Fly Mask for horses with extremely sensitive skin

[CSH-Daughter]

So my mare has the most sensitive skin in the world when to comes to wearing things. She also has a very angular face which doesn’t help when trying to fit things to her without them rubbing. I can’t even have my noseband too tight on her or it will rub her under her chin and cause issues.

Long story short I have tried a million and one fly masks on her and I can’t fine any that 1) fit her massive head and 2) don’t rub her and leave marks.

She is an Irish Draught/Dutch Warmblood cross mare and is a bigggg girl. She either takes a horse size mask and I have to get velcro extended on to the mask to make it fit around her head or she wears a warmblood size. Also her ears are massive!!

Im really looking for a fly mask that is super super padded in hopes that it will not rub her face. If it had ears too that would be great but if not that’s okay. If anyone has ANY suggestions that would be amazing!! I’m so stumped!! She also isn’t the most gentle with her fly masks so the more durable the better.

I have tried Cashel, Absorbine, ones with zippers instead of velcro, and many more.

Her current one that does rub on her is an absorbine brand and the only one I have ever found that is “padded” all along where it rests on their jawline but still not enough for her. I can’t say that she has one or two certain spots that she gets rubs, it’s just all over. I don’t mind spending the money on a more expensive mask if it means she doesn’t have to deal with any more rubs.

Any and all suggestions would be more then welcome!!

[Highflyer]

I have a mare that has to live in a mask April- October. The only thing that works for her is to switch brands/ styles frequently so that she doesn’t develop pressure sores.

[TrueColours]

I think the Equivizor fly masks will do the trick for her. Its a totally different design than any other fly mask out there. I have some sensitive skinned horses as well and have 7 of mine in it now and have never found as much as 1 small rub on them from it. The X Full size should fit her perfectly …

http://www.truecoloursproducts.com/collections/frontpage/products/equivizor-fly-mask

[keysfins]

We have a couple of horse using the Rambo fly mask. They are both pretty big guys, and the Rambo seems to be designed a bit differently.

[NancyM]

You can make your own, starting with an extra long brow band (or make your own brow band- it doesn’t have to be fancy or professionally made), and add an extra long fringe which is a “false forelock”. The long tassles may be as long as you need, and move around the front of the face/eyes etc with movement of the head much like it would if the hair was actually that long. But doesn’t rub anywhere. The long tassels can be soaked/sprayed with fly repellant too.
The brow band goes onto a halter, for wear during the day.

[Bisoux]

this one looks sold out for the season, but might be another thing to look for http://www.ridingwarehouse.com/descpage-WRSM.html

just a totally different concept to think about?

[goodhors]

We had the ‘Princess’ with sensitive skin. She had to wear a fly mask when she had a foal, so foal was getting sunshine and exercise in the day hours.

I put fake fleece around the lower edge, then gave her a washed clean mask daily. Took the one she wore all day, when she came inside, washed it every night and hung to dry. I had 3 masks, just kept rotating them so she had a newly clean mask daily. She had no sores, rub marks, no loss of hair even with sweaty days outside in the sun. Washing and brushing off sweat each night kept her from rubbing her itchy face under the mask.

You might try polar fleece as an edge cover or the fuzzy fake sheepskin in any color, to cover the lower edge of her mask as protection. Both kinds of fabric are soft, thick, easy to wash and dry on a daily basis. Quality can vary with price, some polar fleece fabric is much thicker than other stuff. Same with how fuzzy the sheepskin fabric can be, from kind of hairy to almost woolly thick and heavy. Rub fabrics with your fingers to feel the differences. Look at edges of fabric to see thickness differences, before choosing. You can buy partial yards, you won’t need much to add onto masks.

If you can’t sew, don’t know anyone who will do this for you, check into a tailoring shop, maybe an upholstery or tack shop to get the fleece added to the mask. I just used my regular sewing machine, but it is thick stuff when you have 2 layers of fleece and the mask, so I had to stitch it slowly to get done. Tack store, saddle repair places might have real wool fleece to use, which is wonderful, just not so washable as the fake stuff.

You could just add the fleece to any of the various masks you already have, to see if it will help her. Decide which fit best, then get a couple more like that and put on the extra fleece to prevent rubbing.

[Simbalism]

In the past one of my horses got rubs from her fly mask. It did have a small edging of fleece, but it still rubbed. I went to the fabric store and bought a piece of fleece and folded it over the edge so it was about 1/2 an inch wide. Then sewed it in place. It helped prevent the rubs. I also wash fly masks at least once per week or more often if really dirty.

[newhorsemommy]

The Farnham Supermasks come in Extra Large and have a fleece lining. My mare will get rub marks if I attach it too snugly, so I have to leave it a little looser than I would prefer. I also have 3 or so mask for each horse and try to put a clean one on every week to two weeks. Changing the style when switching out the masks will also help prevent rub marks.

[sascha]

Fake fleece on everything that touches a bony area is my only mask suggestion. My mare wears a Cashel without much issue, but she has to have real sheepskin on her halter crown during shedding season. I failed to fleece her super lightweight Bucas halter early enough this summer and she is bald behind her ears Shame on me.

However, I can solve your noseband problem. Waldhausen makes a gel crownpiece cover that will work at the back of a noseband. Since my girl has been wearing one for the past year an a half she has not lost any hair let alone rubbed herself raw like she used to. Those things are a godsend and go through washer and dryer no problem. I did change the Velcro so they both go the same way because I found during stretching work occasionally a rein would brush the closure and open it. The padding didn’t move, but it was distracting to me.

If the link doesn’t work google Waldhausen then look up “neck protection” It’s the black doohickey they have pictured on a cool blue bridle.

http://www.waldhausen.com/pferde/trensen-und-zubehor/zubehor/neck-protection.html

[joiedevie99]

My gelding has a scar on his face that makes him extremely sensitive. He wears this fly mask: http://www.doversaddlery.com/roma-strtch-bug-eye-savr-w%2Fear/p/X1-23142/?eid=X18A00U1000&utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=CSE&utm_campaign=MerchantAdv&zmam=1460880&zmas=1&zmac=114&zmap=0023142353983X1-23142&mkwid=s2kSrSvlg&crid=74184351007&mp_kw=&mp_mt=&pdv=c&gclid=CJvv5aXiyscCFYUXHwodx-0GNg

He wears this on his noseband: http://www.dressageextensions.com/wool-caveson-padding/p/23523/

And this under his chin: http://www.dressageextensions.com/ridewell-chin%2Fcrown-guard/p/23432/

[gooberethics]

http://www.naghorseranch.com/

Nag Horse Ranch is a local family owned company. They make quality products and you can choose to add sheepskin lining around it. Several folks at my barn have some nag masks. They do have protection for pink noses but also just a regular fly mask.

Ask her, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she could do a custom size too.

[cayuse]

I also like the Rambo fly masks. My pony wears them 24/7 because of an eye issue. They tend to run large. She is cob size or Arab size usually but in these she takes pony size and they are roomy. They also come with ears. I hoard them as they are the only mask that fits.

[One_Two_Three]

Shires Fleece Flymask

I used this last year on my mare. Fleece around all the ‘irritating’ areas, and also has a soft, short fleece on the inside around the areas that might make contact with skin. For the price, it’s worth a shot. Held up well and would still be in use if I had the mare! Put it on my new guy but he’s horse sized and the mask was cob.