Horse Fly Masks – Choose the best fly mask for your horse.

Generally though, if your horse is deliberately taking their fly mask off, it’s probably like wearing a pair of sun glasses which are pinching your head and giving you a headache. Or maybe clothes that are too tight or warm for the summer air. Take a good look at it. Is it padded? Is it elasticated? Is the mesh thick or going to cause them to over-heat. Is it sitting close to their eyes? Any of these reasons and more are likely to give your horse just enough ammo to say no thanks to the lovely new fly mask you bought them!

Best Fly Masks for horses who like to take them off:

For these types of horses, of course considering comfort goes a long way. But the other thing to consider is how much is on their face. Fly masks with little on them (i.e. no ears or nosepiece) tend to go down well with these types. Take the Field Relief Midi without ears for example. Every effort to ensure the comfort has gone into this horse fly mask and it also designed quite short and sits quite high on the face – almost like a pair of sunglasses (comfortable ones)! The less there is to cause irritation, the more likely the mask is going to be on at the end of the day.

Summer products for sensitive horses.

Starting with the main area of the body – a fine, tough but breathable mesh fly rug covering literally from ears to tail is the best bet. If it has a belly flap it’s even better. Consider the protectiveness of the material. Does it have UV protection? Is it lightweight or is your horse going to ‘cook’ underneath it as the temperatures rise? Sensitive souls have sensitive skin. Well – any horse has sensitive skin! The Field Relief Fly Rug actually has a unique yellow colour, which has been shown to repel flies too!

Next is a fly mask. If your sensitive horse is happy then a full face fly mask with ears and a nose might be best. However, being sensitive, some horses may not like a nosepiece. Again, a UV protective horse fly mask is a must to protect vulnerable eyes. Next thing to consider is the material. A soft, elastic binding is best to not rub the skin, especially if the fly mask is on for a long period of time. Fleece linings may help prevent rubbing; however, they are likely to absorb any sweat or wet and as a result, actually cause rubbing.

Lastly, having a standby tube of a soothing gel to take the edge off fly bites or rubs could help you ‘strike while the iron is hot’.

Summer products for pink skinned horses.

There’s a few options here.

Sun cream is one but can sometimes be difficult if your horse doesn’t agree with your choice. The protection may not be adequate for all day either.

The best fly masks for horses with pink muzzles are those with a nosepiece. The nosepiece will need to have UV protection to effectively protect the skin. The Field Relief range actually sells a nosepiece separately which fits on any fly mask within the range – so you can buy the fly mask of your choice and add the nosepiece to it.

Or you could consider just a nose cover. Maybe your horse isn’t bothered by the flies on their face and you just need UV protection on their nose. Muzzle Protectors fill this gap and help keep the pink muzzles pink and not red! Ideally, they should be used with a field safe headcollar too.

Lastly, having a standby tube of a soothing gel for the occasion of sunburn or sensitivity may help your horse.

Best Fly Masks for horses who are hardy types:

The main thing to consider here is comfort. Something specific to those who have a lot of mane and forelock is space for their forelock to go. The Field Relief Midi without ears and with ears both have adjustable straps at the poll and space for the forelock. This not only allows the forelock to sit comfortably on top of the mask, but also allows you to adjust how the mask sits around your horses’ ears.