fly sheets/masks and spray

[Sooty]

Hello

With spring sort of here (though wouldn't think it looking out of the window at the moment :( ) I'm wondering what you all do to keep the flys off. If you use a fly sheet, does that mean you only spray legs, or do you still spray all over? Does anyone use a fly mask? How comfortable and resilient are they?

For those of you that use sheets/masks, I'd be grateful for any recommendations :)

thanks, as always!

[TBEventer2002]

We have had great success with Farnam's SuperMask (now with an overlap of velcro). The stiff shape stays out of the horses' eyes and it shields the sun although the horse has full vision thru them. I personally like the ones with the ears. :D

I used Bronco on my horses (seems to work OK), Dad uses diluted Claque (works OK, but needs reapplying often), and my mom uses plain vinegar (flies will land but not bite). We also hang basil in hanging baskets around the outside of the barns out of the horses' reach and that DEFINATELY cut down on the flies!!!

I use a fly sheet only at shows and when handgrazing after a bath.

[Bozzy]

Hadn't heard of this company until I visited the stand at Badminton but I can highly recommend Premier Equine International's(Website:www.premierequineinternational.com) Bug buster sheet and mask for a bargain £47 for both. The mask on it's own is only £8 which is excellent. It actually stayed on for a whole 12 hours :eek: !!

I looked at loads of different brands at Badminton but this one is really high quality and such good value for money. Have never had to use a fly sheet before but fly content in the yard I have moved to seems to have quadroupled!

Saying this though, only used the fly sheet on Sunday for the first time as the heaven's have stayed open since and he's needed his waterproofs!!

[Mehitabel]

i'm not a huge fan of the fly sheets. a friend's pony got a wasp under hers and went berserk trying to get it out and ran through 2 fences in her panic. :rolleyes: apart from thre boett ones that are very snug and elasticated, i think it's too easy to get flies under them.
we use masks for riding and for some of the ponies in the field - although petal just destroys them if she has one on in the field.
as for spray, i swear by espace. i can actually see the flies come in to land and then turn round, and i definitely notice a difference if i forget to put it on.

[augermoon]

I have just purchased a Weatherbeeta Fly sheet for Arnie. It is a nice pale blue colour (makes a change form the white ones although I know colour is irrelevent!) I had hoped to get away without using one but he is getting eaten alive at the moment so I had no choice. It has a neck attached to it with fastenings that are supposedly to attach to the headcollar or face mask to keep it up. Only thing is, when Arnie puts his head down to eat grass, it resticts his movement big time. So I have left it unattached and it does seem to work as well as being a nice fit. He wears it both in the field during the day and in his stable at night (underneath his cotton sheet if the weather is cooler.) I am also now using a "Defy the Fly" neck collar and Fly Away fly and insect repellent. The three together appear to be working as he was bitten over 15 times on Saturday night before I got all this lot and hasn't been bitten since.

[Showjumper]

I've got a mask for Dolly - last year she ate her fly fringe, and flies make her eyes stream...

http://www.cleesaddlery.co.uk/acatalog/663.jpg
That's the one I have. It's made by Shires. It's lovely. Soft fleece all round so no rubbing. I put it on myself so can vouch for the visibility! :D It fits Dolly brilliantly and even stayed put when she rolled :)

[liz--y]

mine have masks, and masta fly rugs on. they all still have fly spray on all over before rug goes on. and holly has her kill ich on his mane

[KarinUS]

I personally like the ones with the ears.

I think the ones with ears are hideous. Never ever would I dress up my boy to where the other horses could make fun of him like that! ;)

I do like the Farnam Supermask's though. I think they are the best. Fit well. How long they last depends on how determined the other horses are to rip them off of yours...

[TBEventer2002]

LOL Well, Rumby could certainly do with a little humbling! ;) However, I would never be able to get the ear ones within sight of my mare who detests & freaks out at the mere action towards her ears (she's always been like that -- it's how I learned to bridle a horse on the fly, ha ha!). Once my filly decides when she's done growing, she'll get one with the ears as well. :D

[Miriam]

I use a fly sheet. I spray all the exposed bits unless I am riding and I spray her all over. Don't use a fly mask as she seems to get the off

[liz--y]

the ones with ears can be very helpful, i have known a few horses that sufferied really badly with being bitten by midges in there ears

[Mehitabel]

we also use the ear ones - i'd rather they looked like bank robbers than had those horrid midges in their ears!

[Miriam]

Wish someone would wisper nice things aboutt hem i my horses ears as she would rather itch her ears than wear it. Everytime I put one on she either scrubs it off and I fnd it lying around the field torn to pieces or hanging round her neck :eek:

[Sooty]

thanks everyone!

Showjumper - your's (or rather, Dolly's :D ) looks nice and comfy, think I'll try one. Got a feeling Luca wouldn't like one with ears .... he's got too much hair in between them to fit in comfortably, and their insides are pretty hairy anyway which will hopefully stop any flies getting in.

Going to hold fire on getting a fly sheet after Es's horror story :eek: . Will keep a look out for espace spray, though

[alexa]

my boy is out 24/7 at this time of the year and want to know if a flybuster rug and/or mask should stay on all day and then be taken off at night ? problem is that the place where he is they will do this in the evening when they are fed which is quite early (about 5.30 pm) and in Summer there are still plenty of flies around. Otherwise he would have to have them on all the time - is that ok ? Last year he was not out 24/7.

Any advice on this ? He has a big shelter he can go into, I have already a mask (Farnum one) but was thinking this year of getting a rug also as there are a lot of horseflies around and they really bite badly.

[liz--y]

when mine go out 24/7 (still in at present at night) they have there fly rugs on 24/7 or lightwieght rugs if gunna dip. i wouldnt want it taken off at 5.30 because dawn and dusk is when all the midges are about, so this is when he is most likly to be bitten

[Wally]

The Icelandic horse society of GB sell a very good rug, much cheaper than a Boett and really just as good, if not better, it's a closer mesh fabric.

I think you can order them through their website.

[Volvic]

The best Fly repellent I have found is one you can make yourself:

15ml citronella
1tsp washing up liquid
4tbsp vinegar
2tbsp methylated spirits
1 mug of strong tea

Mix together in a jug and top up to 2 litres with cold water.

Always shake before use because the citronella oil sits on the top of the mixture and will burn the pony’s skin if applied at full strength.

Brilliant stuff!

[scooby doo]

I used a flysheet last summer, we had heaps of marchflies, when I took the rug off at night, all the flies that got caught and squashed underneath fell out, including a few live ones! Never again, I'll find another way. Flymasks are great though.

[makebelieve]

I don't find anything other than a fly mask really effective. Probably because I still don't get why people dress every part of their horse's body up when it's 30-35C degrees in the middle of the summer!

If anything, I'd find it uncomfortable to be dressed from head to toe in material. After Es's horror story, I'd be almost scared to buy them.