How can I protect my pony from flies?

Question

This is a very serious question and I am asking for help befroe the really warm weather arrives. I live in eastern France and every summer my shetland ponty get badly bitten by flies. I bought him a suit (Snuggy Hood) which covers most of his body but after I put it on he rolls un the ground until it comes off. I have treated him with various sprays and rubs, I have bought a product calles ECOBAIT which acts as a fly trap but nome of these help.
Does anyone know a sure fire treatment
Thnkas

Answer 1

The best therapy for any insect hypersensitivity is to avoid the offending creatures, though it is not always that simple. Midges tend to breed in wet areas, such as lakes and streams, or even puddles and water troughs. These are the flies which cause the most irritation to horses, and are likely to cause allergic reaction (sweet itch) in sensitive animals.

You can reduce the likelihood of your horse coming into contact with midges by doing the following:

* Remove horses from midge breeding areas and clean water troughs regularly
* Stable the horse from about 4pm to 8am when midges are at their worst
* Use insect-proof mesh on the windows and door of stables
* Hang insect-repellent strips in the stable
* Use strong ceiling fans, as midges cannot fly against a strong air current
* Apply a solution of benzyl benzoate diluted half-and-half with water, liquid paraffin or cod liver oil to the affected areas
* Use an effective insect repellent daily (Check this link for information on fly repellents: http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/horsecare/1370/56161.html ).
* There are several rugs on the market designed to reduce the area available for flies to bite, which have proved both popular and successful. The snuggy hoods rug has a reputation for being too warm, whereas the boett blanket is tolerated by most horses. (Check the link: http://www.sweet-itch.co.uk/boett.html ).

Consult your vet to confirm the diagnosis of sweet itch, and get expert advice. In severe cases, where the skin is extremely sore and uncomfortable, your vet may consider using steroids to control the skin irritation.

Whatever product you try, it is sensible to test it on a small area of skin first, as some horses will be sensitive to lotions applied to sore skin.

I don't know if it is available in France, but many of my clients use a product called Camrosa, with astonishing results. (See this link: http://www.camrosa.co.uk/ ). It has multiple uses, but works very well at stopping the symptoms of sweet itch.

Good luck with your pony. You obviously care very much about his welfare...

Answer 2

Ask a vet and also see if you can get something that is not a chemical to spray on your pony. There may be only one solution though and it is a spray that you will need to spray on it. Talk to the vet, just call the office. Those darned horse flies bite so hard, they take chunks of skin and tissue out in one bite. So when you spray keep a bit of distance from the pony and spray away from the face of the pony and make sure the wind is not blowing so the horse don't get it in the face and eyes. It also don't hurt to give your pony a shanmpoo every now and then, They really like that. A light spray of chemical repellent is better than none. Check out to see if you can get some organic spray. hey, maybe some local horse breeders or farms or even health stores where you live may have some healthy ideas. Check a google search too. Never use stuff made for humans, like that '" Off "stuff. That stuff is concentrated. I remember using a large sprayer that I had to pump up, about 35 years ago, and use it on my grandma's cows. I just sprayed the area arounf the cow and never saturated the cows. Never braid the tail, they use it to swat the flies away from them. Stand back away from the pony when you spray so it is not concentrated and soaks into the skin and gets the horse sick. I wish you the best of luck.

Answer 3

add brewers yeast and garlic or applecider vinegar to his diet. the easiest way to do this is to put it in his grainwith some molasses since they alltaste awful :) but by suplementig this into this diet everyday it'll help because the way that these substances leave the body ( inhumans as well as horses) is through their pores by sweat. And they stink :) ( not enough to bother youor the horse) but definitly enough to bother the flies. If you start now you should notice a significant reduction inthe spring when the flies and mosquitos arrive.
apple cider vinegar isprobly th best since it is an antioxidant and is good for all other things also. :) hope this is a good idea.
also, check to ake sure his fly sheat is fitted properly and there are different straps available so try a diferent kind to see if it keeps it more securely on :)
good luck :)
also. a little of that grosse Off! spray just on the tip of his nose and under his belly and in his ears will at least keep them from burrowing and those are the most sensitive spots.

Answer 4

I would get a flysheet with leg straps. If you have leg straps and a bellyband/strap of some sort, the blanket will stay on, even with rolling. You can also buy fly sheet type leg wraps, mask, hoodie, etc.
Here is an example of what I mean by a fly sheet that won't fall off.
http://www.sstack.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=6887&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=91&iSubCat=96&iProductID=6887

Nothing really works to get rid of flies that isn't harmful to the horse You could spray the ground, but you are going to get a ton of pesticides and bad stuff on the grass your horse will eat.

Another thing: horses get bitten up by flies, but as long as they do not show a reaction, don't worry too much. They learn to deal with them. One way is to roll around and get as muddy as possible. The more muddy, the less flies can get to their skin.

Answer 5

My pony was always sensitive to fly spray so my vet suggested using White vinegar. Your pony will smell like a salad for a little bit but I found that it actually worked. All the grooms at my barn now use it. Plus it also makes them very shiny!!!

Answer 6

Here in the U.S.A. they have a cream that is called "Flies Off", it work very well. If you have a pet shop near bye or a block & Tackle shop nearby they should be able to help you!

Answer 7

You should spray bug spray on it. That should kill the flies and other bugs.

Answer 8

ok...though I do not own horses...there are several products on teh market that are easy to get. Here is just one link.
you can also do a search for flie control for horses.

http://www.consumermatch.com/wplist/wid/149/pcid/93138/wn/Fly-and-Pest.html

Answer 9

surface spray for bugs, seriously my vet told me to use it on my dog, hes still alive

Answer 10

Clip his wings.