There are multiple fly rugs for horses on the market, each claiming to provide relief from flies and midges in the summer. Some equines become very agitated and distressed when they are exposed to biting insects — they can even cause allergic reactions. To find out which ones do a good job of protecting horses, Your Horse’s testing team used a selection of fly rugs for over three months during the summer. Find out how they got on below.
A lightweight fly rug is designed to create a protective barrier to stop flies biting a horse. It can help to keep them more relaxed and prevent nasty bumps, rashes or other skin irritations. Some rugs also offer UV protection, while others are showerproof. You’ll be looking for a rug rug that provides full body protection, and many enhance their body coverage with options like a neck cover, belly flap and tail flap.
The Your Horse test: fly rugs for horses
Each of the following fly rugs for horses have been assessed by our testing team for fit, effectiveness and value for money.
Bucas Buzz Off Zebra Fly Rug
Is it a good fit?
“This fly rug is true to size and a good fit. I tested a 6ft 3in version and it fitted by two Thoroughbreds, who are 15.3hh and 16.2hh, perfectly. It is a very deep fly rug, which is great for coverage and protection from flies, it just means it finishes further down the legs on my slightly smaller horse. From a distance, he really did look like a small zebra! I like that the belly flap is completely removable, which makes it easier for hanging out to dry. There ares shoulder darts for a comfortable fit around the chest — I didn’t notice any rubbing on my horse’s coat and the rug stays in place nicely. The leg straps give extra security too, although I took them off one horse who isn’t keen on them.”
How effective is it?
“I can 100% say that this has reduced the number of flies bothering my horses. I usually stable during the day in the summer so that my horses are in out of the flies, but I have been able to leave them out for later mornings and sometimes most of the day while wearing this rug. Because it covers so much of their body, it is effective against midges in the evening too. There is interesting research behind this zebra print and how well it repels flies, involving scientists painting wooden pallets and placing them in a fly-infested field. (Read the research)
“This fly rug has a useful elasticated browband to help prevent the neck slipping down. However, I do find that the browband falls behind the ears easily when the horse is grazing, or when they scratch. When this happens, the neck cover slips back a couple of inches behind the ears when the horse is walking around or has their head up. This could be easily combatted by using it with a matching fly mask — I’ve also attached it to a fly fringe.
Value for money?
“I am very price driven when it comes to rugs. I’m not keen on spending big bucks on something that is going to be worn outside and get very dirty, possibly even ripped. This is one of the top-end fly rugs, but I would absolutely spend the money as it is good value for such an effective rug. In fact, I’ve already put my money where my mouth is and bought a second version of this rug, so now I have two happy zebras living in my field. This will be their third summer wearing these fly rugs. The white patches have faded a lot, but otherwise it’s still in great condition and doing a good job”
Sizes: 3ft 6in-7ft 2in
RRP £107 (small size); £124 (6ft+) (US$139)
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Buying in the USA? Purchase here
AniMac All Rounder fly rug
Is it a good fit?
“This fly rug fits my horses well around the chest, although for a particularly chunky horse, you might wish to err on the side of caution and size up. I was surprised to see that there was no surcingle; instead, the rug is secured by leg straps. I was a bit concerned that the rug might not stand up to vigorous rolling, but I needn’t have worried — it stayed put surprisingly well, with no slippage at all.
How effective is it?
“One of my horses is a grey, so I was delighted to see that this fly rug did an excellent job at keeping the worst of the mud off in very wet weather, although it isn’t fully waterproof. Equally, both of my horses coped well in the heat when wearing this fly rug. They weren’t too sweaty underneath the rug, and the mesh panel on the body and neck helped to catch the breeze and keep them cool. No flies managed to find their way underneath, even on days when they were particularly bad.”
Value for money?
“I think this rug represents very good value for money. I’ve spent similar on rugs that were not nearly so effective. It went down well on the yard, too. In fact, a number of other liveries mentioned that they would look into getting one for their own horses.”
Colours: green, blue or red
RRP £45 (US$60)
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Buying in the USA? Purchase here
Swish Equestrian Fly Turnout Combination Rug
Is it a good fit?
“This is a great-fitting fly rug that offers good coverage and depth for my horse’s size. All fastenings are quick and easy to use with plenty of adjustment. The neck cover is removable and it’s also a good length and depth to give good coverage of the neck. The tail flap is very generous in size too.”
How effective is it?
