Fly Rugs
- Frequently asked questions
- Which fly rug should be used for turnout?
- What size should the fly rug be?
- Does the zebra fly rug really help?
- Which fly rug for sweet itch sufferers?
Which fly rug should be used for turnout?
The best fly protection for turnout are not only fly repellents, but also fly masks and fly rugs. The horse usually wears these for several hours a day in high temperatures. Therefore it is important
- That the material allows sufficient air circulation so that the horse does not sweat underneath and possibly suffer a heat stroke.
- That the fly rug has a light colour. Light-coloured fly rugs reflect sunlight instead of absorbing it.
- That the fly rug has an adjustable chest closure.
- That it has a gusset on the front leg.
- That a padded wither provides more comfort for the horse.
In addition, you can spray the horse with fly spray.
Furthermore, there are innovative fly rugs that keep the pests away from the horse by means of insect-disturbing patterns or incorporated repellents. For example, we carry fly rugs with a zebra pattern in our online shop.
You can find more detailed information about fly rugs in our horse rug guide. There you will not only get advice on buying fly rugs and sweet itch rugs, but you will also learn how to determine the right rug size for your horse.
What size should the fly rug be?
Since the horse wears the fly rug for several hours in the field and moves around a lot with it, it should fit perfectly and accommodate all movements without chafing or cutting in. At the same time, the rug must not be too big, otherwise insects could slip underneath and irritate or disturb the horse.
The rug size is given in feet and iches and refers to the length of the horse. Use a soft tape measure and measure horizontally from the centre of the chest to the end of the rump. You can now compare your measurement with our size charts. In addition, you will find an informative product video for each horse rug in our shop, which shows you all the important details about measuring, fit, types of rugs and their materials.
You can also read more detailed instructions on how to determine your horse's rug size in our horse rug guide.
Does the zebra fly rug really help?
For some years now, we have seen them grazing peacefully in our pastures more and more often: Supposed "zebras", which on closer inspection, however, quickly turn out to be ordinary horses wearing rugs in a snazzy striped look. At first you might think that this is mainly for fashion reasons, but the fancy zebra rugs actually have a great benefit for the horse: they help to keep pests like mosquitoes and horseflies from settling on the horse. Because of their faceted eyes, insects see quite differently from us and are confused by the striped pattern when approaching - this is why they avoid landing on the black and white stripes. A zebra fly rug helps the horse to be spared as much as possible from the annoying pests.
In our online shop you can buy zebra rugs with different stripe patterns or in the sweet itch version. You will also find a zebra version in our exercise fly rugs.
Which fly rug for sweet itch sufferers?
If your horse is a particularly sensitive sweet itch sufferer, then you should put a sweet itch rug on him during the summer months. Online we have a wide range of inexpensive sweet itch rugs that offer the horse the highest level of protection from insects. Made from specially developed, breathable functional fibre, these rugs will keep even the smallest insects away from your horse. They are extra robust and always have a neck piece as well as a belly bib, which no longer allow annoying insect bites. Some styles of our sweet itch rugs also have a removable genital and udder protector made of air- and fluid-permeable mesh material. This means that the hairless part of the body is also optimally protected from annoying black flies.
You can complement the sweet itch rug with a matching fly mask, which also protects the sensitive head and eye area. With our fly and sweet itch rugs and other fly protection products, you can enjoy the warmer season with your horse to the fullest.