Spring is here! And so are the flies. Anyone want to share their good and bad experiences with different types of turnout fly leg wraps? My guy is stomping so much I don’t want foot/ shoe issues. Thinking of trying leg wraps so am hoping to hear which brands/ styles do the job without causing rubs.
We use the cashel leg protectors. No problem with rubs.
I have been using Kensington Fly Boots for years. I love them! No problems with rubs. However, the quality seems to have gone down considerably on my most recently purchased set. They still work fine, but they seem to get damaged more quickly.
I’ve heard really good things about Shoo-Fly Leggings and will probably try them next.
Kensington or Weatherbeeta fly boots - basically the same. I’ve used them for years with no problems. I do have multiple pairs so I can make sure my mare has a clean set on all the time. My mare is so much happier with them. Rarely any stomping with them on. I do put some generic gold bond powder under them on the super hot days as the area under the fleece will tend to sweat - the powder stops this.
I tried the Cashels and my mare hated them - seemed too short and super stiff. But Cashel is the only brand of fly masks I buy because they work and hold up.
I like both the Kensington and Amigo Horse Ware brands. My thin skinned mare got awful rubs from the Cashel brand because of how stiff they were(though Cashel was fantastic with returns!)
I found some Kensington fly wrap on sale from amazon warehouse last summer and they have held up great, no rubs or other funky stuff. I know the researcher who conducted a study on various forms of fly prevention at U of Minn two years ago. They used the Sho-Fly (?) leggings all summer and she really liked how they fit all the horses and didn’t rub. Bonus - they significantly reduced stomping in her study.
I got the fly wraps from English Riding Supply. Due to turnout logistics, he often went 24/7 in them except when I had him up to groom and ride. Never had rubs, and they stayed up on his long legs better than anything else I tried. They come in a set of four, and since he only had them on in front, I always had a clean set ready to go.
Kensington and the Weatherbeeta brands worked well for mine. There is a long, thin plastic stay in each of them that keeps them from slipping down, and no rubs.
My gelding takes excellent care of his blankets, fly masks and bell boots, but refuses to leave on fly leg wraps. I just run SWAT down the back of his cannon/fetlock/pastern.
ShooFly leggings all the way! They stay on in the pasture and don’t cause rubs, and don’t hold heat.
On the rare occasion a horse does get one off, I do suggest the bright orange ones. Makes them super easy to find.
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I second this. I love Shoofly Leggins! No rubs, they don’t heat up the leg, and I throw them in the washer if they get dirty. I got the orange ones as well. One pair lasts approx. one fly season for my guy.
My pasture puffs live in Shoo Flys 24/7 during fly season and they typically last more than 1 season. The only issue I’ve had with them was rubbing and wearing quickly on the DSLD guy’s dropped pasterns-- so he only got front ones
The only one I boot is my mini-donkey, because the flies eat his little legs raw if I don’t intervene. I tried Cashel boots but they sagged immediately and didn’t protect very much of his leg so I gave up on those quickly.
Then I did Summer Whinnys (https://www.soxforhorses.com/index-summerwhinnys2008.html) for two seasons. They worked well (some sagging) but are a pain to take on and off, and are pretty worn now.
Last year and this year he’s in mini-sized Shoo-Fly Leggins and I’m very happy with them! They retain their shape better than most fly boots and can extend higher up. I ended up ordering a horse-sized pair that I’ll use on the old man this year as needed. (The young man rips them off almost immediately. :mad:)
I bought Smartpak’s fly boots this spring and since my old guy is on stall rest, have had the occasion to use them for several weeks now. When I get them adjusted properly, they stay up without problems and haven’t caused him any rubs - and he is a sensitive dude that is hard to fit. They are generously sized and need to be on the snug side to stay up - the horse size fits him well, and he’s got tree trunk legs that usually wear large fronts/XL hinds when it comes to boots. I haven’t left them on 24/7, as I put on masks and boots at breakfast and then take them off at dusk, but he wears them for a solid 12-13 hour stretch including laying down for naps.
Kensington here, worn 24-7 no problems. The last pair lasted 2 seasons
Love the Shoofly leggings. The horses live in them 24/7 and no rubs. Mine have lasted multiple seasons.
