To Fly Sheet or not to Fly Sheet

[Retiree]

It has been 30 years since I have owned my own horse. As you can imagine things have changed. There are so many new practices and products. My first horse had a saddle, fleece pad, girth, bridle a halter and some grooming tools. I bought a horse end of last summer. She already has more coats than I do. In 7 months I have replaced nearly everything I originally bought except the horse! Fly season is fast approaching. I would like to hear your thoughts about using flysheets. My horse is a pinto with a lot of white. I have a fly mask for her. That seems a no brainer. The con I hear the most around my barn is that flies just crawl under the flysheet and that just makes the biting worse. So what are your thoughts?

PS I want to thank everyone who takes the time to post their experiences on COTH. You have all been so helpful to me as I navigate the modern day horse world.

[rizzodm]

I have never noticed flys getting underneath a fly sheet. I don’t think a fly would like that very much. One of the things I like about a fly sheet is that does keep the dust off and makes grooming a bit easier.

[findeight]

Depends on where you live but I found mine sweat underneath one, particularly over the withers along the trim and the flies could still get at their bellies and legs. Just my experience but did not think they stayed on a fairly active in turnout horse enjoying some rolling/playtime that well and pasture mates chewed on them, sometimes getting it askew or removing it since they are very lightweight. I paid up for a “fitted shape” and double surcingle design, still didn’t stay put that well. It did keep horse cleaner, when it stayed on, but it’s humid here and we normally rinse them off anyway when they come in so no advantage.

If you had a real quiet horse, alone or with an unambitious buddy? I’m sure they are fine, For me and mine it was more trouble then it was worth. I did and still do use a fly mask, never had any problems with them and they work.

[DQ01]

I think it depends on the horse kind of. I’ve never noticed flies getting under the sheets but I have heard that as well. I use fly sheets. My horse does get hot in the thicker mesh ones though, so I use the lighter ones with a hood even though they have to be replaced more often. I definitely notice an increase in bites if she doesn’t have her fly sheet on.

Funny how things have changed though! My coach also talks about the days when it was normal to have one saddle for 10 horses, and now everyone needs a custom made something or other!

[ryansgirl]

I will NOT use them when the big bugs are out - deer flies, horseflies…B-52 bombers, etc. after having my old stoic TB almost kill himself trying to get rid of one that trapped under his sheet. I refuse to put my horse(s) through that again. It was an ugly, ugly scene. People say all the time they’ve never seen one get trapped but yet when I put my sheets on and within minutes bugs are trapped and horses are freaking out. I’ll use fly sheets at night when the mosquitos are out and sometimes it isn’t quite dusk yet when I put the sheets on and I’ll see bugs flying right up and under the sheet…so I wait and come back later. Not really sure why it only happens to my horses (which I know isn’t true).

I do use fly masks all the time (including nights) and those get changed twice daily and scrubbed so a clean one is always on. And fly wraps - I always use those too - makes for much less feet stomping. But fly sheets…NOPE.

Thankfully my barn/stalls are open so they can go in and get away from the bugs when they get bad.

[mlb722]

Horse flies do go under the sheets, IME. Sheets are better for gnats/Mosquitos.

[ThatGirlTina]

what is recommended then? My gelding gets flies really bad under his belly and inbetween his legs where his manhood used to be, I spray and theyre back within 10 minutes…

Sometimes they will make sores on his belly and I hate it

Swat cream helps but im not sure how long it lasts and only covers minimal areas. But does help on belly, in ears, and between hind legs

[ryansgirl]

[QUOTE=ThatGirlTina;8111713]
what is recommended then? My gelding gets flies really bad under his belly and inbetween his legs where his manhood used to be, I spray and theyre back within 10 minutes…

Sometimes they will make sores on his belly and I hate it

Swat cream helps but im not sure how long it lasts and only covers minimal areas. But does help on belly, in ears, and between hind legs[/QUOTE]

I use Flys Off - same exact thing as SWAT though marketed for dogs and it’s signifcantly cheaper (1 oz smaller tub but still much cheaper ). I do apply it daily along the belly and sheath/udder area. You can also use generic desiten - works great too but tends to melt in super hot weather and i find the tail gets covered in it when it melts - you then need to use Dawn detergent (or equivalent) to get it out.

My shipment of Flys Off is due to arrive any day now (I stock up in spring).

[ryansgirl]

[QUOTE=mlb722;8111698]
Horse flies do go under the sheets, IME. Sheets are better for gnats/Mosquitos.[/QUOTE]

Exactly this.

[findeight]

Sometimes you need to look at barn cleanliness and manure disposal too. Go to the source and eliminate the places they lay eggs. This means picking poop in smaller paddocks and arenas, bush hogging or mowing larger areas and improving drainage to eliminate wet spots they seem to love. If you board out, this kind of fly control woukd be something I’d look for even though it usually means a higher price.

I am convinced there is nothing you can do about the big buggers, the deer flies, B52s, Greenheads etc. But those are seasonal and not around for too long, best practice is to just avoid them. Some like sun, some like shade, some mornings, some evenings. If you know what’s out, you can plan around them. Turn out at night if necessary, most of the sheets and sprays do work for the skeeters.

I recall once seeing some kind ballistic missile sized nasty land on a fly sheet and just drill right thru it. Try to avoid keeping near marshes or other protected wetlands, many of the big guns breed and live nearby.

