I have pulled my horses’s sheet off now because it’s so so hot right now in San Diego… but I was wondering what really is the cutoff where it’s too hot?
Anything over 90?
My mare has terrible allergies to flies and gnats… so without the belly band its tough for her but I don’t want hert to overheat.
My horse generally sweats in his fly sheet when its in the mid 90s and humid. It may be different in a dryer climate like San Diego though?
90 and dry would be fine. 90 and Pennsylvania humid is awful! I would see what temp she starts to sweat at and pull if it’s about 5 degrees under that.
I find that my horses sweat when it’s hot and humid whether they have their sheets on or off. And some of them have such a problem with bitey bugs, that I opt to leave the sheet on.
Basically if I were them, I’d rather wear a fly sheet and perhaps sweat a bit more than be eaten for dinner by those nasty critters that look big enough to haul a horse back to their lairs.
Mine wears her fly sheet in weather well over 90 degrees here in northern CA. I don’t have a number which is the cut off - if she were to sweat under it (which she never has!) - then that would be my cut off!
I know SD has had some weird rain / unusually muggy weather, so if she is sweating, pull the sheet.
We can get HOT in our area (around the 100 mark), but my horse has access to shade, its DRY, and we have pretty consistent breezes (barn is on a high ridge).
We have humidity now monsoon moisture, it’s miserable. If it were dry I could leave it on. I had it on overnight Friday and when I got out there in the morning Sat she was sweaty so I took it off. Its over 100 with humidity today like 110 in the sun. Only good thing she does have a pretty shady pen.
It can get pretty hot and swampy around Richmond, but I generally do not take mine off if he’s out. I personally feel the white fly sheet’s reflective qualities keep him a little more comfortable than he might be without. Sometimes you can actually be cooler wearing a white tee shirt then just a bathing suit top, does that make sense?
The flies this year have started ignoring even Pyrhana, so there’s that to consider as well.
As with moost things horsey, it depends!
The lightweight, almost see-through types should be fine.
I’m in the same area as you and I haven’t pulled my fly sheets. Mine always has access to shade if they want and haven’t been sweaty under them. I have a Rambo, though, the cool coat would be too hot. JMO
I have a weatherbeata air flow one, it’s not the lightest… I tried to order one of the Schneiders Mosquito mesh ones but they are out of most every size… end of season I guess. The Mosquito Mesh one looks perfect weight for San Diego… her weatherbeeta is ok with no humidiy or if it’s below 90
My mare is a dark bay so the white does help when there isn’t a 110 heat index
I live in Central FL…It is extremely hot/humid and this summer the flies have been awful even in his stall where I keep the fans blowing 24/7! I purchased a SARATOGA SUMMER TURNOUT FLY SHEET about a month ago. I too was concerned about overheating esp in our climate. My bay goes out on pasture/direct sun from @ 8am-noon. He has always sweat this time of year. I would be very concerned if he didn’t but since turning him out w the fly sheet on, I have noticed the area not covered by the sheet (his neck) is sweaty and the area under the fly sheet (except where the girth strap lies) is dry. I can only assume the white reflects the heat. He’s much calmer and now grazes peacefully. Even bathing is less of a twitchy itchy affair so for him, I’m keeping it on as much as possible…only removing for workouts, grooming, and washing the sheet. The Saratoga is 100% polyester. Soft & lightweight.
[QUOTE=kasjordan;7752005]
90 and dry would be fine. 90 and Pennsylvania humid is awful! I would see what temp she starts to sweat at and pull if it’s about 5 degrees under that.[/QUOTE]
Pennsylvania humid? Try Alabama humid, lol! Ours generally can’t wear fly sheets any time past March.
[QUOTE=rcloisonne;7753010]
As with moost things horsey, it depends!
The lightweight, almost see-through types should be fine.
Addressing the bold part, mostly…
I live in central South Carolina, and I got my 27 yo TB a set of Kensington textilene “bug armor” this summer. He’s got a full sheet, neck cover and mask and has been living in it more or less 24/7 (my guys live out w/ a run-in). And I have to say that this is the first summer that he HASN’T lost weight from fretting and hiding from the bugs! When it was 90+ and humid he was happily out in the full sun, grazing. I didn’t want to be out there, but he was happy as a clam. There’s plenty of shade available, but it really seemed as though that stiff heavy material was it’s own shade. It also didn’t absorb heat the way fabrics can, which I found interesting.
Yes, he was sweaty at times, but so were my uncovered guys - there are days that the only thing to do is stand and sweat.
I admit I was reeaaallly skeptical at first, I kept going out in the middle of the day and sticking my hand under there. I swear to Og that his hide sometimes actually felt cooler! I think it has to do with the stiffness of the material - it stands up and away in enough places that there is airflow, and as I said above the plasticy stuff doesn’t seem to absorb nearly the same amount of heat as fabric. I also got a light colored material, which helps.
In short, I’m sold and I wish I’d done this years ago!
80s this week til the weekend then upper 90s 100s. My poor mare. I have
the sheet on now but Sat it comes off again damn weather soooo hot this summer here
Glad the textilene type sheets work for you. Here they become rather soft in the sun & heat, molding to the horses’ body. They don’t stay stiff which would help airflow. Wish they did.
I found a Schnieders mosquito mesh sheet on ebay… I am bidding on. I hope I get it… it is a lot lighter than the one I have now… I think will be much more comfy in hot hot temps.
Looking for more feedback on Schneider’s mosquito mesh fly sheet.
My guy must wear one in all Texas conditions. He is allergic to too much to not have it on. We used a Schneider’s mosquito mesh fly sheet the first year and he destroyed it pretty quickly. Caught it on a fence and put a big gash in the side of the sheet. We patched it back together and nursed it through the season. If your horse won’t touch a fence, it was a good sheet. If they rub on anything, be prepared for it to fall apart.
After the schneider sheet, he graduated to a Rambo protector and is in his second season with it. It’s still very much wearable. The only need for replacement has to do with size…horse has grown a some over the last year. Honestly, I laughed when I originally unpacked the Rambo and read ‘rip proof, self healing fabric’ on the tag. I am shocked that it really has been true. That blanket is still in really decent condition for how hard my dude is on it.
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