USEF now allows noise cancelling bonnets. Ear plugs are still illegal.
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what human bug repellent do you use??
What chaps me the most when a horse owners use the " natural defense" is that most of it is BS. In the WILD, horse can walk away from their shit, flies, bad rocky footing. The ywalk for 17 hours a day and do not stay in the same place. Even if a horse owners has say 30 acres, a horse is still CONFINED to a designated terrain, fenced in with whatever bugs are in that area. They canāt naturally just " get away". Really sad for this persons horses.
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No need. My horses have hundreds of acres, and the ability to come into the barn where there are several large barrel fans running full blast 24/7.
If theyāre out there getting chewed on itās by choice. And i feel i have some pretty good experience with horses that have become more-or-less desensitized.
This. I actually tried a noise cancelling ear bonnet on my horse once to help him chill in the indoor in the winter, and he was actually much worse- I think he could tell his hearing was muffled. But Iāve also seen other horses who they worked really well on.
And yeahā¦ I value my life and my horseās life far too much to just let him āacclimateā to the bugs here in ME. I trail ride him in summer in full body fly gear, SWAT on his belly, and with a fly whisk. If putting on a bonnet in the ring gets me a far less frustrating rideā¦ Iām going to do that.
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Why you mad?
I canāt speak for others, but it seems that the bonnet issue is hill youāve chosen to die on in multiple threads (if memory serves). In this thread (that you started, by the way), you seem to want to shame others while insisting that your horses donāt have a problem with bugs because they live out and you let them become resigned to the torture. Sorry, but you come across as condescending and my mare would fatally injure herself under what you have described as your management style. I think itās the mixture of tone, message and ignorance that for me, at least, is grating. Canāt say why others are mad.
FWIW: I donāt ride in a bonnet, although my mare used to go in one (weāre jumpers, so use ear plugs and copious fly spray)ā¦ she tosses a bit, but isnāt in distress. That said, she can stand just 2-4 hours in bug season in turnout with a fly mask and sheet with neck and belly guard and drowning in fly spray before she loses her marbles. On dry lot. On grass? Less than 5 minutes. Iād never let her ābuck it outā for a few years like you do your mustangs. Yikes!
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And since I had thought this thread would be about what your favorite bonnets are this yearā¦ any show-worthy black ones that donāt fade and have no bling or white piping/contrast?
ETA: I will show in one, if only to mi unite head tossing and to keep the plugs in.
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https://www.smartpakequine.com/pt/smartpak-luxe-collection-ear-bonnet-23487
I personally use this one as my day-to-day in the summer. Iāve only had it a year, but it hasnāt faded yet!
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this one I posted above I have in plain black, it does have piping but itās black. It has not faded at all, but sometimes doesnāt sit quite flat on my horseās head. I doubt it would be obvious from afar.
https://www.doversaddlery.com/ds-lightweight-mesh-earbonnet/p/X1-23460/?cpos=10&cexp=155&cst=bonnet&kcid=0023460&ctype=Search&cpid=res22111810874099403561139
Iām interested to try this one, also posted above, as I suspect this ear material wonāt fade like the jersey on the basic Smartpak crochet ones (which I like a lot other than the fading)-
https://www.smartpakequine.com/pt/coolmesh-ear-nets-11738
And someone posted one from Farmvet I think that looked like an equifit knockoff- Iām interested in that one too.
Iām also all about the perfect all black ear net that wonāt fadeā¦ But Iām probably not willing to pay what the unicorn ear net will actually cost me 
@erinmeri - Equifit has a plain black one that you can get without the logo. The material is a breathable mesh. https://equifit.net/collections/ear-bonnets/products/ear-bonnet?variant=31260652896337
Thereās a knockoff version from an Etsy seller called the Hangry Mare that is fairly nice as well for a significantly lower price. https://thehangrymare.com/ols/categories/fly-bonnets
De La Coeur will make one. Their bonnets are top quality and last forever! I have a navy one that the elastic finally wore out of the stretch ears and they are replacing the ears for free. https://www.delacoeur.ca/
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I do too.
I get them for bugs, but not just for fashion.
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Plain plain
The loire is my fav: https://www.lemieuxproducts.com/ca/horsewear/fly-hoods/loire-fly-hood-black#selection.color=6636
or for the gasp sound sensitive https://www.lemieuxproducts.com/ca/horsewear/fly-hoods/acoustic-pro-fly-hood-black#selection.color=6636
For all Lemieux bonets 
https://www.lemieuxproducts.com/ca/search/fly%20hood****
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I know you are looking for plain, but if you canāt find what you like If the Bonnet Fits does excellent quality custom bonnets and typically has a good Black Friday sale (buy one get one half off I think last year) plus price depends on what you want added on (piping, bling, etc) so plain will be pretty affordable and her prices are very reasonable to begin with. I love the 3 I have from her and will probably order more as my new horse wonāt fit in the 3 I have.
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Omg! These are beautiful. On the scale of āeffort/rewardā ratio, how difficult were these to make? Did you find the pattern online, or have to buy?
I tried to get my sister to make me some years ago, she crocheted for fun and made my cat a sweaterā¦ Maybe I can get her to try again.
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Thanks!! I found them fun to make, but it was definitely trial and error to figure out what worked best. I donāt actually crochet much (I mostly knit) so that was a bit of a learning curve as well. I bought the pattern but it was only $5.
ETA: I used this pattern - https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/horse-fly-bonnetveil
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Thank you for the recommendations, all!
You are mistaking head-shakingly, eye-rollingly flabbergasted with mad.
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