# Fly Sheets..yes or no?



## WeRide2Live (Feb 25, 2015)

ok so I have 3 horses who are pastured all year long. they do have a shelter to get under if they feel the need to do so.
im in NC, the summers get hot, humid, and flies are just ridiculous and I fight them constantly. horses do as well
ive never used fly sheets and my surrounding backwoods neighbors do not as well. Im wondering if anyone out there uses these and what is the pros/cons. I wonder if they get hot, do they really work, etc etc


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I use them in the spring and early summer when the blackfly are terrible and then later on when it starts to cool down but still bugs around. In the mid summer I find the horses just get too hot and sweaty in them - and I have all sorts/makes - so prefer to let them stand in their stables where we have fans on to cool them and help blow the bugs away
I do use fly masks all through the bug season though


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## Incitatus32 (Jan 5, 2013)

I've never used them. My horses typically roll around in mud/dirt to help with the flies and with them being outside 24/7 sheets have just created a problem in the past.


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## george the mule (Dec 7, 2014)

Hi All!

There ia a stream thru the property where they live, and a pond, so all four of our monsters wear fly sheets off and on all summer. Particularly George, who is a regular fly magnet. He wears mesh leggings as well, tho the horses don't usually need them.

I try to minimize how much fly spray I use, but sometimes they get that as well. About the only one I have found that works well enough to be worth the bother is Pyranha.

George also gets some kind of gnat that sets up housekeeping in his ears, poor guy. I have to do his ears with Swat two or three times a week to keep these bastar . . . (um, I mean "pests" of course) at bay.

We like the Weatherbeeta "Detatch-a-neck" sheets, and the Cashel leggings. We have tried various fly masks, but they never stay on for long.

Spoiled horses -r- us. Steve

PS, FWIW, I think the light colored mesh sheets actually keep the Bay animals cooler on sunny days. That said, ours spend a lot of quality time under the ceiling fans in the stalls; about the _only_ time they hang out in the barn.


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## Sharpie (May 24, 2009)

I have to use a fly sheet (in addition to at least daily flyspray) or my gelding turns into one giant hive from the flies in Tennessee. Sweaty is better than oozy infected skin. He wasn't nearly so bad in TX, not sure if the flies or different or they're just so many more of them. He also gets giant welts from ticks and is prone to scratches... so he's a 'sensitive' guy to start with.


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## WeRide2Live (Feb 25, 2015)

i also have a creek that runs through the middle of my property. So some serious nat and fly critters all around. I think I will get some to try...if they get sweaty tho...I think they'll be coming off.


ps...I do use fly masks regularly throughout the spring/summer


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## TessaMay (Jul 26, 2013)

I use a sheet for most of the spring/summer since my mare is sensitive to mosquitoes and gnats. The sheet definitely helps her, it even seems to deter most of the gnats from biting her underbelly.


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## budley95 (Aug 15, 2014)

I used one. and then put it on ebay 2 weeks later. Load of rubbish on my horse! I'm in the UK though, so now he comes in during the day and as he's stabled on paper, weirdly flies tend to keep away from his stable (never used to when he was on shavings!), and when he goes out of a night he gets a fly mask with a pollen net and is doused in home made fly spray - mint mouthwash and a couple of drops of citronella oil - works an absolute treat. 

He got hot and sweaty in the fly sheet, and it wasn't a cheap one, when it rained the mesh would then rub him as they're not waterproof and would slip down his chest where it got heavy from showers. Some people on our yard swear by the bucas zebra print ones, but they don't come in elephant sizes for my horse!


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## kewpalace (Jul 17, 2013)

Sometimes I use them; sometimes I don't. 

Usually depends on whether I have some on hand or not. I do use fly masks and will spray the horses about once a week. Home is not really that bad with flies, so don't really have a set routine other than masks.

But have wished when I go to shows (which is at a feed lot), that I had sheets. May look into this year ... :think:


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## CA VA shooter (Feb 4, 2015)

I tried fly sheets for the first time last year, never needed them where I use to live. Those little winged devils that live here were causing horrible reactions to my paint horse and Pyranha fly spray caused the reaction to get worse (which sucked since I really liked Pyranha spray). I found that the sheets worked pretty well once I got my hubbies horse to stop tearing them apart. I also found a fly spray called Final Fly T that worked awesome and I could literally watch the flies fall off my horses. 

