8 rugs designed to protect sweet-itch prone horses and ponies from midges

The best sweet itch rugs can help prevent midges from biting your horse when out in the field. Think of them as a level up from the best fly rugs – they offer an even greater level of protection.

Sweet itch can be a summer nightmare for horse owners. Caused by an allergic reaction to the bite of the midge, sweet itch is an unpleasant itching sensation that leads the horse to bite, scratch or rub at their skin. It most commonly affects the base of the mane and tail, but some horses are affected over the body, too.

Keeping horses prone to sweet itch covered and protected is the best method of defence, and can be used along with one of the best fly sprays that targets midges. This selection of sweet itch rugs have been designed to provide maximum coverage and help your horse battle those summer irritations.

Best sweet itch rugs: H&H’s quick guide

Best sweet itch rug for a rug-wrecker: Horseware Rambo Hoody

Best sweet itch rug for UV protection: Premier Equine Sweet Itch Buster

Best value sweet itch rug: Masta Combo

Best protective fly rugs to keep out midges that cause sweet itch

Horseware Rambo Hoody

Colours: Green/sage
Sizes: 5ft 6in – 7ft 3in
Denier: 1000D
UV protection: 90%

Reasons to buy

• Durable outer denier
• Offers great coverage

Reasons to avoid

• Higher price point

This rug is made of a soft and very durable 1000D Polyester with close woven fabric so biting insects can’t get through. It offers maximum protection thanks to extended belly coverage (with Velcro closure and three cross surcingle’s that wrap around the body), a supersized tail flap and an integrated neck cover with shaped ear holes. It’s also compatible with this waterproof fly liner to help extend the wear during those wet spells.

Premier Equine Sweet Itch Buster Fly Rug With Belly Flap

Colours: White
Sizes: 5ft – 7ft 3in
Denier: 1000D
UV protection: 100%

Reasons to buy

• Strong outer denier
• Deep design and extra-large tail flap
• HighUV protection

Reasons to avoid

• You don’t want ear holes

Offering head-to-tail protection from biting insects and the sun’s rays, this lightweight breathable 1000D rug from Premier Equine is hard-wearing and 100% UV reflective.

It features an antibacterial, breathable lining over the shoulder and neck area to prevent rubbing, as well as an integrated wrap-around belly flap and super-size double-thickness tail flap for extra protection.

Masta Combo Sweet Itch Fly Rug

Colours: White
Sizes: 5ft – 7ft 6in

Reasons to buy

• Good value
• Longer cut in body for extra coverage

Reasons to avoid

• Lots of Velcro fastenings

Made from a soft, close-knit polyester fabric that remains highly breathable, this rug can help keep your horse cool against the heat of the sun and prevent dark coats from bleaching, although it has no specific UV rating listed to compare.

It has a longer cut, integrated neck cover with fleece-lined ear holes that gives full coverage even when grazing. It’s secured with touch-tape fastenings and the top one has an elastic insert allowing for added comfort around the face.

The wrap-around belly provides extra protection to the more sensitive areas of the horse and is secured with three surcingles. It has an anti-rub lining along the neck and over the shoulders to prevent rubbing. It’s also available with a waterproof upper section for changeable weather.

WeatherBeeta ComFiTec Sweet Itch Shield Fly Combo

Colours: White/charcoal
Sizes: 4ft – 7ft 3in
Denier: 600D
UV protection: 95%+

Reasons to buy

• Wide size range
• High UV protection

Reasons to avoid

• If you want very high denier

This Weatherbeeta rug offers head-to-tail protection for sensitive horses that need all-round defence against biting insects and irritation, shielding them from over 95% UV rays.

Made from a strong and breathable 600D ripstop outer, with a smooth 210T lining to help reduce rubbing and enhance coat shine. It has memory foam pads for gentle wither relief, an elasticated, adjustable belly wrap and full wrap tail flap. It also features an ear hood with elastic insert around the ears to ensure the neck stays in place.

Shires Highlander Plus Sweet-Itch Combo

Colours: White
Sizes: 4ft – 7ft 3in
UV protection: 90%

Reasons to buy

• Offers great coverage
• High UV protection

Reasons to avoid

• Front buckle fastenings can be fiddly

Ideal for all-round summer protection against biting insects and sun bleaching, this Shires rug features a “grazing-friendly“ hood and large pleated tail flap to help keep the body, neck and poll covered at all times.

