Flies have always been the scourge of horses and barn owners alike. As a long-time equestrian and horse owner, my horses and I have been tormented by flies. Equestrians spend thousands of dollars annually trying to control this buzzing pestilence with bottled fly sprays, fly sheets, and barn fly spray systems. Frustratingly, nothing seems to work.

Multiple wheelbarrows are a common feature in every barn. We use them for manure removal, grain and hay storage and a myriad of other things. Often, when cleaning stalls, we don’t completely fill the wheelbarrow and it sits, drawing swarms of flies, until it’s full enough to dump. 

 

Over the years I have used beach towels, baby crib sheets, tarps, you name it I've tried it … to cover wheelbarrows in the, frequently, vain attempt to curb the fly infestation. None of these offered a solution to this annoying problem.  We began experimenting with garbage bags, thinking that an upscale, reusable “shower cap” for wheelbarrows could address the problem; thus, The Wheelbarrow Sombrero was born.