The sheets didn't do anything for bellies or legs so I had to spray my horses morning and night to help them out. Counting the days till I leave this bug infested land.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

budley95 said:


> I used one. and then put it on ebay 2 weeks later. Load of rubbish on my horse! I'm in the UK though, so now he comes in during the day and as he's stabled on paper, weirdly flies tend to keep away from his stable (never used to when he was on shavings!), and when he goes out of a night he gets a fly mask with a pollen net and is doused in home made fly spray - mint mouthwash and a couple of drops of citronella oil - works an absolute treat.
> 
> He got hot and sweaty in the fly sheet, and it wasn't a cheap one, when it rained the mesh would then rub him as they're not waterproof and would slip down his chest where it got heavy from showers. Some people on our yard swear by the bucas zebra print ones, but they don't come in elephant sizes for my horse!



"stabled on paper"? paper shavings/crumbles ? I don't understand this.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

how do fly sheets work? I mean , they are open underneath, so it seems the flies can just find an openning and crawl in about anywhere. how is it that they repel flies?

we mostly don't use them, but there are a couple of horses at the barn who do. we don't have the bug issues that most of the rest of the US does. jsut not that many flies of any kind. not Zero, but less.


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## CA VA shooter (Feb 4, 2015)

tinyliny said:


> how do fly sheets work? I mean , they are open underneath, so it seems the flies can just find an openning and crawl in about anywhere. how is it that they repel flies?
> 
> we mostly don't use them, but there are a couple of horses at the barn who do. we don't have the bug issues that most of the rest of the US does. jsut not that many flies of any kind. not Zero, but less.


I wondered the same thing, but I was desperate to try anything as my paint was getting such bad reactions from the bites I couldn't put a saddle on him. I also had a horse that was constantly running around and bucking from the big black flies biting (not sure what they are as I have heard them referred to by about 6 different names). The sheets didn't cover the belly so I had to spray bellies and legs morning and night. I have never lived in a place that had so many bugs! The sheet made things manageable for the summer months. I was not fond of having to use them as I have several horses and it just gets expensive, but it was a last resort and my horses seemed to be a bit more comfortable. I have never seen or known anyone to use anything other than a fly mask, but then again I am 2500 miles from home and my horses and I aren't digging it.

If anyone has any other suggestions about how to deal with the bugs I am open to them.


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## TessaMay (Jul 26, 2013)

tinyliny said:


> how do fly sheets work? I mean , they are open underneath, so it seems the flies can just find an openning and crawl in about anywhere. how is it that they repel flies?


That's what I thought, but decided to give it a try anyway as my mare was getting hives bad. They don't seem to crawl under and even leave her bag alone, though they could still fly right under.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

These are the best I've ever bought - the bellyband helps protect the underside, they're really light so cope with everything but the hottest days, very fine mesh keeps the mosquitos out, adjustable neck helps with the fit and they come with a very generous sized neck cover for extra cost
Mine have survived for two summers now so pretty tough as well
Mosquito Mesh Bellyband Fly Sheets in Mosquito Mesh Fly Sheets at Schneider Saddlery

Paper bedding is shredded paper btw


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## Saskia (Aug 26, 2009)

I only rug in the summer when I feel it's needed. Every now and then overnight little bumps will appear on my horse and then I rug for a little while. I think it's too hot to do it through the middle of summer though. 

I don't use mesh ones though, I only use cotton sheets. I worry about the plastic mesh heating up a lot in the sun. The cotton reflects a bit of heat, covers up enough, and still lets airflow.


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## Luv equins (Oct 10, 2014)

No no no


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## VickiRose (Jul 13, 2013)

I don't use either fly rugs or fly veils on my two. But then neither one is prone to reacting to bites, and the worst of our biting flies go for legs rather than the body of the horse. They are also pretty good at swishing each others flies by standing nose to butt, or Rose (clever girl that she is) will follow behind Boston with her head in his tail when grazing


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

I used them and found they did help. I would still fly spray the belly and legs, and in bad fly season , spray the sheet a little. but now the horses seem to take great joy in ripping them off of each other, same for the flay mask, which are extremely needed. i think i am going to try to make some this year. If I can find cheap enough material.


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## clairewesterhall (Feb 26, 2015)

Hi,
Not sure where you are globally but we use these all the time at our yard. Most of the new types (weatherbeeta / masta) actually reflect the heat too rather than just keep the flies away. We use this company, not let us down yet…. Total Horse - For your Equine needs


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