Zebra stripes and flies

[stigofthedump]

Hi. I recenly heard about some research that had been done into whether zebras have stripes because the stripes deter flies. I found a summary of this research and the conclusion was that ANY pattern has a significant effect on the number of flies landing on an animal. So a checked or zebra striped fly rug should reduce the number of flies bothering a horse. Does anyone use a patterened fly rug? Do you think a patterned rug really does reduce the number of flies bothering your horse?

 

[chunky monkey]

I had a zebra print fly mask. I couldnt say for certain that the flys were less round the head.

Yes i saw an article recently where they painted up a cow all over body and head with zebra strips. It concluded that there were less flys round the stripey cow than the non stripped ones.

 

[Trewsers]

I don't honestly know, but I love the look of the zebra ones lol (I love zebras!). I'm sure someone on here has one. I seem to remember seeing a pic.

 

[chunky monkey]

Yes im sure someone had one. Didnt Domane buy a riding one?

 

[domane]

They do certainly deter flies, especially the nasty horse flies! I have a ride-on zebra print fly rug for my mare and I have zebra print leggings for myself. When we hack out in our stripey attire we genuinely don't get bothered. The stripes definitely seem to confuse them, imho.

 

[Cortrasna]

I bought some last year for both of mine and they certainly do work very well. However, only on flies but not on midges so not much help to Dolly who has SI. Miller was plagued by flies, not sure if it was to do with him being black but never seen anything like it - they left him alone the moment I put the zebra rug on.

Coincidentally I have just bought 2 on line and sent to my friends in France for their mare as apparently the flies there are horrendous and they are having to keep her in every day with a big fan going to try and help her. I really hope the zebra rugs I have sent will help her - she is the IDX filly I raised for them for 3 or so years and I am very bonded to her even now 10 years later!

 

[Jessey]

There seems to have been a few studies over the last several years that all concluded the same, I’ve not tried one as the thicker SI type rugs don’t seem to come in stripes which makes sense if it doesn’t work for midges @Cortrasna, not that Jess has SI but they really swarm to her and annoy her.

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

My next door livery friend's Connie x TB really really hates flies and a zebra fly rug is the best thing that happened to him.

 

[stigofthedump]

Hi. I recenly heard about some research that had been done into whether zebras have stripes because the stripes deter flies. I found a summary of this research and the conclusion was that ANY pattern has a significant effect on the number of flies landing on an animal. So a checked or zebra striped fly rug should reduce the number of flies bothering a horse. Does anyone use a patterened fly rug? Do you think a patterned rug really does reduce the number of flies bothering your horse?

Thanks for all your replies. It seems the general view is that zebra stripes do appear to reduce the number of flies bothering horses so I will be investing in a zebra striped fly rug.