Fighting Flies in the Heat of the Summer
Fly season is upon us. It is time to protect your horse from the onslaught of the black menaces. Did you know that there are over 16,000 fly species are found in North America, and of those, 300 are horesfly and deerly species. Fortunately, only a small number of these are likely to menace you and your horse. The species you are most apt to encounter depends on the region of the country, in our area, the worst toublemakers on the trail include the horsefly, deerfly, blackfly and on occasion, the horn fly. The most annoying of these are the biting deer flies which suddenly disappear in September.
There are many fly sprays out on the market, so take care that you test them on your horse as some can cause an allergic reaction to your horses skin. In some cases, sensitive horses will develop many bumps which can be cleared up easily by treating him with various drugs you can aquire from your vet. If your horse tolerates garlic, feed him a supplement with each meal. You can also mix lavender, lemon, skin so soft and rub on your horses ears and face to repell the nasty menaces.
A correctly fitting fly mask is a must for horses turned out in open fields.You can also use a light fly sheet to protect the body of your horse.
Flies are day time biters, most active on sunny still days. So if possible ride at the end of the day or first thing in the morning…happy trails!