“The waterproof panel on the back makes this fly rug a little more rigid compared to others I have used. The mesh lower section allows airflow to help keep the horse cool, but I still found that it is a little warm on sunny days. This is an amazing rug fly rug for cloudy days and wearing overnight. The turnout panel is showerproof and tough. The mesh at the front of has a few snags after everyday wear but it hasn’t ripped.”
Value for money?
“I think this is a good value fly rug as it is a useful addition for my horse’s wardrobe. I put it on my horse knowing they will be comfortable and suitably protected against flies.”
Sizes: 4ft 3in-7ft 6in
Colour options: orange, mulberry, green, red, navy, peppermint, pink
RRP £95.99 (US$125)
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Buying in the USA? Purchase here
Bucas Buzz-Off X Fly Rug
Is it a good fit?
“This is a well-fitting fly rug that’s a good length for my horse. I also find it to be lovely and deep to give my horse really good all-round coverage and protection from bugs. The neck cover is also a good length, and is held in place by a head piece so that it doesn’t slip back, which I really like. The fastenings on this fly rug are secure and the surcingles offer a good amount of adjustment to give a really snug fit. It also makes it easy to use on different horses.”
How effective is it?
“This rug protects against sun bleaching of the horse’s coat as well as providing cover for all parts of their body to protect them from flies. The extra deep sides means the rug wraps around the horse’s body; the deep material and three surcingles mean the belly is covered, which I think is really important. The lightweight mesh fabric kept my horse comfortable and sweat-free, even on hot days.”
Value for money?
“This fly rug is on the pricey side, but it offers great coverage for horses and is good quality, so you’re buying something that does a good job.”
Sizes: 5ft 6in-7ft. Colour: Blue/silver
RRP £130 (US$135)
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Buying in the USA? Purchase here
Weatherbeeta Comfitec Essential Mesh II Combo Neck
Is it a good fit?
“This is a well-fitting fly rug that’s a good depth at the shoulder and has a well-fitting neck cover that stays in place.”
How effective is it?
“Lovely soft-mesh material of this rug offers some UV protection and does a great job of keeping flies off my horse. It doesn’t have a belly flap, but it is cut deep enough that the rug wraps under the belly nicely. It’s lightweight and my horse doesn’t get hot in it, even on sunny days. The touch-tape at the chest under the two buckles doesn’t stay done up for very long, which leaves an annoying gap. This fly rug has a few minor snags after regular use, none of which have turned into rips, so it seems to be strong material.”
Value for money?
“I recommend this fly rug. It does the job at a great price. If you’ve got multiple horses to buy for, this fly rug is a great option.”
Sizes: 4ft-7ft 3in
Colours: seahorse print (pictured), umbrella print, beige/turquoise/orange, white/maroon/grey
RRP from £69.99 (US$104.95)
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Buying in the USA? Purchase here
Felix Buher Fly Rug All Weather with Soft Shell Insert
Is it a good fit?
“This fly rug is a great fit on my Thoroughbred, but was a little snug on my Warmblood, who is a bigger build. The deep cut covers the tops of the legs and wraps around the belly for decent coverage and protection from flies. This rug doesn’t slip, but the neck cover does fall down the neck when the head is up. There’s a loop to attach to a headcollar if desired, but I don’t turn out with headcollars on. There was a small rub on my horse’s chest where the velcro peels back after regular use.”
How effective is it?
“The best thing about this rug is that it is multi-purpose, with removable neck and rain covers that protect against flies, sun and rain. I have washed it several times during this test and it is still in great condition. There’s nothing worse than a soggy fly rug, so this one solves that problem.”
Value for money?
“At first glance this feels like a pricy fly rug, but when you consider that it’s two rugs in one, I like it and I would recommend it to other people.”
Sizes: 5ft 6in-7ft. Colour: silver only
RRP £129
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Ventomasta Combo Fly Rug, from Harry Hall
Is it a good fit?
“I would say that this fly rug is a little generous size-wise, but it fits well across my horse’s chest and offers good neck coverage, and it’s deep down the sides. It stays securely in place and doesn’t rub. There isn’t a belly flap, but the sides are long enough to provide good belly coverage and there is a generous tail flap.”
How effective is it?
“The lightweight material of this fly rug keeps the horse cool while also offering good protection from flies and biting insects. There are a few snags in the material at the front where my horse has lent on the fence but they haven’t turned into rips. My horse has been wearing it every day and it seems to be lasting well.”
Value for money?
“I think this is a very good value fly rug for horses and I would recommend it to others.”
