how do you deal with flies

how do you protect your horse from the flies?

  • fly rug & spray

    Votes: 17 35.4%

  • fly rug no spray

    Votes: 3 6.3%

  • just spray

    Votes: 22 45.8%

  • nothing

    Votes: 4 8.3%

  • other

    Votes: 9 18.8%
  • Total voters
    48
beki x-x

beki x-x

uses to many smilies :o
Oct 1, 2008
2,791
0
0
doddinghurst Essex
in the summer, what do you do to protect your horse from flies
if you use an alternative to spray (gel/roll on etc) just count it as spray pleassseeeee :D
 
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Fly spray and/or fly liquid (Coopers), sometimes fly rug - depends if there is any chance of rain and how bad flies are. Fly mask or fringe (depends if she has muzzle on or not) and I feed garlic in summer :).
 
We get flies and midges quite badly where we are, and my boy has had nasty reactions to bites in the past, so I tend to rug as much as possible, although I've not yet found a fly rug I'm happy with :rolleyes: and spray as well. Last year I used Barrier Healthcare Super Plus, and when that stopped having an effect, I had a go at making my own (which just made him smell like a slightly flowery fish and chip shop and gave me a craving for chips :rolleyes:) but this year I'm going to give a more natural approach and try the one from Hippy Horse :) and possibly try feeding garlic cloves again. I tried it one year and it seemed to help, but we were at another yard - where we are now has a slightly marshy area and a stream close by which attracts the beggars. I never found granulated garlic made a difference.
 
i tried garlic granuals and she seemed to have more midges round her than the other horse./... then read up a bit more about it and there's a theory garlic deters flys but ATTRACTS midges!!!
honey started headshaking from the midges last year so this year i'm going for.... spray etc, full fly fug, full face mask, fly free suppliment and may have her in the cattle courts during the day if as bad as last year :(
 
I feed garlic (all year round though) and in the summer monthly treatments of Deosect. Slight overkill but I also spray daily with repellant I mix myself ( in a litre spray bottle; 3/4 cider vinegar topped up with water 5or 6 drops of citronella and a drop of washing up liquid) I am a bit over the top but I found out from his first owner recently who had him for 4 years that he had to wear a fly rug as he was bothered so much, did'nt have a single rub so must have worked!
 
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Flare has SI and I've never managed this condition before - but he will be wearing a Rambo Sweet Itch Hoodie as this managed it well in his previous home. He also has a Boett face mask so will be wearing that and I will be using Avon Skin So Soft and Sudocreme to protect any areas that are still exposed.

When riding I plan to slather him in Avon Skin So Soft as it's meant to be very effective against midge bites. If that doesn't work I'll be on here asking for advice!!
 
I used to do home made fly spray but then I moticed that my fields mates fly spray was keeping the flies away for longer so I bought that instead.

I have an unused flysheet that Joy cam with as she's never needed it.
 
The shetlands have fly repellent, and spend alot of time together nose to tail.
Zebedee has a low tolerence to flys so he has fly spray, rug and fringe, as he is earshy can't put a mask on.
Bertie doesn't seem bothered at all so he has fly spray and a face mask otherwise he would stand there all day with a face full of flys, yuck.
 
Storm hates rugs with a passion so they're a no go specially in summer! I bought a Shires Fly rug for them both one year, Joe looked like he was frying in his and Storm simply hated hers so much she tried to kill it! I spray them regularly throughout the day with whichever fly spray I buy from the vet. I also use a roll on one on their manes. If they're looking really miserable I put them inside for a while and then back out later and keep them out till evening. also, Storm got stung many times by trapped wasps under her fly rug.
 
My horse is really bothered by flies and has quite an allergic reaction to them. She doesn't have sweetich just comes up in lumps when bitten. I have bought her a rambo sweetich hoody and an equilibrium fly mask and she has worn it for the last two summers and been perfectly happy in it. When we go out for a ride I put fly spray on her. It was about £90 for the rug and £25 for the mask so the initial outlay was alot but the good flysprays are about £10 a time and they don't last long at all so we have saved money in the long run and I have a happy horse.
 
Because i use Pig oil and Sulpher on Nelly's legs and a smear of it over his sheath.;) he hardly gets any fly problems,flies seem to HATE the piggy mix.
He does wear a fly rug ,with neck,more for cleanlyness for showing ,than through necessity.;) :D
 
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