The sensitive areas around your horse’s nose and eyes are prime targets for flies and pesky insects during warm summer months. Horse flies, deer flies, stable flies, mosquitoes, and gnats are attracted to the moisture and fluids around the eyes and nose, often tormenting your horse. One of the most common ways to help protect your horse’s face (and sanity!) is to invest in a fly mask.
Fly masks come in a few different designs, but the most common are made of a mesh material that acts as a shield against insects. It also protects the horse’s eyes from damaging UV rays and agitating dust and debris. Fly masks can come with elongated nose pieces for extra protection against bugs or sunburn, fringe at the nose, ear covers, and a wide variety of designs. Admittedly, deciding which fly mask you should purchase for your horse can be a bit confusing.
Why Use a Fly Mask?
First, let’s look at why you would use a fly mask:
- Protection. As mentioned, using a fly mask helps prevent flies and other flying insects from irritating your horse’s eyes and reduce the potential spread of disease. A fly mask also acts like your sunglasses, protecting the eyes from damaging UV rays, dust, and debris.
- Less Stress. A fly mask can help calm your horse because he won’t be trying to shake pesky insects off his face all the time. Especially on those warm days, your horse can become more stressed from the heat if he’s constantly moving around trying to keep the flies away from his face. So, having that protection can also help keep him cool.
- Quieter Rides. Some fly masks can be used while you are riding. They can help your horse focus on you and not on the bugs flying into his face.
- Long Lasting. If you’re looking for continuous protection from the flies while your horse is turned out, a fly mask gives you all-day protection. If you were to use fly spray or ointment on the face, you would have to reapply every few hours. With a fly mask, your horse is all set for a day of grazing.
How to Choose the Right Fly Mask
You’ll need to think about several features when choosing a fly mask for your horse. Keep in mind that it’s not about style but comfort and functionality. Consider your climate, your horse’s comfort wearing something on his face, and his lifestyle (i.e., is he outside 24 hours a day or just a few hours?).
- Ears. Most horse owners prefer masks with material that covers the ears. But if your horse has issues with his ears being touched or covered, you might want to avoid these types of masks.
- Nose. If your horse has a sensitive nose or pink skin, choose a fly mask that fully covers his nose. This provides protection from the sun and bugs without interfering with his grazing time.
- Pull-On or Closures. Lycra fly masks are designed to be pulled on from the nose up. They cover your horse’s head without the use of hook-and-loop closures. These masks provide a more custom fit, have less bulk, and can be used under a bridle while riding. However, they can also stretch out over time. Masks with closures, such as hook-and-loop or zippers, allow for adjustability. You tend to see these closures paired with heavy-duty mesh for longer-lasting masks. One downside to hook-and-loop closures is they’re easier for rambunctious pasturemates to remove from your horse’s face.
- Material. Fly masks come in different materials, from fine mesh to stiff PVC-coated mesh. The extra-fine mesh is popular in climates with heavy mosquito and gnat populations. Masks with high UV protection ratings help if your horse lives outside without much shade. PVC-coated woven material tends to stand up to more abuse than fine mesh. So if your horse is known to rub his head or has a lot of brush in his field, that might be your better choice.
Fitting a Fly Mask
Once you’ve decided on the right type of fly mask for your horse, you need to ensure it fits properly to provide the best protection.
- The fly mask should cover at least your horse’s eyes and most of his face.
- If you choose a mask with ears, make sure they’re comfortable for your horse and the covering isn’t too short or too long on the ears.
- Fly masks should have eye darts to help the material stand out and away from the horse’s eye. These should be located at the eye, with no material touching the surrounding area.
- Nothing is worse than a fly mask that rubs. While you want the mask to fit snugly on the horse’s head, it should also be comfortable. Check the fit often for signs of rubbing or discomfort, especially over the bridge of the nose and the jaw.
Investing the time and money into finding the perfect fly mask for your horse will help make summer more comfortable for you both. If you have additional concerns about protecting your horse from flies and other insects, talk to your veterinarian.
Related Reading:
- Prepare Your Horses and Farm for Fly Season
- How To Choose (and Use) the Right Fly Spray for Horses
- Tips for Minimizing Flies on Your Horses and Property
Megan Arszman, a lifelong horsewoman, loves sharing her passion for horses with others, especially her daughter. Together, they enjoy riding their Quarter Horses around their Central Indiana farm and spend weekends showing Miniature Horses and dogs.
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