Why Fly Mesh Rugs Are Essential for Horses in Summer
Why Fly Mesh Rugs Are Essential for Horses in Summer
Australian summers are long, hot, and tough on horses. Intense sun, relentless insects, and sweltering humidity all combine to make the season stressful for both horses and their owners. While some riders avoid rugging in summer for fear of overheating, a well-designed fly mesh rug can actually make your horse cooler, calmer, and better protected. In this guide, we’ll explore why fly rugs are essential in hot weather, what makes Delzani’s mesh fabrics unique, and how to choose the right option for your horse.
The Summer Challenge: Heat, Sun and Insects
Flies and biting insects are more than an annoyance. They cause horses to stomp, swish, pace, and rub, leading to weight loss, anxiety, and skin trauma. Insects can also spread infections and worsen conditions such as Queensland Itch. At the same time, Australia’s harsh UV rays can bleach dark coats, burn pink skin, and make sensitive horses miserable. The right fly mesh rug provides a physical barrier against both problems, offering shade and protection without sacrificing airflow.
Airflow vs Protection: The Mesh Advantage
Traditional cotton rugs trap heat and sweat, leaving horses hotter and more uncomfortable. Mesh rugs, by contrast, are designed with airflow in mind. Their open-weave construction lets heat escape and allows sweat to evaporate naturally, helping regulate body temperature. But not all mesh is created equal—a weave that is too open won’t stop smaller insects, while one that is too tight can limit ventilation. The best rugs balance cooling airflow with effective insect defence, which is where Delzani’s mesh fabrics stand out.
Does Rug Weight Really Matter?
Many horse owners assume that a heavier rug is automatically hotter. In reality, the way a fabric is woven matters far more than its GSM (grams per square metre). A strong, flat-weave mesh can feel just as cool as a lighter cotton rug—while lasting much longer. Rider feedback from hot and humid regions like South-East Queensland consistently shows that a well-designed mesh rug can outperform lighter fabrics, keeping horses both cooler and more comfortable while resisting daily wear and tear.
Delzani Fly Mesh Fabric Guide
At Delzani, we’ve developed three fly mesh fabric options to give riders the flexibility to match their horse’s needs, coat type, and climate. Each delivers excellent airflow, insect protection, and UV resistance, but with subtle differences in weight and weave:
Barcoo Mesh (280gsm, Flat Weave): Our premium all-season mesh. The flat weave construction makes Barcoo gentler on coats compared to raised meshes, reducing the risk of rubbing. Its tighter weave provides excellent insect defence and UV protection, with a stabilised UV rating of 87%±. Strong, durable, and versatile, Barcoo is trusted by riders across Australia as their go-to mesh rug.
Warrego Mesh (200gsm, Raised Weave): Designed for maximum airflow, Warrego uses a raised, more open weave that allows extra ventilation. At 200gsm it delivers strength comparable to Barcoo but with increased breathability. With a UV stabilised rating of 82%±, Warrego is the perfect choice for hotter, insect-heavy climates—though horses with very fine coats may prefer the smoother Barcoo weave.
Barcoo Lite (130gsm, Flat Weave): Our newest release, the Barcoo Lite, offers all the benefits of the Barcoo’s coat-friendly flat weave in a lighter 130gsm fabric. This makes it ideal for extreme summer heat where maximum airflow is critical, while still delivering reliable insect and UV protection. Barcoo Lite is the ultimate choice for riders who need cooling without compromise.
UV Protection and Coat Health
Mesh rugs do more than stop flies—they protect your horse’s skin and coat. Strong UV resistance reduces the risk of sunburn on pink skin and prevents bleaching in darker coats. Horses that wear UV-rated rugs not only stay more comfortable, but also maintain a healthy, glossy appearance year-round. This is especially important for show horses, but it benefits paddock companions just as much by improving overall comfort and reducing stress.
Which Horses Benefit Most?
Fly mesh rugs are especially valuable for horses prone to insect sensitivity, such as those suffering from Queensland Itch. Horses with dark coats that absorb heat also stay cooler in breathable mesh than under cotton or ripstop rugs. Even easy-keepers benefit: without a rug, flies can drive horses to constant stomping and tail swishing, causing fatigue and weight loss over summer.
Pairing Mesh Rugs with Summer Essentials
A fly mesh rug is most effective when used alongside other summer protection. A fly mask shields the delicate face and eyes from both insects and sun, while insect sprays protect legs and exposed areas. Daily grooming with a quality brush keeps coats clean and comfortable under rugs, preventing irritation and rubbing.
Final Word
Fly mesh rugs aren’t just a luxury—they’re a necessity for Australian horses in summer. By combining airflow, UV protection, and insect defence, they keep horses cooler, healthier, and happier. With premium fabrics like Barcoo, high-airflow Warrego, and the new ultra-light Barcoo Lite, Delzani has a mesh rug for every horse and every climate. Explore our fly mesh rug collection today and discover the difference Delzani quality makes this summer.
Related Equestrian Guides
Delzani Horse Rug Sizing Guide
We have put together this comprehensive guide to help you purchase the ideal size Delzani horse rug.
Managing and Preventing Queensland Itch in Horses
Banish the Itch: Managing and Preventing Queensland Itch in Horses
Fly Mesh Horse Rugs - Air Flow & Insect Protection
Welcome to our collection of cool Fly Mesh Horse Rugs. Delzani horse rugs are thoughtfully designed to provide superior comfort and protection for your equine companion. Crafted from lightweight and breathable materials, these rugs ensure that your horse
Hybrid Horse Rugs | Crossover Mesh & Ripstop Horse Rugs
Our Hybrid Crossover Horse Rugs incorporate the best of both ripstop and mesh rugs, ensuring your horse's optimal comfort. The use of high-quality materials and innovative design provides superior breathability and ventilation. Try them yourself.
