how do you keep horse flys from bothering horses?

Question

my horse goes nuts when a horse fly is bothering him...i have to take him a sugar cube to get him to hold still so i can kill the horse fly
how do i get rid of the horse flys

Answer 1

don't tie wings on to your horses...horses arn't meant to fly! ^_^

Answer 2

get some fly spray, n there r also fly sheets, and fly masks u can put on the horse. if u go 2 a horse shop they will prolly have fly traps 2 hang round the barn. hope this helps :)

Answer 3

Horse flys are named so because of their size. They are not the kind of fly that the feed through products work on. They are not specifically attracted to horses. Instead they are drawn to water and carbon dioxide which they need to reproduce. Because they are blood feeders they are drawn to large dark warm objects = horses.

The only fly spray I have found that works to repel them is Bite Free by Farnam. You do need a chemical spray for Them unfortunately. Spray your horse at least twice a day until he is wet with th spray. Horse flys are most active at dawn and dusk, and prefer pastures near creeks ponds swamps and sandy lakes.

Horse fly season is fairly short in my area. Because horse flys are so vicious I outfit my horses in Rambo brand fly sheets to protect them. The heavy mesh is impossible for the horse flys to bite through. My horses have the sheet with neck rug, boots, and masks. I have had horses go crazy from the bites and go through fences, so I spare no precaution to protect them.

When ever I have an opportunity to squish one I do! I have been bit by these nasty beasts and they HURT! I can not imagine how the horses feel getting bit over and over and over by these 1" - 2" pests. So don't just shoo them away, smack 'em to the ground a grind them with your boot. They move slow.

There are traps on the market, but they only get a few so prevention is the best protection in my book.

I feel your pain!

Answer 4

Buy Bite Free flyspray from Farnam; depending on what store you get it from, the price will also vary - BUT IT IS THE BEST STUFF THAT MONEY CAN BUY!!! I have an 8 year old, 16 hand Appaloosa gelding and he HATES flies - he just goes nuts, can't stand them. This stuff is like his Trail Elixir - keeps the flies and mosquitoes off!

Answer 5

use a good fly trap to help keep them down.
a good horse fly spray will help keep the off there body and swatt will keep the flys away from eyes and face. also use a good fly mask.

Answer 6

Well there is a little trick with hanging a Ziploc bag with water and 3 or 2 pennies and it works great. It is a great way to get rid of flies.

Answer 7

get some fly spray. i use ultrashield. you can get it at most tack stores. there is also fly sheets, masks, and boots. they can get exspensive so i would just get fly spray. if you don't have any tack stores around go to horse.com. they sell fly spray cheap. also a some vinager to the fly spray. this really keeps the flys away and won't hurt your horse.

Answer 8

obviously you can buy sprays in your local tack shop, but I found these still wouldnt work properly so I made up my own by diluting a few drops of olbus oil with some water and rubbing it onto my horse with a sponge - the smell, whilst diluted with water will be hugely drowned out - its still plenty strong to put off flies!

Answer 9

Are you using flyspray on him? This will deter the horseflies, but won't get rid of them. There are feed-through suppliments that you add to his grain ration which kill the fly larvae in his manure. It may cut down on the horsefly population, at least.

Answer 10

I find the best way to control flies is to clean up the horse poop in the morning and keep it clean all day.

Answer 11

Try diluting Palmolive dish detergent with salt water and put it in a spray bottle. This works on almost every flying pest! Also works in the garden on plants for other bugs.