[Simbalism]

I did have some problems with one fly sheet I bought in the past for my retired gelding. It was the first one I had ever purchased and although it looked like it fit, it actually was maybe just a touch too small, It created a tent between his withers and hips/butt and flies got up in there and were biting him like crazy. I put the sheet on my mare and no problems. I have now used fly sheets for at least 10 years and never had another similar problem. My horses love their fly sheets. I always have an extra, so I can wash frequently. I usually wash them about once per week.

[Retiree]

Thanks everyone. I am still on the fence. For now I will keep an eye on the bug/fly situation as the weather warms. I bought her mid August last year and just used a fly mask the remainder of summer and Endure fly spray.

[seabreeze]

I started using fly sheets a couple of years ago after a lifetime of not using them. I’ve tried a couple, and the Rambo Protector is the best, hands down. FWIW, I live in a very humid area, very near the seaside marsh, in what is one of the buggiest areas on the east coast. Without the Rambos, the horses stand inside almost all the time. With the sheets, they spend much more time outside grazing and moving around. When it’s 90 outside with a heat index of 105, they are going to sweat whether they are wearing a sheet or not.

[Winding_Down]

I use flysheets for several reasons. I spray the flysheets generously with flyspray and find that the spray adheres to the sheets for a longer time period than it does directly on the horse. I also find that the flysheets put a shine on a horse, beyond what a lot of grooming would do. I have not witnessed any flies or bombers getting up underneath the sheets, but I would guess they would not given the fly spray.

I use the heavier mesh (either Rambo or Kensington) when the nights are cooler and then switch over to the Amigo lighter weight when it gets really warm. The Rambo Protector is nice but the Kensington (with hood) is tougher and less expensive, and it comes in different colors and I use a different color depending on the size of the sheet.

Yes, I recall having one saddle for 10 horses, feeding the same sweet feed to everyone, also feeding cracked corn and whole oats… oh and there was one winter blanket, the New Zealand Rug. I remember thinking those things were awesome and now, ewww… cannot imagine putting one of those things on a horse.

[yellowbritches]

It really depends on the horse.

One of mine couldn’t care less. He barely tolerates a mask. The other one will not step foot outside his shed in the summer before dark if he isn’t in fall battle regalia.

[RedHorses]

On the horse, and on the bug situation where your horse is living.

I had to put a fly sheet on one of mine for the first time in his life last summer, simply due to the fly situation where we were at the time. He would prefer to go naked, and I prefer it too as I’ve never seen a fly sheet that didn’t rub somewhere at least a little bit. I did find a good deal on a Rambo for him last fall (so he hasn’t worn it yet) and have since moved (so he hopefully won’t have to wear it).

My other one wears a fly sheet for much of the summer because I have to clip off his weirdly thick summer coat and I don’t want to leave him exposed to the insects. He must have a heavy, plastic mesh type fly sheet as he would tear through the light ones in about five minutes.

I did see flies (usually deer flies) trapped under the sheets at times, but no one wigged out dangerously. I put fly stuff on them as I would have if they were naked and that kept the bugs out for the most part.

[GraceLikeRain]

I made several threads about this exact topic. In the end, I hated them for either of my horses. The horses just ended up pouring sweat and the TB got rubs in under a week.

[Meany]

[QUOTE=Retiree;8111167]
It has been 30 years since I have owned my own horse. As you can imagine things have changed. There are so many new practices and products. My first horse had a saddle, fleece pad, girth, bridle a halter and some grooming tools. I bought a horse end of last summer. She already has more coats than I do. In 7 months I have replaced nearly everything I originally bought except the horse! Fly season is fast approaching. I would like to hear your thoughts about using flysheets. My horse is a pinto with a lot of white. I have a fly mask for her. That seems a no brainer. The con I hear the most around my barn is that flies just crawl under the flysheet and that just makes the biting worse. So what are your thoughts?

PS I want to thank everyone who takes the time to post their experiences on COTH. You have all been so helpful to me as I navigate the modern day horse world.[/QUOTE]

I would strongly consider a fly sheet with UV protection for any light colored horse, particularly a paint or a gray. The gray horse tumors can be very sad. If there’s a chance a fly sheet can help, personally I would try.

[ryansgirl]

[QUOTE=Meany;8115250]
I would strongly consider a fly sheet with UV protection for any light colored horse, particularly a paint or a gray. The gray horse tumors can be very sad. If there’s a chance a fly sheet can help, personally I would try.[/QUOTE]

The melanomas greys are prone to is NOT the same as skin cancer in humans. Totally different and has nothing to do with sun exposure.

[TBROCKS]

[QUOTE=ryansgirl;8111500]
I will NOT use them when the big bugs are out - deer flies, horseflies…B-52 bombers, etc. after having my old stoic TB almost kill himself trying to get rid of one that trapped under his sheet. I refuse to put my horse(s) through that again. It was an ugly, ugly scene. People say all the time they’ve never seen one get trapped but yet when I put my sheets on and within minutes bugs are trapped and horses are freaking out. I’ll use fly sheets at night when the mosquitos are out and sometimes it isn’t quite dusk yet when I put the sheets on and I’ll see bugs flying right up and under the sheet…so I wait and come back later. Not really sure why it only happens to my horses (which I know isn’t true).

I do use fly masks all the time (including nights) and those get changed twice daily and scrubbed so a clean one is always on. And fly wraps - I always use those too - makes for much less feet stomping. But fly sheets…NOPE.

Thankfully my barn/stalls are open so they can go in and get away from the bugs when they get bad.[/QUOTE]

Same experience here. He was seriously going insane. No more fly sheets, just fly spray ( I use Flicks).