Help with identification of the net on the horse? The photo was taken about 1900 on a family farm. I think the netting on the horse was used to repel insects. The netting was obviously...

Barn Owl

The photo was taken about 1900 on a family farm. I think the netting on the horse was used to repel insects. The netting was obviously to large to stop most insects. It would seem logical to me, for that time, to dip the netting in coal oil or kerosene and then place the netting on the horse.

Country Boy Loc: Beckley, WV

Is it just my eyes? There appears to be the head of another person just past the child in the saddle. There are no feet or body parts showing under the horse and the size of the head looks twice as large as the child's head. Just looks odd.

Floyd Loc: Misplaced Texan in Florence, Alabama

Country Boy wrote:

Is it just my eyes? There appears to be the head of another person just past the child in the saddle. There are no feet or body parts showing under the horse and the size of the head looks twice as large as the child's head. Just looks odd.

I strongly suspect there is another persoon on the other side of the horse because of the hand that is holding the child in the saddle and the darker shadow between the horses' front feet.

drucker Loc: Oregon

Yes, they were used to keep insects off the draft horses when in harness and their tails were hampered from swinging and they couldn't swing their head to dislodge a particularly pesky horsefly. When the last of the horses and harness were sold in the early 60s, they didn't take the horse fly nets. Last I knew there were still enough for about eight teams hanging on the harness racks in the horse barn at my grandfather's place. They are big enough to cover the whole body of the Belgians over the harness. The sides hung down like fringe that swung as the horses walked. I don't remember them ever being soaked in anything to repel the insects. Thanks for jogging my memories of the "gentle giants" that were such a part of my childhood times at my grandparents farm.

IDguy Loc: Idaho

Barn Owl wrote:

The photo was taken about 1900 on a family farm. I think the netting on the horse was used to repel insects. The netting was obviously to large to stop most insects. It would seem logical to me, for that time, to dip the netting in coal oil or kerosene and then place the netting on the horse.

Saw one in a local museum in New Mexico a few days ago. The docent asked if we knew what it was. My new wife did! The docent said she was the first in 30 years.

That one went over the butt so amplified tail movements.

fotobyferg

Yes, it’s a flynet for horses. They were made in various materials to cover neck, body, head or all three. I have an antique body cover.
They are still made today, mostly in nylon with varying weave. I have several different types depending upon what I am doing with my horses (riding, driving, trailering).

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

Fly net.

hassighedgehog Loc: Corona, CA

Years ago there were people who would take a pony around and take pictures of your children on them. I was just looking up online what they were called when I found a Facebook site for "The Picture Pony Company" in Ohio. They have been in business for 37 years.

Bluefish Loc: Berks County, PA

Country Boy wrote:

Is it just my eyes? There appears to be the head of another person just past the child in the saddle. There are no feet or body parts showing under the horse and the size of the head looks twice as large as the child's head. Just looks odd.

Something spooky about that.

Barn Owl

Country Boy, There are definitely two men by the horse with the netting. Lack of detail for the one man is because of the age and condition of the old photo.

Barn Owl

Drucker, Thanks for your response. I mentioned the soaking of the netting because I could not understand how the spacing in the netting could prevent the biting by the horse flies. Based on your experience, guess the netting was definitely a help to the horses.

Barn Owl

fotobyferg, Thanks for your helpful response. Knew about the modern netting.

Barn Owl

jaymatt, Thanks for your response.

drucker Loc: Oregon

As I remember it, the only time the fly nets were used was when the horses were in harness. The style grandpa used were made from cords maybe one-half to three-quarters of an inch apart attached to a band that went down the horses back. The cords draped over the sides of the horse and each ended in a knot that created a "fringe" around the bottom that swayed as the horse moved. There were a couple of horizontal cords on each side that kept the vertical cords evenly spaced. The horses were generally moving so the nets moved around a bit and the flies wouldn't usually go in-between the cords.

Just had a flashback of how heavy and odoriferous the nets were when they were soaked with horse sweat! It's amazing how well I can remember that smell even though its been 60+ years. And there isn't any easy way of getting the net off a Belgian whose back is higher than your head, so you weren't just smelling it -- you are wearing it!

Barn Owl

drucker, Thanks for the details of the fly netting. You have an excellent memory of events. Wonder in which country and date the netting was first used?