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What is the coolest fly sheet that’s most comfortable for the horse

Midges, aka noseeums, aka sand gnats

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Schneider’s makes a lot of options in fits for various shoulder/neck/withers types. I have used the mosquito mesh, which is stiff, on my Friesian cross. You can get it with a belly band or without, with an add-on neck if you want it. It has lining in the front.

My mare doesn’t tend to get rubs, at least in the Schneider blankets and sheets. It could be that I am just lucky. The sheets last multiple years. She and her pasture mates aren’t really destructive, but Schneiders are well made. Schneider has good prices.

I love the pix ppl are sharing. Adorable.

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It’s a good fit but seems a bit tight in his neck line. I am thinking 78” but maybe a v neck in the future.

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I have a mare that is allergic to most inspects (and pollen), so wears a fly sheet with a belly band. They both wear fly sheets now. The allergic one usually wears the Weatherbeta comfifit but last year I got the stiffer one, can’t think of the name of it at the moment - but didn’t start using it until this year. Overall I thought I was really happy with it (it seems to keep them cooler, hasn’t rubbed so far and they didn’t break out in sweat this weekend in the heatwave), but on saturday I found that the larger flies got up under it - it might be a fluke since it was just a single day, but if it happens again, then the sheets have got to go.

My other mare did really well with Saxon, but they changed the design last year and the new design didn’t fit her as well. They are both arabs, one broader shouldered (Weatherbeta fit her better, but the old style Saxton did okay too) and the other narrower. I see a lot of horses around in Horsewears, but I haven’t personally used them. Good luck!

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I big nasty horse fly got under his sheet once. It was a softer one with a bellyband. Totally freaked me and the horse out!

This would be my fear with a fly sheet. We dint get an obsessive amount of flies where I am located but my horse absolutely hates bugs. A fly under a fly sheet would be terrible.

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It’s those nasty horse flies. I hate em!

Mr LS was chasing horse flies with the electric fly swatter last night trying to keep them off my old gimpy horse. Lol

He is getting the start of rubs. I’m disappointed. The flies are not too bad here I’m going to fly spray twice daily and his cashel fly mask for the time being.

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Ugh. It’s so hard with blankets. I think it is Smartpak that has the easy peasy return policy with :100: satisfaction guarantee? Where you can send stuff back if it isn’t working out. Might be good to look into if you decide to revisit a fly sheet.

I’m spraying morning noon and night and still issues with horse flies in the late evening/ dusk hours. Bah humbug

I can see your picture now!

So my horse, which may have zero correlation with your horse, fits into an 81 like in your picture. I get 84 s with an adjustable front and have to do the fronts on almost the tightest setting. The result is he doesn’t look like he is choking when grazing.

Interesting. I have an old rain sheet that is 82” or 84” high neck. The length is quite long at the back but otherwise the fits as doesn’t shift him or rub. I throw a quilt underneath in a snow storm and he’s set.

I purchased him a weatherbeeta ultra snuggly this spring. It was not too tight in the front it looked like a pretty good fit other than the forward facing gussets were so forward on him they didn’t look quite right on him. I only tried this Blanket three nights on him but I thought I was in fact rubbing him. I’ve been blanketing this horse for the past 16 years and I’ve never had a rub prior to the this spring.I am thinking high neck may be the most comfortable too bad they don’t think a high neck fly sheet. The Integrated necks are suggested to be more comfortable fit I just didn’t think you’d want to be that covered.

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I live in Canada so unfortunately I can’t use SmartPak. I will be watching the sales and may try a Weatherbeeta fly sheet when a good enough sale comes on. As it seems to be a trial and error with fly sheets I’d rather try and hit a good sale price. Right now we don’t have too many pies but I anticipate that will change as we get warmer weather in the summer.

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Oh bummer.

Sales are the best. It’s all trial and error!

There is a Schneider’s mosquito mesh on eBay that is used size 80”. It would probably fit him although it has a closed front which is not my favourite as I prefer the snaps. My only concern with that is that it’s not soft. I’ve also heard of stories of bugs getting underneath which would be terrible.

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I think the risk of bugs getting under the sheet exists with any of them. :frowning:

I know and I missed some really good sales earlier in the spring while I was not paying attention. I had a wonderful discount code back in March when I bought his ultra snuggly I never thought of buying a fly sheet at the time. I just wasn’t on the ball. I will keep my eyes open now

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I’m bad about not paying attention to sales and then paying full price cause I suddenly realize I need something and need it now lol.

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I just order a Turtle fly sheet. ill be using it this summer on my TB mare who of coarse hates the bugs. ill let everyone know my reviews. not a very popular company, but seem to make quality products by what i can find.

This isn’t particularly helpful, but my horse hates fly sheets, in fact he hates wearing any clothes and prefers running around naked. He is really a 2 year old toddler at heart. His favorite bug protection is a thick layer of dirt and mud, covering about 90% of his body. He works hard to develop this shield of protection.

This is true. My horse is not a blanket wrecker but he got a small tear latest fly sheet which I have probably used 7 times. Every morning I spray him and put his fly mask on. But if he’s out with pasture mares the six year old will rip his fly mask off. The first time I put a brand new cashel fly mask the youngster ripped it off and discarded it in the manure :frowning: