Monday Morning Feed from SmartPak: SP Fly Mask Product Review
Kristen’s trio takes on the SmartPak Classic Fly Mask.
As the old-school farm staff are wont to remind me, the trio of horses I’m now managing on the family cattle farm have lived happily without a lot of interference in the pasture for years before I came along, and while I’m sure that’s true, I’m also happy to make a few improvements in their life where I see fit. After a recent hot, dry spell sent the flies out in droves, I finally ruled that it was time for the horses to wear some fly masks, no matter how many years they had survived without them in the past before I moved in.
Any masks that the geldings would be wearing had to be tough: their pasture includes a wooded section, where they like to stand in the shade and hang out on hot summer days and potentially snag mesh fly masks on low-hanging limbs. Secure Velcro was also a must-have, as I didn’t know how if or how quickly they would realize that a fly mask could also be an endless source of entertainment in tearing it off of each other’s faces. I opted to try the SmartPak Classic Fly Mask, which boasted durable PVC mesh, fleece lining at the edges, extra-wide Velcro closures and of course, mesh ears.
My previous experiences at other farms usually saw the horses walking to the pasture gate the end of the day with a fly mask swinging from their halter noseband, or an ear flap missing, or a big hole over one eye, or even better, no mask at all. These SmartPak masks, right out of the box, are quite different: the PVC mesh is light and quite translucent for the horse, but rugged and stiff enough to stand up on its own without collapsing into the horse’s eyes. I love the fleece lining to prevent the horses from getting rubs, and the wide Velcro tab is a force to be reckoned with (so far, there have been no unplanned removals.)
No flies in my guys’ eyes.
Before choosing my size (the SmartPak mask comes in Horse or Cob) I browsed the reviews: some reviewers stated that the mask was too big for their horses, but a majority stated that they seemed to run on the small side. My average-sized Quarter horses are in that mysterious middle size, where some brands’ “Horse” is miles too big while other brands are just right. I opted for the Horse size and was pleased to find that all of the masks fit, with room to go on a smaller animal: the masks do seem to run a little small. (Big-headed warmbloods and drafts might need to try something else.)
The SmartPak Classic Fly Mask, to make a good deal even better, is currently on sale for $17.96. If your horse has either destroyed his summer mask, or like mine, is only just now needing a little extra defense from the bugs, this is a great value! As with all of SmartPak’s products, free shipping and the 100% Happiness Guarantee are included — though I don’t expect you’ll need either.
Go SmartPak, and go riding!
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