A few weeks ago my friend said Mouse's new fly hood made him look like he was going bee-keeping :giggle: Well - now he has the full outfit!! :bounce:
We've got absolutely tons of flies this summer and he's really beensuffering - they pee him off big time, he's been looking stressed and rubbing his tail out and spending all day in the field shelter instead of grazing. Oh and he's also been losing hair on his neck due to sun sensitivity (I think) - so I decided to splash out on a fly rug for him. It's our Owniversary on Saturday so call it an anniversary gift
In France they're pretty crap with decent products for small ponies so I had a hunt around online, and found a UK mail order site called Dinky Rugs who specialise in gear for the midgets! I phoned them up with Mouse's measurements for advice and they recommended a rug to suit his shape and size. The main things I liked were the belly flap, and an integral neck with excess fabric to allow full coverage when grazing, as that is one of his problem areas. So I placed the order and they said delivery in a week.
In the meantime I put him in Paf's old rug from last year. It was maybe 6ins too short and full of rips but was still enough to make Mouse a bit more settled - though not much of a fashion statement! Funniest thing was that I literally chucked it over his back and started doing up the straps, THEN remembered he hadn't actually worn a rug before... and of course he didn't bat an eyelid! ((though I wouldn't expect anything less from him tbh!))
I can't fault the company's overseas service - the rug arrived this morning, just 6 days after I placed the order, and I was only charged £11 for postage to France. Dragged the boy in at lunchtime to put him in his new gear, and it couldn't have arrived at a better time, because when I went to catch him he had FOUR big horseflies on him and was looking rather stressed!
Needless to say, he settled down the moment he had the rug on. He's spent the whole day grazing, rather than hiding out in the field shelter, and when I went out to take these photos he was COVERED in flies and totally unconcerned... cos he couldn't feel them! :wavespin:
Anyway here's the Mouseman in all his bee-keeping glory :bounce: ((Will have to sort out the straps on the belly flap - it's hanging a bit low as the straps don't go short enough, but the rug instructions explain how to modify the straps without affecting fit.)) Super impressed with the neck coverage whilst grazing - most rugmakers don't seem to account for the fabric pulling back when the head goes down.
We've got absolutely tons of flies this summer and he's really beensuffering - they pee him off big time, he's been looking stressed and rubbing his tail out and spending all day in the field shelter instead of grazing. Oh and he's also been losing hair on his neck due to sun sensitivity (I think) - so I decided to splash out on a fly rug for him. It's our Owniversary on Saturday so call it an anniversary gift
In France they're pretty crap with decent products for small ponies so I had a hunt around online, and found a UK mail order site called Dinky Rugs who specialise in gear for the midgets! I phoned them up with Mouse's measurements for advice and they recommended a rug to suit his shape and size. The main things I liked were the belly flap, and an integral neck with excess fabric to allow full coverage when grazing, as that is one of his problem areas. So I placed the order and they said delivery in a week.
In the meantime I put him in Paf's old rug from last year. It was maybe 6ins too short and full of rips but was still enough to make Mouse a bit more settled - though not much of a fashion statement! Funniest thing was that I literally chucked it over his back and started doing up the straps, THEN remembered he hadn't actually worn a rug before... and of course he didn't bat an eyelid! ((though I wouldn't expect anything less from him tbh!))
I can't fault the company's overseas service - the rug arrived this morning, just 6 days after I placed the order, and I was only charged £11 for postage to France. Dragged the boy in at lunchtime to put him in his new gear, and it couldn't have arrived at a better time, because when I went to catch him he had FOUR big horseflies on him and was looking rather stressed!
Needless to say, he settled down the moment he had the rug on. He's spent the whole day grazing, rather than hiding out in the field shelter, and when I went out to take these photos he was COVERED in flies and totally unconcerned... cos he couldn't feel them! :wavespin:
Anyway here's the Mouseman in all his bee-keeping glory :bounce: ((Will have to sort out the straps on the belly flap - it's hanging a bit low as the straps don't go short enough, but the rug instructions explain how to modify the straps without affecting fit.)) Super impressed with the neck coverage whilst grazing - most rugmakers don't seem to account for the fabric pulling back when the head goes down.
