Horse Fly Protection: How to Find the Right Cashel Gear for Your Horse
Once the weather warms up, the fly fight is on. Flies make you swat, but they can make your horse downright miserable. All that tail swishing, head tossing and stomping isn’t just annoying. It can lead to sores, stress and even illness.
The right fly gear depends on your horse, how he lives and what you ask of him. Here are some of the most common situations horse owners run into, and the Cashel fly protection that fits each one.
Best Fly Mask for Horses with Sensitive Skin
Protecting a White-Faced Horse from Flies and Sun
If your horse has a bald face, pink skin or blue eyes, you know the worry that comes with spring. That skin burns fast, and fly bites in tender spots can turn into sores.
What you’ve probably tried: Sunscreens and fly repellents in every form: creams, salves, sticks and sprays. They help some, but the results are hit or miss, and putting them on every day is a mess.
What works: The Cashel Crusader Fly Mask with Nose. It covers your horse from the poll to the tip of the muzzle, keeping flies off and blocking up to 70% of UV rays. That means less sunburn and fewer eye problems, with no sunscreen to reapply.
The Crusader comes in four styles: Original, Ears, Nose, and Ears and Nose. Every one has a three-hole cap design that leaves room for the ears and lets the forelock pull through, so there’s less rubbing and hair breakage. Shaped eye darts keep the mesh off the lashes.
For fit, every Crusader mask has trimmable sections in 3/4-inch increments, and the Hook-and-Loop Extender adds up to 5 inches for horses that need more room.
Best Fly Protection for Riding
Keeping Your Horse Comfortable Under Saddle
Whether you’re moving cattle, hitting the trail or schooling in the arena, flies follow you. Even with plenty of fly spray before you ride, the bugs find your horse anyway. The longer the ride goes, the more agitated he gets, and the less safe things feel.
What you’ve probably tried: Every fly spray on the shelf, and maybe a homemade barrier or two out of other gear. Nothing fits right or holds up once you’re in the saddle.
What works: The Cashel Quiet Ride line. It’s made specifically for riding, with everything from the full-body Bug Armor Set, which covers poll to tail, to individual pieces like a belly guard, neck cover or riding mask. Every piece keeps biting insects off without restricting movement or getting in the way of your tack.
Best Fly Sheet for Horses That Live Outside
Preventing Sun Bleaching and Fly Bites
If your horse lives in the pasture 24/7, you’ve probably watched his coat fade a little more every summer. Add flies that never let up, and turnout gets rough.
What you’ve probably tried: Color-boosting shampoos that bring back some shine after the damage is done.
What works: The Cashel Crusader Lightweight Fly Sheet stops the bleaching before it starts. The breathable mesh holds up on the hottest, buggiest days without making your horse overheat. It’s contoured to prevent shoulder rubs, and an extra-wide belly band adds coverage where flies love to bite. On hot days, you can hose him off with the sheet still on to help him cool down.
Affordable Fly Protection for Large Herds
Covering a Whole Herd on a Budget
When you’ve got a pasture full of horses to outfit, cost matters. You need fly protection that works for every horse without blowing the budget.
What you’ve probably tried: Cheap masks that fall apart within days, nowhere near a full fly season.
What works: The Cashel Econo line. It gives dependable fly and sun protection at a price that makes sense for a big herd. Econo masks and sheets use lightweight mesh to cut down on sun exposure, soft edges to prevent rubbing and adjustable fits that stay put on horses of all sizes, from ponies to drafts.
Best Fly Boots for Horses That Stomp
Stopping Constant Stomping
Some horses stomp all day, even with a fly sheet and mask on. All that pounding is hard on hooves, shoes and legs, and it’s easy to worry he’ll eventually hurt himself.
What you’ve probably tried: Fly spray on the legs that only lasts a little while and has to be reapplied over and over.
What works: Cashel Crusader Contoured Leg Guards. If you’ve had fly boots slide down before, these are different. They’re soft but tough, with four hook-and-loop closures that hold through movement and stomping, so his legs stay covered all day.
Not Sure Where to Start?
- White face, pink skin or blue eyes: Crusader Fly Mask with Nose
- Gnats and ticks around the ears: Crusader Fly Mask with Ears, or Ears and Nose for full coverage
- Riding in fly season: Quiet Ride line
- Lives outside full-time: Crusader Lightweight Fly Sheet
- Lots of horses to outfit: Econo line
- Stomping from leg flies: Crusader Contoured Leg Guards
Every horse is different, but they all deserve a summer without flies.
