May 2004

Fly Masks: You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby

In 1995, we tested three fly masks. Now there are dozens of them, with design advances that help keep our horses more comfortable than ever.

The Crusader mask from Cashel Company offers a long-nose design that helps provides maximum face coverage.

Comfort’s the thing with fly masks. If a fly mask is irritating, your horse is going to try to remove it, whether by rubbing, shaking or with the help of a pasture mate. And once it’s removed, it’s probably going to be in fairly rough shape when you finally track it down.

When assessing a mask’s comfort, look for manufacturers who paid attention to the details of a finished product. Turn the mask inside out and check for rough edges by rubbing your fingers all over the mask. Pieces of vinyl mesh that are cut and left with no finishing or soft cover will rub. Loose threads will unravel and can…