Do You Still Need a Fly Rug in a Heatwave?

If you've been anywhere near a yard this summer, you'll have had this conversation at least once: "Should I really be putting a rug on her/him in this heat?"

Fair question! 2026 has thrown some proper scorchers at us, and the British Horse Society has been reminding everyone to think twice about rug use in hot weather, especially with heavier or badly fitted rugs. So let's have a proper chat about it.

The honest answer: yes, a rug will always be warmer than no rug

No way around it — any layer on a horse's back holds in a bit more heat than bare skin does. If your horse doesn't need fly or UV protection, and there's plenty of shade and water about, going rug-free on the hottest days is a perfectly sensible choice for a lot of horses.

But if your horse suffers with sweet itch, midge sensitivity, or sun-sensitive pink skin, the real question isn't "rug vs. no heat" — it's "unprotected and miserable vs. a bit warmer and covered." A horse rubbed raw from midges, or sunburnt on bare pink skin, isn't having a better time than one in a well-designed, breathable rug. So it's less about whether to protect, and more about how to do it without piling on extra heat unnecessarily.

Why breathable fabric is the bit that actually matters

This is exactly why our summer range — the Bug Body Fly Rug, Sweet Itch Rug and Sweet Itch Hood — is made from breathable fabric across the body of the rug, the part that covers the most skin and does the most work. It's designed to let air move rather than trap heat against the coat, while still keeping midges and flies where they belong — outside. It's a genuine trade-off, and we'd rather be upfront about that than pretend it doesn't exist.

What we're hearing from customers this year

We've had loads of feedback from owners using our rugs through some genuinely brutal days this summer, and the same pattern keeps coming up: most horses seem to cope just fine, with any noticeable sweating mostly limited to under the velcro straps rather than all over.

We'll say it gently though — that's what a good number of you have told us, not a promise. Every horse is different. Coat, workload, how heat-tolerant they naturally are, turnout routine, and how well the rug actually fits all play their part, and what suits one horse down to the ground might not suit the one in the next field.

A few practical pointers for hot weather rug use:

●        Have a feel underneath the rug regularly, especially round the velcro and straps where sweat tends to build up

●        Get the fit right — a loose or badly fitted rug rubs more and traps more heat than one that fits properly

●        Pair the rug with shade, airflow and plenty of fresh water — it's not a substitute for good hot-weather management, just one part of it

●        No fly or sun sensitivity? No harm skipping the rug during the hottest part of the day

●        If your horse doesn't mind, a quick hose down over the rug can genuinely help cool things off

The bottom line

If your horse needs protecting from midges, flies or sun, a breathable rug is very likely to leave them better off than going without — even in a heatwave. We won't pretend it makes zero difference to their temperature, because it does, and every horse handles that differently. Think of it like us wearing a t-shirt and trousers on a 30°C day — you'll always be a little warmer than without, but that layer's also what stops you frying in the sun. Know your horse, keep an eye on them, and make the call that's right for the two of you.

As always, if you're ever unsure how your horse is coping in the heat, your vet's the best person to ask.