# Suggest a Fly Sheet?



## rodriguezpoultry (Oct 5, 2010)

I'm on the lookout for a fly sheet, but before I begin, let me give some background on the actual temps throughout here.

It can get up to 115* in the shade. It WILL be humid. He will be in a pasture with other horses. The sheet will be removed nightly and put back on during the day.

He won't be able to have his own stall, it simply costs too much to board in the stall instead of the pasture lease.

He will be fed, along with his regular pelleted feed, 2 TBL of paprika and 1 TBL of molasses to help maintain his color.

So...how do I begin checking what size he needs? I assume it's somewhat similar to a winter blanket? Measure where the neck meets the chest to his, um, crack?

What are some good ones? I'm wanting one with maximum air flow, maximum UV protection and one that has an option for the neck to be covered as well.


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## patandchickens (Oct 5, 2010)

I like this line of fly sheets

http://www.sstack.com/index.cfm/fus...orsewear_Fly-Protection_Dura-Mesh-Protection/

(although they have been redesigned slightly in the past year... but I have used a *lot* of the older design ones. They've held up better than any other fly sheet I've tried over the years, except the original Kensingtons whch I don't even know if they manufacture anymore and if they do they are probably real expensive. I have a couple horses who are pretty hard on clothing and do have to buy a new fly sheet just about every year, but, anything else lasts even LESS)

Bear in mind that any horse is going to sweat a fair bit with a fly sheet on at 115 F (or without one either , but potentially less). So it may or may not be something you choose to use in the very hottest part of the summer, at least midday. I would suggest intelligent observation, and adapt accordingly.

You might reconsider whether you'll really take it off at night, as IME in humid climates in the summer that's when mosquitos really come out and bother/bite the horses, and while these fly sheets are far from perfect protection vs mosquitos they DO provide a good bit of protection against them.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat


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## rodriguezpoultry (Oct 5, 2010)

Oh...I hadn't even considered the mosquitoes. I just assumed that since flies are larger than mosquitoes, I didn't think the fly sheet would be any help.

HMMM...interesting! Would me spraying him down like I did this summer and wick away the excess water help?


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## michickenwrangler (Oct 5, 2010)

I hose Izzie down and let her roll in dirt. It's what mustangs do   The mud creates a barrier that helps protect the horse from fly bites. Not 100% effective, but short of a screened gazebo/stall nothing is.


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## patandchickens (Oct 5, 2010)

rodriguezpoultry said:
			
		

> Oh...I hadn't even considered the mosquitoes. I just assumed that since flies are larger than mosquitoes, I didn't think the fly sheet would be any help.


They do help, though... anywhere the sheet 'stands off' the horse's body it makes it hard for the mosquitos to bite (they can only bite by getting in *under* the sheet, which some do, but then they tend to get squished pretty easily if the horse moves the wrong way and the sheet rubs against its body); also, as the horse moves it sort of scrapes off any mosquitoes attempting to bite thru the holes in the mesh. Again, it certainly does not keep all mosquitos off the horse, but IME (and we live in a major mosquito swamp here!) it really makes a BIG difference in their comfort level.

The mosquito-mesh sheets (the fine, drapey ones) do not necessarily do a hugely better job vs skeeters IME, they are hotter, and (the big thing) they SUCK in multiple-horse turnout because they are just not terribly durable.



> HMMM...interesting! Would me spraying him down like I did this summer and wick away the excess water help?


For what... for heat? Wetting the horse helps if the air is un-humid enough that it'll evaporate at a reasonable rate, but in very high humidity it does no good. (Rinsing the horse off when sweaty does do some good in terms of preventing sweat bleaching of the coat, though)

Pat


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## rodriguezpoultry (Oct 5, 2010)

In the summer, he's always sweaty. It's just part of what he is. You can touch him and feel the sweat. If he's worked, sometimes it literally drips off of him. 

I will be getting a white fly sheet, at least to repel some of the heat that a darker colored sheet might attract.  Anything else specifically to look for that you can think of off hand?

How many straps, how low should it hang?


Thank you for all of your help, links and advice!!


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## w c (Oct 6, 2010)

Fly sheets really do help keep insects off, even the wider mesh.  They break up the outline of the horse so the insects can't hone in on the horse as well.  Mosquitoes are supposed to detect heat or carbon dioxide or something, but the sheet even seems to keep them away to an extent, maybe breaks up that picture too.

There were a couple palominos at one barn I was at, and they kept really good color wearing fly sheets.  

Rinsing off really helps even if the air is humid as the water is cooler than the horse's body termperature.

Ditto on the Kensington sheets but the ones in the link really are good.


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