The Weatherbeeta Comfitec Ripshield Plus is the BEST fly sheet for a mini horse! If you have a miniature horse, you know how limited the shopping choices are for blankets, sheets, and well, just about everything.
Last year, when I got Jasper, he had a lot going on. He turned out to be really sick, and on top of that, he had horrendous allergies to the flies and gnats. I think his immune system was really shot, and it was causing him to be extra sensitive to bugs. He was so itchy and miserable. His eyes would get puffed up if he didn’t have his fly mask on. He was rubbing on everything. His skin was scaly and full of dandruff. The flies and gnats were causing awful welts and summer sores.
I had to do something! The bugs in Eastern North Carolina can compete with just about any other humid and hot place in the Southeast. They’re awful. The gnats are particularly pesky, and if you’ve ever had a horse with a sensitivity, you know how terrible it is for them this time of year. The vet I had a the time wanted to put Jasper on steroids, which I was really uncomfortable with, as he came to me fat as a tick and with a super cresty neck. I really didn’t want to risk laminitis, so I did everything I could to avoid that route!
I washed him head-to-toe in medicated shampoo. I washed him head-to-toe in Head and Shoulders shampoo. I scrubbed and scrubbed his scaly skin. I clipped the thick fur off of him. I think he was worked hard and put away wet in his still thick winter coat before I bought him and that caused the initial skin problem, but the bugs just added insult to injury.
I got him clean, and I got his skin looking better, but the bugs were still harassing him. I wasn’t able to find the type of fly mask I like in his size (bug-eye lycra strech), so I altered a pony-sized one down for him. That was a HUGE help!
Then I started shopping for fly sheets. The first one I ordered was the standard entry-level Tough-one fly sheet for a mini. The price was right, and the fit was perfect! That being said, it was just too hot for the rising temperatures and humidity! Sadly, I couldn’t keep using it.
Then, I found the Weatherbeeta Comfitec Ripshield Plus on Amazon! It was exactly what Jasper needed. It offers about as full coverage as you can get in a fly sheet and is also breathable! It’s see-through and breathable and doesn’t feel like you’re covering your horse in a trash bag. Most of all, it provided immediate relief from the bugs.
The main types of fly sheets available for minis are mostly too hot if you live in the southeast. Some of them are very cute, and probably do keep the bugs off, but they just look way to hoot for temperatures in the 80s and up.
It has a detachable neck, wide belly band and a very generous tail cover. It’s a little pricier than other mini horse fly sheets, but I think it’s well worth it. The only issue I could see is the limited sizing. I have a big mini that’s 38″, and he wears the 51″ sheet. The only smaller size they have is a 48″, so this may not be an option for tiny minis.
If you’re handy with sewing, you may be able to alter a larger one down if you are in desperate need of this very high-quality breathable fly sheet for your horse.
I’m so thankful that Jasper has recovered from the horrendous case of strangles he had last year. He was so sick, and the bugs added insult to injury while he was recovering. He is doing fantastic now, and this year, he hasn’t been bothered by the bugs at all. We’re at a lovely barn with great manure management, so I think that helps too. I didn’t have to put his fly sheet or his mask on at all this year!
If you’re in a hot climate and your miniature horse needs relief from bugs, I can’t recommend this fly sheet enough! The Weatherbeeta Comfitec Ripshield Plus offers bug protection with full coverage over the tail, belly and neck, and it’s what I think is the coolest fly sheet on the market.
***Always monitor your horse when trying fly sheets to make sure they aren’t too hot.***
Until next time, Happy Trails!
