Have you been thinking about trying the new ShooFly Leggins? There have been a lot of raving reviews of these fly boots (mostly in horse groups on Facebook) and I was interested in whether they work well or not.
Read on for my complete Shoo Fly Leggins Review.
So I forked over the $50 a set for the Shoo Fly Leggings, for each of my horses. For ideas on sizes and why I ordered them, I have two very different horses. Dede is a 17.2 hand Warmblood/TB/Percheron, big boned, wears an 87″ blanket, and size XL in a lot of things. You get the idea, she’s a bit big.
Gin is a full TB, about 16.1, probably weighs about 1100-1200 lbs, wears a 76-78″ blanket, size medium for most things.
I ordered the Shoo Fly Leggings in a size large in pink for Dede and a size medium in blue for Gin.
So, do I think Shoo Fly Boots are worth the hype? My answer – Yes and No.
Related Post: Things you may need to purchase for a new horse
Here is my shortened list of pros and cons for the Shoo Fly Leggings:
Pros
- Shoo Fly Leggings really do keep the flies off
- Bright, attractive colors
- Open top design allows for maximum airflow
- Soft felt lined bottom to prevent rubs and discomfort to your horse
- Easy to Clean
Cons
- Size large does not seem big enough for my very big, Warmblood cross
- Expensive
For more details on these pros and cons, read on!
The Good:
They work. I had my doubts that a fly boot that doesn’t actually wrap around the horse’s leg, like a traditional fly boot would work to keep the flies off. But Shoo Fly Boots really do keep the flies off your horse’s legs. This is the first and most important reason to get these fly boots.
Open top design allows for airflow. I didn’t think that the open top design of these fly boots would keep the flies off, but they do! The movement of the boot back and forth helps keep flies off and the open mesh is great for keeping airflow on your horse’s legs. The fact that the Shoo Fly Leggings allow air to flow around the horse’s leg can aid in healing if the horse has a wound and also to keep them cool.
Bright, attractive colors. I love the bright colors that are available in the Shoo Fly Leggings. They make your horse easier to spot (ie harder to ignore if they are somewhere they shouldn’t be) and are just simply fun. I liked the pink and blue best, but orange is also a great color to put on your horse, especially if they are used in areas where hunters need to watch out for your horse.
Easy to Clean. My horses are definitely dirty – they like to roll in the dirt and mud and get things dirty, especially boots and blankets. So being able to easily wash these off is a great feature. You can simply rinse them with a hose, or do up the velcro and throw them in the washing machine (on gentle, hang to dry).
Great Design. The soft felt on the bottom of the boots prevents rubs and irritation to your horse. Meanwhile, the smart design of an open, but stiff boot, is highly effective for keeping the flies off. This was a great idea and whoever invented Shoo Fly Leggings should be proud of such an effective design that so many people love.
The Bad:
It’s a good thing that there were only two negatives on my cons list. This means that overall, Shoo Fly Leggings are a great product.
My two complaints about these fly boots are the price, and that size large is not large enough for some horses.
At about $50 a set for Shoo Fly Leggings, the price tag is a bit steep. However, when comparing to other fly boots with good reviews, they really aren’t that much more expensive. The design just seems simple and cheap to manufacture given the final price of these fly boots.
The other problem I had with the Shoo Fly Leggings was that the size large is not large enough for some horses. I wish they had an XL size.
I can use the large, but I do have to make an effort to loosen the velcro from where it is supposed to be tightened, at least on my mare’s front legs. The hind boots fit great which makes me think that she just needs a tad bigger for the fronts.
The medium on my TB fit perfectly, which further reinforced the idea that this is really only a problem for people with really big horses (maybe really small too, but I cannot speak to that).
Overall Impression:
The Shoo Fly Leggings are a great product with lots of well thought out features. They do keep flies off your horse’s legs and allow for more airflow than traditional fly boots. My negatives of price and not coming in a large enough size are relatively small complaints about this product. I would purchase the Shoo Fly Leggings again, although I hope they hold up for quite a few years before needing to be replaced. And maybe they’ll start making a size XL for those big boned horses!
Have you tried Shoo Fly Leggins? Or do you have a different fly boot that is your favorite?
Comment below and let us know.
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