Sizes: 5ft 3in-7ft 6in. Colour: silver
RRP £49.95 (member savings available)
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Stormx Original Zebra Print Fly Rug
Is it a good fit?
“This fly rug is a good fit lengthwise and seems to be true to size. However, it did slip slightly to one side when my horse was wearing it. The depth of the rug offers good protection from the rugs but the neck cover slips down towards the wither exposing the neck. It offers good coverage with lovely lightweight fabric. It came with a rather inadequate fillet string which wouldn’t stay done up, so I swapped it for a different one off an old rug.”
How effective is it?
“The lightweight fabric keeps the horse cool and the zebra print does a great job of keeping the flies off. There is research behind this sort of fly rug pattern and it has been shown to confuse flies, which is why fewer are said to land on them. Unfortunately, though, due to the slipping, and a fillet string that doesn’t stay done up, it ripped quite easily.”
Value for money?
“This is a fair price for an effective fly rug, but it is easily damaged, which is disappointing.”
Sizes: 4ft-7ft. Colour: zebra print
RRP £44.99 (US$72.45)
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Buying in the USA? Purchase here
Mark Todd Showerproof Fly Combo Rug
Is it a good fit?
“This fly rug is true to size as well as being a good length and depth all over for good coverage of my horse’s body. All the fastenings are easy to use and strong, keeping the rug securely in place. There’s a lining inside this rug which doesn’t slide easily over the horse’s coat, but once on this rug doesn’t move or slip.”
How effective is it?
“The upper section of this fly rug is waterproof and robust; there is no sign of any rips in the rug and all fastenings give you plenty of adjustment. I do find the rug is too hot on sunny days — the lining and waterproof material seems to hold too much heat. However, it does do a good job of protecting my horse from flies. She was relaxed and happy when wearing it.”
Value for money?
“I think this is a good value rug that’s great for those rainy, cooler summer days.”
Sizes: 5ft 6in-7ft. Colour: grey/silver
RRP £79.99
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Equilibrium Products Field Relief Fly Rug
Is it a good fit?
“A perfect fitting fly rug — the neck cover is generous in length and has a headpiece that fits over the ears to help hold it in place. It is deep in the body providing good coverage, as do the belly flaps, and the long tail flap provides further protection. It doesn’t slip and there’s plenty of adjustment on the fastenings.”
How effective is it?
“This fly rug is lightweight and keeps my horse cool while also keeping flies at bay. It also provides UV protection. The material is light and airy. My horse has been out in a few showers in this rug and it has dried quickly. It washes well.”
Value for money?
“I love this rug and would definitely recommend it to my friends.”
Colour: yellow. Sizes: 5ft 6in-7ft
RRP £95 (US$100)
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Buying in the USA? Purchase here
Since our test, Equilibrium has launched a new version of this rug in a unique hexagonal pattern
Things to consider before buying
Material
Fly rugs for horses can be made from either soft or hard fabric. Soft fly rugs usually comprise a cotton or a polyester woven mesh. They are lightweight and mould well to the horse’s body shape. The softer material is less likely to rub, but it may not be as robust, meaning that it could rip more easily.
The hard material is a stiffer PVC-coated fabric which makes it much tougher, but this type of fabric may not fit as closely to a horse’s skin. Some, however, do mould to the horse’s body shape over time. As a rule, the finer the mesh the better as this will help to prevent midge bites, too.
Air flow & UV protection
The last thing you want is to take off your horse’s fly rug and find they’re sweating underneath it. Most fly rugs for horses are breathable and allow good air flow. Many are made from light-coloured materials that reflect the sun’s rays, and this helps to keep the horse cool, especially if they have a dark coat. Sunshine bleaches a horse’s coat, but there are fly rugs on the market that offer varying levels of UV protection to help protect the coat. Some fly rugs are made from materials that reflects the sun’s rays.
Extra protection
The fabric of some fly rugs is treated with an insect repellent to give even greater protection for horses. This will be stated in the product description, so read it before you buy. Some fly rugs will also keep a horse dry in the rain. The top half of these rugs is made from a waterproof material, while the lower portion is constructed from a fine mesh.
There are a number of different types of rugs available that deal with specific issues too. Sweet itch rugs, for example, are especially designed to keep midges away from as much of the horse’s body as possible. So if you have particularly requirements that you need from a rug, that’s a good thing.
Patterns and colours
Research shows that certain colours and patterns repel insects more than others. Zebra print, for example, is a fly deterrent, while using a combination of bright colours can also help to keep pests at arm’s length.
