April 18, 2011

Protect Your Horse's Eyes and Face w/Fly Masks

Fly masks can be a very important tool to not only shield your horse's eyes from irritating flies, they can also provide year-round protection from: debris, blindness and skin cancer. On a windy day, a fly mask can prevent dust and debris from collecting in your horse's eyes. Not only do they help keep the eyes clean, but a dark or black fly mask can help a blue-eyed horse (who spends significant time in direct sunlight) avoid blindness. The benefits don't stop there. The face of a pink-skinned white-haired horse could be spared from skin cancer with a fly mask that covers the face and nose. Lastly, fly masks (that cover the ears) can also help horses who are ear-shy to gain confidence having their ears handled. Fly masks can cost anywhere from $10 to $30 and are available in any tack store or tack catalog. This small investment can go a long way in making your horse happy, ridable and comfortable.