The hardwearing and breathable fabric is 90% UV blocking. It also has a belly flap, deep shoulder gussets, buckle chest straps and adjustable fillet strap and leg strap loops.

Snuggy Hoods Sweet Itch Rug

Colours: Beige, brown or haint blue
Sizes: 4ft – 7ft 3in

Reasons to buy

• Thicker material than some others
• Customise with added extras if needed
• Water-repellent

Reasons to avoid

• Can be fiddly to put on and take off
• Have to purchase the neck cover separately

This Snuggy Hoods rug offers total protection from midges, biting insects, flies and harmful UV rays. It has full belly coverage, an elasticated and padded chest and withers, and double tail protection with a tail wrap and extra-large flap.

It is also mud-proof and water-repellent, and prevents coat bleaching. You can add a hood or headless hood to maximise your coverage. You can further customise the coverage by adding front legs, an udder cover or sheath cover.

H&H deputy website editor Georgia Guerin has used one of these previously – and while they can be tricky to putt on at first, she says that with practise even her more suspicious horse got used to it fairly quickly. The material is thick, but she was surprised that her horse wasn’t sweating even on the hottest days, and the overall protection the rug provided was impressive.

LeMieux Kudos Sweet Itch Rug

Colours: Stone
Sizes: 5ft 3in– 7ft

Reasons to buy

• Made from a durable lightweight fabric
• Unique design for freedom of movement

Reasons to avoid

• T-bar chest fastenings might not suit everyone

Made from a durable and lightweight outer, this sweet itch rug features a generous neck cover and ear holes, lined mane and extra large tail flap to cover the most sensitive areas.

The long length and full belly coverage with triple fastening for maximum all-round protection. The 45° angled T-bar front closure, elasticated angled shoulder gusset and pleated two-part skirt system allows for freedom of movement.

Itchy Horse Boett Blanket

Colours: Browny-black or light grey
Sizes: Miniature – shire

Reasons to buy

• Excellent size range available
• Unique, breathable fabric

Reasons to avoid

• Ensure you take the time to get accurate measurements before ordering to get the right size for your horse

The Boett blanket is made from a unique, breathable, water repellent fabric, and can be used for protection against ordinary flies, crab flies and sand flies in addition to midges.

It has unique sizing, so you have to get two measurements (centre of the chest, to the end of the hindquarters and circumference of the loins) to ensure you get the right size rug from their size chart.

What is a sweet itch rug?

It’s important to be aware that these “sweet itch rugs” will not treat your horse or cure him from the condition and are not a replacement for veterinary treatment. They can, however, be used as a preventative measure to reduce the chance of a horse who is prone to the condition from being bitten in the first place.

Most cases of sweet itch are seen between March and October, so purchasing a rug and putting it on your horse before the season starts is best – once your horse is suffering he will already be itching and likely damage even the most robust of rugs.

How to choose a sweet itch rug

The best sweet itch rugs tend to offer more coverage than even the best fly rugs so as to provide maximum protection, but as they are worn throughout the summer months, it’s especially important that they are lightweight and breathable.

Choose one with excellent coverage – look for extra-large tail flaps, belly coverage and extended necks. Consider fastenings – the more there are the more covered your horse is likely to be, but if he’s not a fan of you fussing around him they need to be quick and easy to do up and undo.

Chest fastenings usually have the most variation – while surcingle type hooks are quick and easy, they don’t offer anything in the way of adjustability, whereas adjustable buckles can be fiddly to use. The gold standard is usually buckle for adjustment with quick clips for fastening, but this is likely to result in a more expensive rug.

What is the difference between a sweet itch and fly rug?

A fly rug is designed to protect against larger flies, while a sweet itch rug is made of a fine mesh fabric that is specifically designed to block smaller insects like midges, offering more extensive coverage and a tighter weave mesh material.

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Franchesca Slack

H&H’s Products Editor

Franchesca is Horse & Hound’s Products Editor. She produces all of our buying guides and gift guides, as well as organising product testing and bringing you news about the latest products to hit the market. If there’s a new launch, Franchesca is the first person to hear about it. She brings you the best deals and is passionate about arming Horse & Hound’s readers with honest, unbiased product reviews. Franchesca loves letting riders and horse owners know what products are coming out, how to make their lives easier and how to spend their money wisely.