[Tootsie4U]

Karin,

We left alot of our horses out with lightweight sheets/fly sheets in the summer. (usually fancy show horses) Their ability to hold up depends on the sheet. How it rubs the horse depends on the horse. Is DJ a walker/runner/galloper? If he's constantly moving, its gonna put more friction on him than a horse who just munches all day and moves every now and then.

The elastic parts should be good. Does it have fleece for the wither area? You could also get one size bigger than you think you need to keep it off his chest.

The only thing I would worry about is DJ's hobby of swimming in his pond. I have no idea if that would pose a real problem or not as I've never known a horse who did that.....

[KarinUS]

Yeah, I was wondering about his water sports as well.
But the description says it dries very fast and is mildew resistant.

I guess at this point all I can do is turn him out with it and check on him daily to see if it rubs anywhere or if he seems unhappy wearing it.

Thanks for the feedback!

[Tootsie4U]

I meant, what about his legs getting tangled in the straps... but after I think about it, those straps break very easily... not to worry you, but just something to think about :) Like I said, I really have no idea and could be just a worry wart :p

[KarinUS]

:o My baby drowning because his legs are tangled! How horrible. I will have to think about that.

[Esther.D]

What I have done in the past if I was worried about tangling (I was concerned with little ponies where legs and straps are very close) was loop a fairly thick elastic hair band (a human one!) through the d-ring or loop and then clip the leg strap onto the elastic rather than the d-ring, with a bit of fiddling you can also construct a similar thing on the cross-surcingle if it has one. Instant safety rug:D If he gets tangled the elastic with stretch and snap if stretched too far and the straps come undone.

[KarinUS]

oh thank you Esther. That's a great idea!

[Tootsie4U]

Ingenious - Good one Esther