We often meet people when we are out hacking who ask why do we put these “strange” hats on our horses!
The quick answer is that fly veils help to protect our horses’ ears from flies and midges.
Even though midges don’t have a nasty bite or sting, they can still be extremely annoying as they get into the horses’ ears and cause intense skin irritation, pain, itching and discomfort. This can make horses repeatedly shake their heads to get away from them and become worried and distressed.
Midges can also cause lasting wounds and sometimes the horses’ ears can become more sensitive which means your horse will be reluctant to let you touch them.
Even getting a headcollar or bridle on the horse can become a tricky task.
Finally, some flies and insects bite or sting the horses’ ears which can be a risk to a horse’s health because they can spread diseases or infections.
But the job of fly veils is not solely to protect horses from insects.
They can also reduce the discomfort and noise caused by the wind.
For example, horses can wear soundless fly veils at competitions and shows to muffle the noise and reduce the stress and fear that noisy crowds and loud noises can sometimes cause.
At LoveHorses, we believe that wearing fly veils made by hand or with premium quality materials to protect their ears can make the difference between a calm, cooperative horse and a nervy, hard-to-handle horse.
Plus, prevention is better than cure so taking action to prevent any problems can save time and money in the long run, and ensure a happy, healthy and harmonious relationship between horse and rider.
We hope you find this information interesting and useful. Please don't hesitate to contact us should you have any queries or questions.
Until next time, thank you for reading our blog! 🙏❤️🌟