Suggestions for a flymask that stays on

[4horses]

My mare needs a fly mask with ears that actually stays on. This is a very smart mare who can houdini her way out of a halter if she feels like it. Every day I have to go find the fly mask- she usually hangs it on the fence or a tree.

She has itchy ears (sweet itch) and needs to be kept in a mask as much as possible. Even if she doesn’t like it. She does have ample mane so maybe I need to start braiding her hair and attaching it somehow? Any suggestions? Right now she takes it off whenever she feels like it, so I’m not certain it’s doing any good.

[Argo]

I always liked the Farnam ones best for being durable and for spending more time on the horses than off.

[outerbanks77]

I like the Rambo. It has two different kinds of jaw straps plus a reinforcement to keep it well away from the eyes

[anonevent]

Have you tried a Snuggy Hood?

*https://snuggyhoods.com/products/sweet-itch-mask-zip

**https://snuggyhoods.com/collections/summercollection/products/sweet-itch-hood

[Jackie_amp_Starlette]

I have had great success with this mask this year! My gelding likes to take it off my mare, and so far he has total failure with this Shire mask.

[GraceLikeRain]

Rambo with the halo. That being said, I think there is a fair amount of risk of injury trying to straight jacket one into a mask they hate. Mine needs a clean mask and her entire face, especially behind her ears thoroughly rinsed and dried daily. If not, she’s liable to risk poking an eye out pulling a houdini move.A sweaty pony plus a mask is a recipe for itching and mask pulling.

[Displaced_Yankee]

I was coming here to saw AVOID this one. I have had the worst time keeping this on my horse who is turned out alone. Perhaps I don’t make it tight enough…but the jaw strap is as tight I am comfortable making it…YMMV

[Jackie_amp_Starlette]

Could be the shape of your horse’s head. Mine are appendix QH. The straps are actually too long for mine. I put it on snug but not tight.

I have found other types come off easily.

[RedHorses]

I saw a string fly veil with ears the other day. Maybe that on a breakaway halter would work better.

I had a horse who refused to tolerate ears and long noses on fly masks (yes, the horse with the white nose). I did convince him to wear ears during the ten days of spring black fly season, but never one with a nose.

[Argo]

Me too. Boarder’s horse rolls and rubs it off in the grass all the time, as far away from the gate as possible!

[trubandloki]

I read the title of the thread and I thought - Is there such a thing?

If a horse wants to get it off, there is no such thing as a fly mask that will stay on.

Nothing wrong with trying various types and styles to see if your horse will tolerate one of them. But, my experience is, a rubbing horse will get them all off.

You can try braiding the top of the mask into their mane. That might work.

[JB]

EquiVizor has an actual throat latch strap, so if that doesn’t stay on nothing will. You can also get it with a nose if needed

[SolarFlare]

@Displaced_Yankee

I was coming here to saw AVOID this one. I have had the worst time keeping this on my horse who is turned out alone. Perhaps I don’t make it tight enough…but the jaw strap is as tight I am comfortable making it…YMMV

Me too. My horse loves his fly masks, but he’s a gelding in a field of geldings This is the only one I’ve ever seen off. I’m pretty sure it’s because of the elastic trim by the poll - if the mask gets grabbed it stretches and then the whole thing comes off. The other horses in his herd who have the Shires also have theirs off regularly.

[Jackie_amp_Starlette]

And yet I have a gelding that pulls the other types of masks off my mare when he’s playing. I am thinking with my horses, the double-strap on the bottom makes a difference. My mare just rubs the single-straps off when she’s scratching with no assistance from my gelding at all.

@trubandloki

Nothing wrong with trying various types and styles to see if your horse will tolerate one of them. But, my experience is, a rubbing horse will get them all off.

You can try braiding the top of the mask into their mane. That might work.

I use full coverage fly sheets and put a slit in the top of the fly mask and use the strap intended for halters in the slit. Even when they got the other masks off, they were still dangling from the flysheet

[Obsidian_Fire]

I have a Harrison Howard fly mask, and it’s been the best one I’ve ever bought. It stays on, it fits well, it comes in different configurations. I found it on Amazon.

[GraceLikeRain]

Seconding this. The two I have (no ears) are several years old. I do think the Rambo is harder to get off but this one is a close second. I haven’t personally tried their ears version though.

[Pico_Banana]

Has anyone tried this one?

Amazon.com: Weaver Leather Horse Fly Bonnet with Cords : Sports & Outdoors

I’m wondering how you attach it to a halter?

(I also need one for a Houdini horse.)

[DiamondJubilee]

Not sure if anyone has tried a Lycra flymask (I have not, I can’t even keep the Rambo flymasks on for 5 mins on my geldings). I know of a few farms that use these fly masks and like them. They look like they may stay on longer?

Summit Lycra Fly Mask

@Pico_Banana - we have used fly veils on our horses before and they do work. Ours looked different though as they had velcro tabs on the outside of them and they attached to the halter. One barn I boarded at wouldn’t allow fly masks (as they said theyve had horses where flies get into the masks and the horses have run blindly through fencing trying to get away from the buzzing) but they allowed fly veils, so many boarders used these instead and they worked well. Not sure of this brand though. Not sure if that ties onto the halter somehow or ?

Supra Fly Fringe

[GraceLikeRain]

@DiamondJubilee

Not sure if anyone has tried a Lycra flymask (I have not, I can’t even keep the Rambo flymasks on for 5 mins on my geldings). I know of a few farms that use these fly masks and like them. They look like they may stay on longer?

Instantly pulled off by 80% of horses in my experience. They are also super hot and hold sweat so it makes them super itchy. One barn I was at wouldn’t let people use them because they ended up with too many scratched eyes from pulling them off.

[clanter]

whatever daughter has gotten for her two year is something that I cannot get off without struggling with the Velcro that seems attach itself with Loctite

He can not get it nor can I