Can horses wear fly masks at night?

MrA

Well-Known Member
Feb 8, 2012
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A stupid question, does it affect their vision or anything? Is it okay to leave one on my horse 24/7 except when he is in?

Flies are terrible this year, I've never had to use one before!
 
Well, probably I would except that mine is a few spot appy and therefore has CSNB - ie. he doesn't see properly at night. So, I don't leave it on, I put a fly fringe on for him instead at night time and remove his mask.
 
I do although some nights when its a bit breezier i give her a night off and she then rubs her face on a tree for a bit get rid of all the itchy without leaving the mask on the tree... :ninja:

At the moment our blind girl has it on 24/7 as she poked herself in the eye so she needs to keep the flies and everything out.. not sure she can see any better with it off as not sure she can see much anyway... :unsure:
 
Aw thankyou, I'm guessing my horse will just pull it off if its annoying him as he's very good at getting things off, was just worried as no one else really uses them at my yard, but the flies are so bad, dont like seeing my pony getting stressed by them in the field :(
 
Flies are awful at my bit and yes I've used a fly mask for the last four years overnight when its needed.
He has it on 24/7 sometimes, but when I check on him, I always take it off and give him a wee while to breathe if I'm poo picking. He's usually gagging for it to go back on!
 
The flies are so bad at the moment, Inca usually tries to put hers on herself when she sees it in my hand! I've left it on 24/7 before with no problems.
 
I have done with no issues an the flies are so bad at the moment they are glad of it when out :wink:
 
My boy wears one with ears so leave it on 24/7 The little critters will get back in there if I leave it off!!! I do remove it every day and check it's fit and give him a good groom and scratch around the ears. :wink:
 
Any new comments to add to this? Flies are worse this year than I've ever seen them, especially in all that hot, muggy weather we had in June ...I've just started using them, wondering if it's OK to leave them on 24/7...
 
Yep Linda, four years later I still have my lad in his generally all summer only off for the odd period to let his head breathe every day or so while I'm at the field. Can't be there early morning and late at night to put on take off after midge hell so has it stay on all night . I'm in perthshire as well so have good old Scottish flies on the loose. My horse is also on his own now and while I worry about him being less relaxed, he seems totally unfazed. Apart from last Thursday night when I rocked up at midnight with a head torch after I'd been to a wedding. Lots of snorts until I announced myself, but then that could have been the fact I was wearing a dress lol.
 
My horse lives out overnight and comes in during the day. He wears his flymask come rain or shine and has always been fine. He went through a stage of getting puffy, sore eyes and this hasn't happened since he had the flymask. I am thinking of using it all winter as well.
 
My boy is out at night and apart from trashing his first one, :mad: keeps his fly mask on overnight. His is a UV one and he prefers wearing a fly mask to having suncream put on his delicate pink nose.
 
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