Best Fly Boots for Horses (A Buyer’s Guide)

While a horse can shoo flies away and try to stomp on them, consistently doing so has detrimental effects. This includes injury, wear and tear on their joints, lost or loosened shoes, and even distress. 

Fly boots, also called leg guards, leg wraps, or fly wraps, these lightweight and breathable boots fit around the lower part of your horse’s legs to keep flies away. Fly boots keep your horse comfortable as they are protected from irritating insects. 

These leg guards have added protection if your horse has an injury on their leg. They also protect your horse from diseases that are transmitted by blood-sucking bugs. 

With many fly boots available, choosing the right ones for your horse isn’t easy. We spent hours testing to see which fly wraps are the most comfortable and offer ultimate fly protection. This makes it easy for you to choose the best fly boots for horses. 

The 6 Top Horse Fly Boots (Our Review)

Kensington Protective Products Horse Fly Boots (Best Overall) 

Our top choice is the Kensington Protective Products Horse Fly Boots. These fly wraps meet all the criteria needed for the best fly boots for horses. 

The boots are stylish and we love the colorful mesh options (we really like the Lavender Mint and Hunter Green options). 

These fly wraps feature stay-up technology, so you don’t need to worry about these wraps slipping off your horse’s legs. This also ensures optimal comfort and support for your steed. So if your horse runs, trots, gallops, or stomps, these boots won’t going anywhere. 

With the hook-and-loop closures, you can make these fly boots fit any horse. Plus, they come in 3 sizes, which further ensures a good fly wrap fit.    

Made from a unique Textilene fabric (78% air permeable woven mesh), these boots are fade, fire, soil, and wear and tear-resistant. They also offer 73% UV protection for sun sensitivity.   

Choose the x-large size for draft horses.  

Pros 

• Available in 9 color options
• Comes in 3 sizes (medium to x-large)
• Breathable, comfortable, and durable 
• Stay-up technology 
• Blocks out harmful UV rays 

Cons 

• Stitching can come undone after a few week’s of regular use
• Only come in packs of 2  

Shires Airflow Fly Boots (Best Budget) 

Our best budget choice is the Shires Airflow Fly Boots because of it’s quality and price. Plus, you get a pack of 4, while most other fly boots come in packs of 2.  

These fly wraps are made from a breathable mesh fabric, which ensures airflow around your steed’s legs. This keeps their legs cool and comfortable. 

With an ergonomic design, these boots conform to your horse’s legs. This ensures the fly boot stays up. The fleece-lined edge further provides “stay-up” technology, plus it prevents chafing and rubbing. You can fasten the fly wraps with 3 Velcro straps.   

Pros 

• Comes in a pack of 4 Comes in 3 colors (teal/gray, black/white, and white)
• Available in 3 sizes (full, pony, and cob)
• Well designed to stay up
• Lightweight and breathable 

Cons 

• Sizing is a bit off, so if you buy a larger size than your horse needs, the wrap will slip off a bit  

Cashel Crusader Horse Fly Protection Leg Guards (Best Size Variety)

The Cashel Crusader Horse Fly Protection Leg Guards helps eliminate sun sensitivity. These fly wraps are made from soft vinyl-coated polyester mesh, so it’s durable. While your horse is wearing these leg wraps, stomping is reduced. 

The fetlock areas of the Cashel Crusader feature nylon padding on the inside rim. This provides extra comfort for your horse and prevents insect bites as the bugs can’t get in. The trim also eliminates burr and grass seed collection.   

To keep the boots up, the Cashel Crusader has hook-and-loop fasteners. This also ensures an adjustable fit for your horse. There is no sagging or shifting with the unique design as your horse moves around or stomps their lower legs. 

These are available in quite a few sizes. Choose from small horse or Arab, draft, horse, mini or foal, yearling or large pony, weanling or small pony, and warmblood.  

Pros 

• Set of 4 fly wraps 
• Made from durable mesh to keep the flies away 
• Features hook-and-loop closures 
• Breathable to help your horse stay cool 
• Features a size chart; available in 7 sizes 

Cons 

• Boots sag a bit, but ensure you measure your horse and use the size chart  
• Available in one color option only (gray)

Professional’s Choice Value Pack Fly Boots (Best Durability)

The Professional’s Choice Value Pack Fly Boots are ideal for preventing insect bites and UV-ray damage. Horse owners like these fly wraps because they offer great support. With a contoured design, adjustable hooks and loop straps, and reinforced webbing, these wraps stay where they are supposed to. 

The breathable fleece lining ensures your horse’s legs don’t rub or chafe against the leg guard. This prevents rashes from forming while keeping your steed comfortable all day long. However, these fly wraps aren’t ideal if you live in hot climates since they can be too hot for your horse’s legs. If your steed gets hot with these on, they can develop sores. 

The wraps are also great for the dryer months when your horse doesn’t get wet. 

The nylon mesh material is also rip-resistant, making these boots durable. You can even wash them in the washing machine.   

