The summer is upon us! For most horsey folk that means hoping for long, hot days, stretched at both ends by an early morning sunrise and late evening sunset, allowing plenty of hours for enjoying the day with your equine friend. But it isn’t all fun n’ frolics, there’s a lingering danger waiting in the wings, with their wings, to spoil your day. FLIES.
The bane of most horse owners’ lives, flies are an absolute pain during the warmer months. So which type of flies should you be looking out for specifically? And what products are on the market to help you do battle?
Standard black flies
These 2-5mm sized flies usually feed around the face and especially in the ears of your horse. Their bites cause painful lumps and pinprick bleeding.
WHAT CAN WE DO? The best policy here is prevention in the form of straightforward mesh fly masks with ear covers and using a good quality fly spray.
Midges
These breed in standing water, most active at dusk and dawn. They commonly exacerbate sweet itch, leading to patches of rubbed mane and tail.
WHAT CAN WE DO? Use a mesh fly sheet outside, a fan in the stable and invest in a really good insect repellent such as Deosect, which also protects against ticks.
Horse flies
These aptly named flies are one of the worst. They typically feed on the underbelly of your horse, the female has a nasty bite, and can be a real bother to some horses causing much distress as they attempt to rid them with their hooves. The bite causes painful wheals and papules with a distinctive central ulcer. They are mostly active in damp, sultry conditions and especially in woodland.
WHAT CAN WE DO? Horse flies rarely come into darker areas, so summer time stabling should help, plus using insecticides from your local tack shop offer the best protection. It has also been said that a striped fly rug can confuse the fly, although this has yet to be proven indefinitely, if you’re like me and hate seeing your horse constantly irritated by these little pests, you’ll try anything once!
If you’re looking for an au naturel solution to flies, then feeding your horse a small amount of garlic daily will help fend off the pesky things. The more irritating flies such as the Horse Fly will generally gravitate towards darker coloured horses as well so those of you with a grey might have a bit easier this summer.
Keep up to date with news and events by following our Facebook page.
Our insurance policies at a glance:
It has begun!!!! The arena build started yesterday and I am soooooooooooo excited (and relieved)! I did squeal when the machines turned up on the Friday ready for the Monday start! The top soil and further layer have been taken off and the fencing is ready to be started!
Owning a horse is a big financial and emotional commitment, so choosing the best livery yard is vital. So how do you go about selecting the right livery yard which suits the needs of both you and your horse? Reading this ‘how to’ guide is a great place to start.
Here we are in the midst of another lockdown. Christmas is a distant memory and as yet there is little to plan for, with more shows being cancelled than being planned. However, it is not all doom and gloom, as the Shetland Breed Show and the Shetland Performance Show are held later in the year and may well go ahead. These were two of my aims for last season, so fingers crossed.
A high point of any big race day is catching up with friends and other like-minded horse lovers over some light refreshments. But as you sip and nibble your way through a happy hour have you ever wondered what our champions of the turf are nourished on?