Shires Equestrian Fine Mesh Earless Fly Mask (Full, Teal)

We love this mask and it one that our persnickety horse has not been able to take off on his own. We purchased this one because we misplace the one we had been using, had to get it again. We have since found the first one. So now we have a backup!!!!

In all ways this mask is great except one; after 7 weeks of wear, the point of the dart right over the eye has started to open where flies could enter the mask. The fine mesh itself is sturdy; its the seam thats the issue. The mask stands up to hosing off and hand washing just fine everywhere else though. If Shires could use a little more material & reinforce the stitching in this area a bit, this mask would be perfect. Otherwise, it stays on & the binding stays in contact with the horses heads, without being tight. The fleecing is sewn on in a way that keeps the flies out & the other edging is soft for the sensitive-skinned thoroughbred whose hair rubs out very easily. The darts maintain their shape keeping the mask off of the horses eyes. The soft strap over the poll makes it easy to put on & hopefully keeps the horse cooler in the California summer heat. The teal color looks great as does the overall style. The sizes are perfect: the FULL fits a 16-2 larger-jawed thoroughbred & the COB fits a smaller-jawed 16.2 thoroughbred.

Aside from the fact that the seller accidentally shipped the Pony size instead of the Small Pony size, the Pony size I received could have easily fit most horses! Definitely order a size smaller than you think your horse needs, because they run HUGE!

I bought the “small pony” size for my large miniature horse (37 inches). Although the quality is great and it feels like it would last, it’s way too big. It fits my on my smaller size horse (14 hands) no problem.

**edit: still going great after wearing it for a week. Great quality and excellent fit. Just got it this morning but he wore it the whole day with no rubbing on anything or trying to get it off so it appears to be more comfortable for him. Quite surprised its still clean and not torn up. I put a new mask on him last week (different brand but not a cheap one) and it was basically destroyed by the second day by him rubbing it on trees, the fence, the ground. This Shires mask has soft padding across the nose and forelock area and the strap behind the ears is soft, but very sturdy. The mesh part is thicker but can still see through it very well. It is wider at the eyes at the darts and the sturdier structured border keeps the mesh and darts far away from his eyes. I love that because most other masks I have had to adjust multiple times a day when thinner, more flexible mesh would fold in and rub near their eyes. Size-wise, I got the size FULL and it fits perfect on my Haflinger gelding. If it helps anybody in sizing, my boys measurements are 37 inches around throat area to behind ears, 27 12 inches around the area about halfway between forelock and end of nose. The size Full fits just right. Cant speak to durability since its new but so far I am greatly impressed just with the quality and much better comfort for my horse. I am buying a spare plus one for my other horse. The UV blocking rating is 70% and one of the main reasons I tried this mask. This boy has an eye issue and needs UV protection in addition to fly protection. Hope this review helps someone.

Excellent darts keep if from rubbing my gelding’s sensitive eyes. The minimal bulk around his ears is so nice (if your horse has big thick forelock and/or sensitive ears you will appreciate this) and the fleece is soft. He actually WANTS me to put this on him. It seems very well made and it looks good too. I read other reviews that say it runs big, so I ordered the Pony size for my Arabian. There is just barely enough length on the Velcro straps, but there is enough and it otherwise fits perfectly. Will absolutely order again.

This item was NOT what i ordered or the brand pictured and listed in the description. However, i missed the return time and it so far has worked well. Just frustrating i specifically bought the brand and was given something else as well as the box was busted up.

First fly mask to stay on my red mare

I have two horses, one is a 16.2 large boy. I purchased the full thinking that would be appropriate. It was huge. Like draft huge. Or maybe bigger. My other horse is smaller, so obviously it was too large as well. The quality was fine, but misleading sizes. I did purchase from another vendor, the cob size. Its still on the large size but will work with the 16.2 horse fine. I returned both of the original purchase. It says free shipping and free returns. Well, thats just not accurate. I was refunded $12.44 less than what I paid. I would most definitely not purchase from this company again.