What Can Horses Eat? Safe Fruits and Vegetables for Horses
Horses love treats, but not every food is safe for them to eat. This guide explains which fruits and vegetables horses can enjoy safely in Australia, how much to feed in moderation, and why supplements are essential for maintaining long-term equine health
Horse Cooling Guide: Preventing Overheating and Heat Stress After Exercise
Australian summers put horses at risk of overheating and heat stress. Learn smart prevention tips, safe cooling techniques after exercise, and the signs of trouble. From fly mesh rugs to grooming tools, find practical ways to keep your horse safe and comf
Choosing the Right Summer Horse Rug in Australia
Summer rugs protect Australian horses from heat, insects, and UV. Learn how fly mesh, flag, and lightweight fabrics balance airflow, durability, and comfort to keep your horse cool, protected, and happy in hot conditions.
Privacy Policy
Delzani is committed to providing you with a high level of customer service. This includes protecting and maintaining the privacy, accuracy and security of your personal information. We are bound by and will abide by the National Privacy Principles in the Privacy Act (Cth) 1988 . This is in addition to our existing obligations under the Privacy Act.
What personal information do we collect and hold?
In the process of conducting our business we are likely to collect a wide range of personal information about you. The type of personal information we collect always includes your name, residential and billing address, email address, telephone or mobile numbers and products and services we provide to you. We don’t store any credit card information on our web site. We pass it onto our bank for processing.
How do we collect personal information?
Delzani collects personal information directly from you when you submit it online at Delzani.com.au . There may be occasions when we collect information from publicly available sources or third parties. This information includes names, email addresses, telephone numbers and social media profile name sourced from permission based marketing activities.
Cookies and Web beacons
A cookie is a small text file that is stored on a user’s computer for record-keeping purposes. We use cookies on this site. We use session ID cookies. We use session cookies to make it easier for you to navigate our site. A session ID cookie expires when you close you browser. If you reject cookies, you may still use our site, but your ability to use some areas of our site will be limited.
Some of our business partners (e.g. tracking utility company) use cookies and Web beacons on our site. We have no access to or control over these tracking technologies.
Delzani advertises with Google. Google may show you our ads based on your having visited our site. If you do not wish to see these ads you can opt-out by visiting the Google advertising opt-out page here http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html.
Rate and Review
If you provide a review or rating for a product available through Delzani Online we reserve the right to publish part or all of your review or rating together with your first name and suburb.
Links to Other Sites
This Website contains links to other sites that are not owned or controlled by Delzani. Please be aware that we, Delzani, are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage you to be aware when you leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every Web site that collects personally identifiable information. This privacy statement applies only to information collected by this website.
How do we use personal information?
In order to improve and better our offers and service, we may keep track of patterns of use in the e-mails and social interactions we send. By supplying us your information, you have given us permission to communicate to you via mail, e-mail, SMS, MMS, social media and telephone to inform you about services we deliver relevant to you indefinitely.
Disclosure of personal information
We may use or disclose your personal information to organisations outside Delzani for purposes relating to the management of your account with us. Such organisations include: Service providers who manage the services provided to you; mailing systems which organise delivery of the products you have purchased; live help service providers, maintenance and repair services; market research; and our professional advisers, accountants, lawyers and auditors.
We require these organisations to adhere to strict confidentiality of your personal information and also seek to ensure that they adhere to the National Privacy Principles. These service providers may not use your personal information for their own marketing purposes.
Security
Delzani takes reasonable steps to ensure that your personal information is secure. We have robust systems and procedures in place to protect your privacy whenever we collect, store and use or disclose personal information. We are continually upgrading these systems and reviewing our procedures to ensure the highest standards of security are used to protect your personal information.
How to access and amend personal information
If you wish to obtain a copy of our data privacy policy, access the personal information we hold about you or your personal information is inaccurate, incomplete outdated or to unsubscribe, please direct any queries regarding your privacy rights email sales@delzani.com.au.
The release of information is subject to some exceptions such as information relating to existing or any anticipated legal proceedings, together with exceptions provided by the Privacy Act. Our objective is to respond to any request within a reasonable timeframe and no later than 30 days.
How your information may be shared
Except for the purposes outlined in the Delzani Privacy Policy, we never sell or disclose your personal information. However, we may release personal information under the following circumstances:
-
when requested by the courts or laws (for example, a subpoena) or regulation or is requested by a government agency;
-
where we deem a company or an individual may be engaged in fraudulent activity or other deceptive practices that a governmental agency should be made aware of; and/or to appropriate persons, where your communication suggests possible harm to others.
Changes in this Privacy Policy
If we decide to change our privacy policy, we will post those changes to this document, the home page and other places we deem appropriate so that you are aware of what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we disclose it. We reserve the right to modify this privacy policy at any time, so please review it frequently. If we make material changes to this policy, we will notify you here, by email, or by means of a notice on our homepage.
Shop Now. Pay Later.
Always interest-free.
Add your favourites to cart
Select Afterpay at checkout
Log into or create your Afterpay account, with instant approval decision
Your purchase will be split into 4 payments, payable every 2 weeks
All you need to apply is to have a debit or credit card, to be over 18 years of age, and to be a resident of country offering Afterpay
Late fees and additional eligibility criteria apply. The first payment may be due at the time of purchase
For complete terms visit afterpay.com/terms