KM Elite Fly Mask Long with Ears (Extra Small)

Cashel Crusader Fly Mask Long with Ears – Extra Small

This is the smallest end of the Crusader Long with Ears, a hand-made Cashel mask in grey plastic-coated mesh that runs from the ears down over the nose. The three-hole cap takes both ears and the forelock, which is what holds a small mask in place on a head that has less to grip in the first place.

Small heads get the worst of it in a fly year, because a pony's eyes sit lower and closer to the grass where the flies are. The mesh blocks around 70% of damaging UV, and the eye darts keep it clear of the lashes rather than resting on them — important on a pony that will otherwise rub its face along a fence line all afternoon.

Performance & Benefits

• Three-hole cap takes both ears and the forelock, which is what stops the mask sliding round the head.
• Eye darts hold the mesh clear of the eye rather than letting it sit against the lashes.
• Plastic-coated mesh blocks around 70% of damaging UV rays, which KM Elite link to reduced Head Shaking Syndrome symptoms.
• Long style, so the mesh carries down over the nose as well as the eyes.
• Cut to sit close at the edges, so flies cannot crawl in under the rim.
• Hand-made by Cashel; Horse Journal Product of the Year 2008.

Suitable For

• Ponies and small, fine-headed horses turned out through the fly season.
• Pink-skinned muzzles that burn, where the nose coverage does the real work.
• Ponies that rub their eyes and faces raw on fence rails and gateposts.
• Horses showing signs of Head Shaking Syndrome in bright light.
• Not a ridden mask — the Cashel Crusader Quiet Ride is the version made to be worn under a bridle.

How to Use

• Fit it to the same size as the horse's halter — that is how Cashel size the Crusader.
• Settle the forelock and both ears into the three-hole cap before fastening, so nothing is folded over.
• Check the mesh sits clear of the lashes on both sides before you turn out.
• Take the mask off daily, shake the grit out of the mesh and look at both eyes.
• Rinse in cool water and air dry. KM Elite publish no washing instructions for this mask, so treat it gently.

Specification

• Long style with ears: mesh over the eyes and down the nose, with a three-hole ear and forelock cap.
• Grey plastic-coated mesh with black trim.
• Blocks around 70% of damaging UV rays.
• SKU 1001981. Barcode 5060171233596.
• Cashel size this mask by halter size and KM Elite list the fittings as Foal, Weanling, Yearling, Arab, Horse, Warmblood and Draft. They do not publish an Extra Small fitting for the Crusader Long, so match it to the pony's halter size before ordering.
• KM Elite publish no washing instructions and no mesh weight for this mask, so none are stated here.

Care & Caution

• Grit, chaff and grass seed trapped inside the mesh sit directly against the cornea. Take the mask off and shake it out every day rather than leaving it on for a week.
• A fly mask hides the eye it is protecting. Check both eyes daily for discharge, swelling or squinting.
• This is not a breakaway mask. Do not leave it on a horse turned out with others that pull at rugs and masks.
• Stop using the mask once the mesh is torn or a dart is broken — a loose panel can fold back against the eye.