Flies are just part of summer. They plague our horses, buzzing around their face and biting their body. As horse owners it is our responsibility to make sure our horses live a comfortable life, thus fighting flies becomes our job in summer. Like anyone, we want to do our job as effectively and efficiently as possible. This begs the question how best to fight the flies?
Starting my own horse blog has been wonderful because I get to learn about how other equestrians care for their horses. So as I explored the online equestrian world the words “fly mask” kept reappearing. I have long known what a fly mask is, yet I have never used one on my horses, only seen them in use on horses I do not own. So when my awesome friend and her family came down to look at my new horses they noticed the pesky flies and asked why I didn’t used fly masks. I honestly didn’t have an answer. I just knew that I didn’t use any fly masks, having my horses on full time pasture I was afraid they would get lost or broken. *Has your horse ever lost or broken a fly mask?* I want to do what’s best for my horses thus I decided to do some research on fly masks; do my horses really need fly masks?
What does a fly mask do?
Dr. Timothy Gibb, Clinical Professor at Purdue Agricultural University in Indiana quote from countryandstable.com explains very well what a fly mask does, “Fly masks are used to relieve the stress that a horse deals with when continually fighting flies – primarily the face fly. Face flies are persistent and annoying while they feed around the eyes and nose of horses. They are capable of transmitting eye-worm to horses but this is not common. The mask simply acts as a physical barrier between the horse and the flies.” Face flies especially are attracted to the moisture of the horse’s eyes and nostrils, they become an uncomfortable nuisance your horse can do nothing about. Which is the main purpose of a fly mask: a physical barrier between your horse and the flies.
Does your horse need a fly mask?
Horses were made to live in the wild. Their long tails and quick muscles are their main defences against flies. And while flies can transfer disease, which is very uncommon, they are basically an annoyance to your horse. In other words, your horse can live without a fly mask.
Wearing a fly mask and/or fly sheet can benefit some horses more than others. Horses that suffer from “flies in the eyes” or runny eyes will be very glad to have a physical barrier between them and the bugs. Some fly masks and sheets also have UV light and sun protection for the horse that is susceptible to burn in the sun. Other horses; however, can tolerate moderate insects on them and are perfectly fine swishing their tail at the flies as they graze in the pasture. I took some time to watch my horses in their pasture to see how uncomfortable the flies made them. I did see some tail swinging and body shaking; nevertheless, I didn’t see vigorous tail movement and intense stomping which tells me that my horses are fine without a fly sheet.
While horses can live without fly sheets and masks, my job as a horse owner is to make sure my horse lives a comfortable life. Flies do bother horses, they can bring disease and inflammation to your horse, so some precaution should be taken against the bugs.
That is why I use fly spray, to deter the flies. Fly spray takes daily appliances, and for the most part does its job. Some fly spray works better than others. I use Endure Roll On for my horses’ faces, and it seems to work pretty well.
Whether you use fly spray or a fly mask, your goal as a horse owner is the same. I think it all comes down to preference. Both fly spray and fly masks can do the job to deter the flies. So as long as fly spray does it’s job I will continue to use it to protect my horses from the flies.
Other Ways to Deter the Flies
Fly masks and fly spray are not the only precaution against insects you can take. There are some really easy things you can do to keep the bugs at bay.
- Keeping paddocks and stalls clean and free of manure will discourage the flies from hanging around your barn.
- Open water is a breeding ground for bugs. Keep your toughs clean and try to get rid of any unnecessary standing water.
- Chickens are very good at keeping the insect population down. Check out my post about the benefits of keeping chickens with horses!
There are numerous ways equestrians can protect their horse’s from the flies and ensure that their horse lives a comfortable life. *How do you defend against the flies?*
Tails & trails,
Reese
Some sources I used to help write this post!
https://info.mannapro.com/equine/flymasks18
A thoughtfully written post, Reese! As with so much of horse care, one method doesn’t necessarily fit all. I like that there are so many options to choose from in the form of products and equipment. We can each tailor what we use/don’t use to fit our horses’ individual circumstances and needs. I currently use fly masks for my two horses- Shiloh has seasonal allergy issues and Bear has developed weepy eyes that is not uncommon in horses with PPID apparently, but Bear went many seemingly happy years without a mask before that. I also like to use fly spray. Like you, I find that the Endure Roll on works well around the face. It is what I use when I take the fly masks off the horses for the day or on the days where I won’t put a mask on due to excessive heat warnings. I have not yet used a fly sheet, but if I had a horse that had severe allergic reactions to bug bits, I probably would!
I defiantly agree that in horse care, one method doesn’t always fit all. That’s one thing that is so great about talking with and connecting to other equestrians, you get to see and learn about other’s experiences and preferences. I am glad that Bear and Shiloh have a loving owner like you to know their needs, it really is amazing how every horse is different- one reason way one method doesn’t always fit all!
I was asked by a friend who owns a farm to help do hayrides for visitors during this fall season. They have a lot of horses there that are owned by others who board them at the farm, and our rides include stopping to see them and talk a bit about them. Even though the flies and insects are all about, I noticed that some of them have masks while others don’t. In anticipation of questions, I have been reading articles in an effort to self-educate, and saw your post about horse masks. I understand the purposes of them, but can you tell me why some horses would have masks while others don’t?
Hello Dave. It sounds like these horses have different owners, so I would assume that these owners have made different decisions about whether to have their horse wear a fly mask or not. For some owners a fly mask is a-must while others prefer just using fly spray or possibly they have had issues with fly masks in the past and have chosen to not use one. I hope this helps!
I appreciate your response. Thank you.