Does Your Horse Suffer From a Leg Condition?
Full-leg protection designed to help horses live more comfortably - every day.
Flies
Hypersensitivity
QLD itch
Clean legs
Stomping
Agitation
Allergies
Bot Infestation
Summer Sores
Leg Injury
Sun
Competition Preparation
Pollen
Manure
Urine
Mosquitoes
Midges
Protect Dressings
Promote Healing
Break the Allergy Cycle
Reduce Stress
Protecting Every Horse, Every Day
Over 20 reasons to Protect Your Horse's Legs
Horses are tough. But some conditions make every day a battle. Constant rubbing, biting, weeping skin, and restless behaviour that breaks your heart to watch.
Canterpants® was born from exactly that struggle. Designed by a horse owner who watched her Arabian mare Reena suffer from fly biting and bleeding legs, Canterpants® provides full-leg protection that's breathable, durable, and kind to sensitive skin.
Whether your horse is dealing with chronic fly irritation; sweet itch; Queensland itch; allergies to sun, grasses or pollens; insect bites; urine or manure scalding; or simply stomping - we've got them covered. Literally.
Chronic Fly Irritation & Fly Biting
Flies are more than just a nuisance. For some horses, constant fly irritation triggers obsessive biting and kicking at their own legs, causing open wounds, hair loss, and significant distress. The cycle is relentless: flies land, the horse reacts, skin breaks down, and flies are attracted back to the wound.
Canterpants® creates a physical barrier between flies and skin, breaking the cycle from the moment they go on. No sprays, no chemicals, just reliable, breathable coverage that lets your horse get on with being a horse.
Sweet Itch & Queensland Itch
Sweet itch, known in Australia as Queensland Itch, is caused by an allergic reaction to the saliva of biting midges (Culicoides).
For affected horses, midge season means intense itching, relentless rubbing, and self-inflicted skin damage that can take weeks to heal.
Many Queensland Itch sufferers hesitate to use leg coverings in hot, humid conditions, and it's an understandable concern. But here's what most horse owners don't realise: a horse in an allergic state already generates excess heat, and direct sun on inflamed skin makes it worse.
Canterpants® are made from cool, breathable cotton that absorbs moisture and allows evaporative cooling, meaning they can actually help keep legs cooler than leaving them exposed to radiant heat and biting midges.
Full-leg coverage shields vulnerable skin from midge bites at the source.
Combined with good management practices, full-leg coverage helps break the itch-rub cycle and keeps sensitive horses more comfortable through the worst of midge season.
Allergies - Sun, Grasses, Pollens & More
Not all leg irritation comes from insects. Many horses develop contact or environmental allergies, reacting to grasses, pollens, dust, or prolonged sun exposure on sensitive skin.
Pink-skinned and light-coloured horses are particularly vulnerable to sunburn and photosensitive reactions on their legs, while others can develop hives, swelling, or chronic skin irritation from simply standing in a paddock.
Canterpants® creates a physical barrier between your horse's skin and the environment, reducing contact with irritating grasses and pollens, and providing UV protection without the mess of sunscreen.
By limiting continual exposure to the allergen, Canterpants® helps break the exposure cycle that keeps sensitive skin in a constant state of reaction. Breathable cotton keeps legs cool while shielding skin from environmental triggers.
For horses in acute flare-up, veterinary treatment to manage inflammation and relieve itch remains essential. Canterpants® work best as part of a complete management plan.
Insect Bites & Hypersensitivity
Beyond midges and flies, many horses develop hypersensitivity to a broader range of biting insects, like mosquitoes, sandflies, march flies, and more.
For sensitive horses, even a small number of bites can trigger a disproportionate reaction: hives, localised swelling, hair loss, and intense itching that leads to rubbing and self-inflicted damage.
Canterpants® cover the complete leg, dramatically reducing the number of bites a sensitive horse receives, helping to minimise the frequency and severity of hypersensitive reactions. And because they're loose fitting, there's no risk of bites through the fabric - giving your horse more comfortable days and fewer flare-ups.
As with other allergic conditions, horses with severe hypersensitivity may also benefit from veterinary management alongside physical protection.
Urine & Manure Scalding
Horses suffering from incontinence or loose manure often have persistent urine and manure contact on their legs. Beyond the management challenges, prolonged exposure can cause burning and skin breakdown on sensitive skin, a problem that compounds quickly with repeated exposure.
Canterpants® form a barrier between the contaminant and the skin, keeping legs cleaner and giving irritated or scalded skin the chance to heal. They're not waterproof, so a heavy urine burden will wet the fabric, but because they're loose-fitting and dry quickly, they don't sit against the skin and still provide meaningful protection in most situations.
For horses where this is a particular concern, Canterpants® can be treated with a fabric water-repellent spray to add an extra layer of resistance - making them even more effective as part of your management routine.
Stomping & Self-Inflicted Damage
Stomping is one of the most common, and most underestimated causes of leg damage in horses.
What starts as a natural response to fly irritation can become a deeply ingrained habit, even when flies aren't present. Repeated stomping on hard ground can cause concussive stress on joints and hooves, with potential for serious injury. And the stress response can mean a prolonged cortisol response, potentially impacting general health and immune response.
Canterpants® address stomping at the source by reducing the fly irritation that triggers it in the first place. With legs protected from biting insects, many horses naturally stomp less (or not at all), breaking the habit cycle before it causes lasting damage.
Bot Flies & Infestation Prevention
Bot flies are a seasonal menace, and for some horses, their presence alone is enough to trigger frantic behaviour and self-inflicted injury.
Canterpants® provides a physical barrier that prevents bot flies from laying their eggs directly on your horse's legs, significantly reducing the risk of infestation.
And for horses that become dangerously agitated at the sight or sound of bot flies, the full-leg coverage offers an added layer of calm - less exposed skin means less stimulus, and less chance of your horse hurting themselves in a panic.
Leg Injuries & Post-Injury Protection
Horses are remarkably accident-prone: wire cuts, fence strikes, kicks, and abrasions are an everyday reality for many owners. Once a wound is on the leg, keeping it clean, protected from flies, and free from further interference becomes a full-time job.
Canterpants® can be used as a protective layer over dressings or healing skin, keeping wounds clean, reducing fly strike risk on open injuries, and preventing horses from biting or rubbing at their own recovery.
The loose fit means they can sit comfortably over bandaging without applying pressure, while the breathable cotton allows airflow to support healing.
For horses prone to leg injuries, Canterpants® worn as a preventative measure also provide a layer of physical protection against minor knocks, scrapes, and fence contact during turnout, reducing the frequency of injuries in the first place.
Farrier & Dental Appointments
Fidgeting, tail-swishing, and stomping can make a farrier's job far harder than it needs to be.
Canterpants® help horses stand quietly and calmly during appointments, and because they cover the entire leg, there's no need for fly repellents - so legs stay dry and grip-friendly for your farrier.
Made with 100% cotton and tried and tested by our own farrier, Canterpants® are also naturally fire-resistant, a reassuring bonus around the forge.
Competition Preparation
Keeping legs pristine before a competition can be a challenge. Rolling after a wash and the float ride to the venue can mean a re-wash the morning of the show.
Canterpants® protect legs from the stress manure of travel and competition anxiety.
They also protect from insects while standing in their yard, stable, or tied to the float.
Arrive at the arena with clean legs and a settled horse, ready to perform.
Ready to Give Your Horse the Protection They Deserve?
Canterpants® are Australian-made, breathable, and built to last - because every horse deserves to live without pain.