WeatherBeeta Deluxe Stretch Bug Eye Saver review

WeatherBeeta Deluxe Stretch Bug Eye Saver With Ears

This WeatherBeeta Lycra fly mask fared much better than I first expected. Before trying this mask, I never would have considered this style of mask, but I am totally converted (as is my friend I’ve since lent it to). As with the Premier Equine Lycra fly mask, I just didn’t think this style would live up to my horse’s field antics – for example, Utah uses his head to roll his large hay box across the field every day without fail. However, I’ve been proved wrong so far.

This mask is quite smart to look at. I really like the navy and it comes in seven other colours (grey, red, royal blue, turquoise, green, black or purple) as well as a cute bee print, which is rather fun. It offers 98+% UV protection in the Lycra areas, which is the highest of all the fly masks we’ve tested.

This fly mask fastens with a zip under the chin

This fly mask is different to the Premier Equine Lycra fly mask in that it has a zip. Utah isn’t fussy around his head so I found it easy to put on, but if you feel the method of fastening will be considerably easier or more difficult for your horse it could be a game changer. There is also a Velcro tab that covers the top of the zip, preventing it from getting caught or coming undone, and there is a slightly padded guard on the inside to prevent any rubbing.

The mask offers good space around the eyes

The eye areas offered good clearance, which I find is a real benefit of these Lycra style masks. The mesh holes are quite big, but if you don’t have a problem with tiny midges (we don’t here) then this isn’t an issue. It also has a forelock hole, which is certainly advantageous if your horse has a forelock even half the size of this one.

I had a cob size, which fitted well. I would say it was very slightly larger than the similar Premier Equine mask. Despite only being 13.2hh, Utah has a comparably large head. The ears were a rather large, but I expect most horses who wear cob size will have larger ears than him and fill them much better.

This mask was the only one with a handy tab to hang it up. It’s not an essential fly mask feature, but definitely handy if you wanted to leave it outside your stable for someone else to put on in the morning, for example, so I thought it was worth a mention. It also washed well and dried very quickly. Because of the material, hair doesn’t get stuck to it, which was a real bonus for me.

Utah did have a go at getting this fly mask off and eventually succeeded. The only reason I can think of that he got this one off but not the other, which is a similar design is that this one is slightly larger.

When you compare this WeatherBeeta fly mask to the Premier Equine fly mask, the WeatherBeeta offers more UV protection but has a higher price point. If the UV rating is important to you or you think the zip will be advantageous then it’s worth the extra money. They also have different hems – the WeatherBeeta has an overlock hem, while the Premier Equine one has a double-rolled hem.

I leant this fly mask to my friend with a Highland to make sure it was given a thorough test over the summer – and it’s lasted fairly well, staying on longer than the WoofWear fly mask that they also tried, which was a very different style. It did get ripped around the eye thanks to a playful field-mate, but was easily sewn up and hasn’t caused a problem since. It also seems to have kept its shape and stretch.

Verdict

This WeatherBeeta Lycra fly mask is a great option. It kept the flies off my horse’s eyes and he appeared to be really comfortable in it. I’d definitely recommend it.

Who tested this fly mask?

Georgia Guerin looks after Horse & Hound’s shopping, fashion and product content. She owns a Norwegian Fjord horse who usually lives out 24/7. He is well known for putting a lot of effort into removing fly masks as well as putting his head in places he shouldn’t, which makes him a perfect candidate for testing.

Find out more about how Horse & Hound tests products

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