Cheap sweetitch rug

martini55

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Apr 16, 2004
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Does it really exist? I know what most of you are thinking, you should be prepared to pay for a good rug. However, I am looking for a spare for my horse to wear whilst I clean her Rambo sweetitch hoody. I don't want to spend a fortune because chances are she won't be wearing it for very long but then I don't want to risk her being bitten to pieces in a couple of days. Any ideas?
 
weatherbeeta fly rug? or the mesh rug if it'll only be out every now and then, i have both, bought the mesh rug first (soft mesh) but the gussets are in the wrong place :( and rub (they've changed the design now) so i bought the proper fly rug, only an extra £5 so though it was worth it. think it cost £45, haven't had any problems with my horse being bitten with either rug.
 
The best sweetitch rug I have is a cheaper one. Riff Raff Pest Vest. I paid about £45 for it from parkview saddlery. http://www.parkviewsaddlery.com/ I also have a fal silver interactive sweetitch rug cost me an arm and a leg and it's rubbish I would NEVER buy another one. Much prefer the riff raff one.

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the trouble with flysheets is that the neckpiece is usually too short and will ride up the neck when they graze, leaving half the neck exposed, which makes them pretty useless if a horse actually has sweet itch cos the flies get in, he gets bitten etc. there's also the issue of insifficient belly coverage etc.

@ martini: there is a cheaper one (70 quid or so) on www.solva-icelandics.com which looks quite good!

Julia
x
 
@ martini: there is a cheaper one (70 quid or so) on www.solva-icelandics.co.uk which looks quite good!

I looked at that one, the only thing that makes me worry about that is they say it's not as hard wearing as their other rugs and I can imagine it being rubbed to pieces in a day. It's a good job the sweetitch hoody is as tough as it is or it'd be in bits by now. I think I'll keep an eye out on ebay. If anyone has a 2nd hand 6'3 rug give me a shout :)
 
the good thing about the aerborn aswell is that the neck cover doesnt move, it stays where its put. Murfs rambo slides down his neck, but ceryns aerborn stays put, it does look a bit like its choking her, but I can fit a hand between her and the neck cover when shes eating.
 
I have the Mark Todd combo fly rugs, mine don't have sweet itch but Jess gets eaten alive and her brother has terrible sweet itch so I am very careful. The MT one work really well for my guys, good coverage and don't move - the only extra bit I would like covered is between the front legs but very few seem to cover that. I paid about £40 for hers, the old boy in the back ground has a Bucas one, very good but more expensive but I got his on Ebay for £40 :p
Jess is very happy in hers :D
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Pagony sweet itch rug from Divoza (the one also shown on Solva Icelandics but much cheaper from divoza!), I got mine for around £50 including postage.

Flyer has been wearing his for around 2 months and I have found it to be quite hardwearing. He managed to put a tiny hole in it from a nail that someone had left sticking out, another small hole on his quarters (unknown cause), and one main rip next to the tail flap due to our AWFUL fencing (rought metal with hooks sticking out into the field:eek: ).

With the Pagony on Flyer barely rubs out in the field (touch wood!), I put an old weatherbeeta fly rug on for one night whilst I washed the Pagony and came back to a lovely rubbed mane and tail. I'd say the only problem with it is the belly flap could do with being a touch longer, it protects his belly well but leaves his girth area exposed.

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If you order from Divoza they give a wider range of sizes;)

http://www.divoza.co.uk/product8233.aspx

I ordered Flyer the 70" as he takes a 5'9" - it arrived and was very tight down his back and strangled him every time he put his head down as it was too tight around his shoulders and base of his neck. I then ordered the 74" which fitted him much better round his neck and shoulders, but was too long in the back:rolleyes:

Not sure how it would fit on a finer built horse, I would have thought you should be ok with the 78" if she takes a 6'3". If not then they sent the second rug out super quick, not sure how they take returns, I put my first one on ebay:p
 
I think it's the best I'm gonna get for the budget :) Hopefully it will be quite hardwearing. I don't forsee having any problems with it in the field but just now Martini has 4 walls to rub herself on. I have to say thanks to Sarah though, as you've saved me about £36!
 
I have to say it is a very nice rug! Covers them really well. Only issue we have is the neckpiece is a bit too big so I'll have to alter that before she goes out in it. Fits elsewhere nicely though!
 
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