I have one mare who dislikes fly masks and tries to take all of them off. I have a Professional’s Choice lycra one that she has yet to get off. However, the net over the eyes is really soft and the way it fits her, it is really close to her eyes - it actually touches her eyelashes. So neither of us are a huge fan of that one in particular.
Anyone found a lycra one that has a more structured/stiff netting around the eyes?
The SmartPak one seemed stiffer, but my fly mask houdini had it off in less than 24 hours. I’ve yet to find it in the field.
SmartPak one for sure. I also had the pro choice one and had the same problem - the SP ones have almost a screen material instead of mesh. I’ve only had one horse get it off, and she was rubbing to get her muzzle off so both came off at the same time. I find the horses really like them so tend to leave them alone.
I’m on my 4th summer with the Professional’s Choice brand masks now, and I won’t ever (voluntarily) go back to any other kind. The horses very, very rarely remove them (and I have one who loves to rub her face and won’t keep any other type of mask on), and they have turned out to be surprisingly hardy compared to my expectations for the material. The mesh does sit close to their lashes, but it is very soft and has not caused any problems with rubbing.
No other brand of Lycra mask stays on or lasts the way the PC ones do, in my experience. The original (Farnam/Kensington) fly mask styles last but they do cause rubs when the horses sweat while wearing them. All of the Cashel style masks run absolutely enormous and therefore come off in about two minutes, so they aren’t an option at all for my Arabians.
I wish my guy could wear these, but the one time I put one on him overnight, when I got there in the morning he’d twisted it around so that the solid lycra part was completely covering one eye and that eye was swollen and tearing terribly. I never put one like that on him again. I’d rather he’d be able to get it off completely than have that issue again. Every other horse I’ve known that wears one does just fine though. My doofus seems to be the exception, lol.
The “Tech Equestrian” lycra fly masks have massive eye spaces that I find to be stiffer and stay further from the face.
SmartPak and Lemieux both have lycra masks with stiffer eye mesh that sits away from the eyes. Schneiders also has a lycra mask with a soft fine mesh over the eyes that is very, very generously sized and doesn’t come close to their eyes at all. I’ve been pleased with the durability of the Schneiders and Lemieux brands, and the forelock hole seems to help keep it in place.
Because the Lemieux has stiffer eye mesh, I think it’s sometimes easier for the real Houdinis to get those off than the softer mesh Schneiders ones. I haven’t used the SmartPak ones in a couple years, but remember the lycra part being much thinner and less durable than the other two brands.
My very tiny headed thoroughbred has a very large collection (I buy them on sale or clearance every year) of weatherbeeta stretch fly masks… in pony size. They’re the only fly masks that stay on his face and no one can believe they’re pony sized.
While I can’t help with size for anyone with a horse with a normal sized head, I really like the weatherbeeta masks as a whole.
I have had good luck with the Smart Pak ones. Grady’s current mask is a Weatherbeeta (sp) one. Unfortunately, the two-year old colt in the next paddock destroyed it. Fortunately I bought two. The cob fits his weirdly sized and shaped head.
Another vote for SP Lycra fly mask. They stay in well and away from the eyes. They do get hot though so on very hot humid days I take them off and apply some fly repellent to the face.
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