[QUOTE=rcloisonne;7753010]
As with moost things horsey, it depends!
- Type of fly sheet - the fabric used to make Rambo/Amigo/ etc. bug buster sheets is too heavy and hot to use on really hot days. Ditto those tough, textilene types. Textilene is made by extruding flexible PVC over nylon or polyester yarns.
The lightweight, almost see-through types should be fine.
- Color of the horse. A white or light color fly sheet should actually make a dark colored horse cooler by reflecting UV. Dark colors absorb UV energy which in turn is converted to heat energy. Try it yourself. Put on a dark colored tee shirt and stand in the sun. Then replace with a white or very light colored tee shirt. The difference in how hot you feel is dramatic.[/QUOTE]
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!