Pros 

• Durable; made from 600 x 600 denier nylon mesh 
• Offers UV protection 
• Features stay-up technology with the reinforced webbing and nylon binding 
• Interior lining keeps horse legs comfortable
• Comes in a pack of 4  

Cons 

• Only available in one size; suitable for adult horses but may be too small for big thoroughbreds
• Comes in one color option only (white, so it may not stay clean for long) 

Tough 1 Contoured Mesh Fly Boots (Best for Staying Up)

The Tough 1 Contoured Mesh Fly Boots features nylon binding and interior neoprene stoppers to keep the fly wraps from slipping down. 

There are 2 lower elastic or Velcro closures to ensure a comfortable fly boot fit. In addition, the top of the boot is fastened with a quick grip top closure. Thus, these fly wraps are easy to put on and take off.   

Made from heavy-duty mesh and nylon binding, the wraps have a flexible plastic or neoprene spine to ensure a comfortable fit. The padding also keeps the wraps from rubbing against the fetlocks. 

These fly wraps are easy to clean with a stiff brush. Your horse can wear these while out in the pasture, paddock, or stable. 

Since they are made from mesh, they help keep your horse cool. Horse owners prefer using these for summer turnout specifically. Also, use these fly wraps in a dry environment as mud from a muddy paddock will stick to the mesh. 

Pros 

• Available in 3 color options: black, orange, and white 
• Sold in three sizes (miniature, pony, and horse) 
• Features a neoprene stopper 
• Made from durable and breathable mesh that provides UV protection 
• Has a flexible plastic spine so the wraps stays up 

Cons 

• Only sold in sets of 2
• Available in one size (adult horse)  

Shoo Fly Horse Leggins (Best Loose Fitting Fly Boots)

The Shoo Fly Horse Leggins are made from a flexible plastic mesh. This allows for air circulation to keep your horse cool on those hot summer days. Airflow also lets wounds heal faster. 

The mesh prevents flies from laying eggs that can lead to a worm burden.   

If your horse wears the Shoo Fly Leggins, their range of movements isn’t restricted. Blood flow also isn’t restricted. 

You can easily fasten and take off the Shoo Fly Leggins with the Velcro fasteners. The dual sewn-in plastic stay ensures the fly wraps stay up.   

Pros 

• Available in 3 color options: orange, blue, and pink 
• Comes in 6 sizes: pony/donkey, mini, yearling, small, medium, large
• Comes in a set of 4 leggins 
• No restriction of blood flow or movement 
• Features stay-up technology 

Cons 

• A bit long to cover more of horse’s lower legs 

Best Fly Boots for Horses Buyer’s Guide 

Size

One size fly boot does not fit all horses. Most fly guards are made for adult horses. So if you have a pony or a smaller horse, you’ll need to find fly boots that mention it is ideal for smaller horses. 

It is recommended to measure your horse’s legs. This will ensure you can buy the right size. Fly boots that are too big and slip off won’t offer any protection for a horse’s leg. 

Fly boots that are too small will restrict blood flow to your horse’s legs and hooves. This can lead to nerve damage and cause muscle compression. 

Some guards also come with Velcro straps that make them more size adaptable. You can then also decide how close-fitting the boots should be for your horse. 

Material 

Material is another important factor. Fly boots that are made of thick material will cause your horse to sweat. And if the boots rub against your horse’s legs, then sores or rashes may develop. 

Open wounds will simply attract more flies, making it even more challenging to keep biting insects off your steed. Plus, open wounds can easily become infected if not managed properly. 

Since these fly guards are worn during spring and summer, the best fly boots will be made from a lightweight material that is breathable. A fly boot made from mesh is ideal. 

Many fly boots also feature a fleece lining around the edges. This lining helps minimize the fly boots rubbing against the fetlocks. 

Style 

Fly boots for horses are either fitted or loose-fitting. Choose fitted fly boots if your horse isn’t a fan of these. Fitted fly guards aren’t so easy to slip out of. 

Durability 

Ideally, you want the fly boots to last for a few summers, not just one. Your horse may also be rolling in mud or bucking around, so the fly boots should be made to last. Durable mesh material is the best option. 

Special Features 

Some special features in fly boots for horses to consider are: 

• If the boots continuously slide down, then you’d want the leg guards to have “stay up” features. There are boots with stoppers or special designs to help keep the boot in place. 
• If you have a pale-skinned horse that needs extra protection from the sun’s UV rays, then see what level of UV protection the fly wraps offer. 
• Some fly wraps have nylon padding or fleece lining to provide extra comfort around your horse’s fetlocks. Extra padding also ensures the flies can’t get into the fly boots. 

Color 

Color is also something to keep in mind when you order a pair of leg wraps. If your horse also wears a fly mask to keep flies away from their ears and eyes, you may want a matching set of fly boots. 

Look for bright colors as you can easily find this in the paddock if your horse lost theirs. Patterns also deter flies. 

Some bugs like mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors, while other bugs like light colors. As such, the color of the fly boots depends on what insects you want to keep away from your horses.

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