How Do They See?
Fly masks come in all sorts of shapes and colors. Some are made from net. In my opinion the most durable are made from textilene, a vinyl mesh fabric. Textilene has many uses from awnings for an RV to round pens. It is light and allows air to circulate through but most importantly it allow the horse to see. You can tell from the picture that I included, looking through an actual fly mask, that the horse can see, but not very well.
Looking through a fly mask
Do Horses Like Wearing a Fly Mask?
Horses have varying opinions about fly masks. Some accept them and are content wearing them all day. Others do their best to get them off. Ones who have been injured by a poorly fitting fly mask or who have been handled incorrectly when they are put on, will try to get away when they see a fly mask in your hand.
You can see from the picture below of the Lewis not wearing the fly mask, flies are a serious discomfort. They mass around the horses eyes seeking fluid. This is not only miserable for the horse it can cause inflammation and other issues with their eyes.
Lewis needs his fly mask on
In the next photo you can see how well the fly mask protects Lewis’ eyes.
