Horse people- need your opinion on fly masks?

Question

Are they useful or a waste of time? Do they make break-away ones or not? How long can you leave them on? Do flies get under the loose ones or are the spandex better? What do I look for in quality? Thanks!

Answer 1

My barn only uses Supermask. When a fly mask is fitted properly they can be a great thing. Supermask has weaved vinyl that can not be penetrated by limbs or straws of hay. They are great to use in the summer during turn out because they do help screen against harmful UV rays, just like a hat or sunglasses do for us. The masks also are good for windy days when dirt and debris is floating in the wind.
You should be removing the masks each night. This is so the mask doesn't get too dirty and the horse's eyes get an extra steady flow of O2 which helps in repair and eye health. I like washing my masks after removal and allow them to dry during the night. You should at least wash them once a week if not more with warm soapy water and store them in plastic baggies when not in use.

Of all the brands out there I've really become attached to Supermask. They come in all sizes and many colors. I have them for my weanlings, yearlings, and adult sized horses. They are very versatile and last for many years. They also seem very comfortable with a nice soft fleece lining the nose and ears.

Answer 2

Fly masks really are quite useful. I don't understand why some owners refuse to buy them, then complain that their horse's eyes or ears are irritated from bug bites. Depending on the climate, they may or may not be required all year long. Down in Florida, for instance, there may be days or a couple weeks out of the year where it's cold enough to keep the flies at bay, but most of the time they're out in full force. Up in New England or out in the Midwest, though, the flies are usually only bad in spring and summer. That's when the mask's required.

There are some models of fly mask that have break-away velcro straps. Really, they can come off quite easily. I worked at a stable where there were a couple of horses that always managed to lose their masks at the furthest end of the pasture every day. The thing to remember is that you need to take them off at least once a day and whenever the horse is in its stall (the mask is only required when turned-out). You need to check the mask for accumulated mud, and rinse it out when it gets dirty. One horse came into our barn, her owners knew very little about horses and they'd just left her mask on for the past three months. Mud and muck had accumulated in the ear covers of the mask and when we pulled it off, she had hairless sores over both her ears. It was so pointless because all her owners had to do was pull the mask off daily, clean it out, and put it back on. Very low maintenance.

Most of the masks seem to function about the same. I recommend some form of softer material around the areas that will touch the horse's skin. I like the fleece edged masks myself, as these don't rub the hair off like some of the spandex ones can on sensitive horses. You can look at different masks online at Dover Saddlery or State Line Tack.

Answer 3

My neighbor owns horses, and uses the Spandex fly masks. Fly masks are a must because flies become severe pests for the horses. By getting Spandex, the mask stays on, and the horse is more comfortable!

Answer 4

Honestly, I think they are a waste of time unless your horse is extremely annoyed by flies. You do not need to worry about breakaway ones- most horses will continually rip them off because they hate them so much (rubbing their head constantly). Get a loose one, and most people usually just put them on in the day, but others leave them on 24/7 (but you need to make sure that they aren't getting them dirty and trapping mud by their eyes.

Cashel has the best quality, and the are pretty expensive. Really, any brand will work- horses will rip and tear them, that is a given.

The only reason I use a fly mask is because my mare has squamous cell carcinoma (cancer) in her right eye, and from the treatments it is very sensitive to the sun- I am using it year round to block the suns rays- not flies. None of our other horses have fly masks on, and don't seem to be too bothered.

Answer 5

They are not a waste of time. Flies carry around all sorts of viruses and diseases, and germs. By putting a fly mask on your horse, you are keeping his eyes protected from these negative germs.

Most horses will rub a fly mask off, if it does not latch properly.

As long as the mask is not rubbing on the horses face roughly, wearing away hair, its fine to leave the mask on all day, and take it off during the night.

I suggest looking for a mask that double locks, so that your horses eyes don't become infected when he rubs his mask off.

Answer 6

This is a divided question in my barn. Hubby loves them and I hate them. The spandex with the really soft mesh is his personal favorite. I hate the darn things, since my gelding laid down and rolled, got a bit of hay stuck in the mesh and managed to ulcerated his eye. We were very fortunate that he is not blind. And this happened in a matter of hours, not from leaving the mask on for days at a time. After that happened I sold all I had on Ebay and if I find one he has snuck in, I give it to the dogs to play with. I prefer using a wipe around the eyes (and they also make a roll on) to the masks, but there are a lot of people who swear by them and have had great success with them.

Answer 7

they can be useful just mainly because if alot of flies get in and around the eyes they can become irritated but it really depends on how many flies are around. i only use them in the summer when they are out in the field and theres lots of flies. the flies usually dont go under the masks i dont kno why but they dont they can but i havent seen it happen. they do have break away ones actually most out there are velcro so that if they get stuck or whatever they can pull them off. only leave them on during the day horses have bad eyesight and dont see as well at night anyway and your just blinding them that way. i use the loose ones for comforts sake however if you have them running together alot of times the other horses will take them off for them and thats a pain cause you gotta go lookin for it haha. stateline tack makes some good fairly inexpensive ones i wouldnt go for the ultra spendy ones just because they will get torn off at times and probably eventually broken because horses can be distructive. but ya statelinetack.com has some great products for just about everything. you can buy alot of their stuff at tack and feed stores too.

Answer 8

I live in Oklahoma and I don't use fly masks. I do use sprays though. I wouldn't quite call it a waste of time because if they bother your horse bad, then you may need them, but I just don't see a need for them with my horse. God gave them what they need to survive. In the wild they don't have fly masks, but I let my horse roll in the mud if he wants to help keep flies down. The masks are mainly a preference to me.

Answer 9

everyone covered most everything except- if you have a blue eyed horse with pink skin around the eyes flymasks are a blessing. those pretty blue peepers are more sensitive to sunlight as is the pink skin. i know the farnam flymasks have uv protection built in so its like a big pair of bug repelling sunglasses. farnam makes an extended mask which is nice if you have a bald or blaze faced horse, i myself would still sunscreen the muzzle but the masks help alot.

Answer 10

Cashel and Supermask are both good brands. My horse is tough on her fly masks and those have stayed together through a whole summer.

I find that sprays do not work for long term fly protection so I have a fly sheet and fly mask on my mare. In our area it is typical for horses to get welts from fly bites and she is pretty sensitive.