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Those pesky flies are relentless, they never give up, plaguing your horse/s and making them grumpy. Luckily there are ways and things you can do to make your horses’ summer less annoying.
These annoying little buggers can bite your horse and feed on it’s blood, or mass gather around your poor horses’ eyes feeding from the fluid and some may lay eggs. Some flies also carry bacteria which in turn can cause infection.
Sweet itch is an insect hypersensitivity where your horse has responded badly from the salvia of a midge bite which has resulted in skin lesions aggravated by constant rubbing by your horse.
Instead of paying the hefty price your vet is going to charge you to come out and see your horse, prevent these flies from getting to your horse in the first place – best solution is to prevent your horse from exposure to these flies.
If you can, keep your horse away from any water courses or low hanging trees in your paddock, as this is the ideal environment for flies to congregate, lay their eggs and buzz around.Â
Making your own insect repellent which includes tea tree oil, cider vinegar and citronella is also another option however if you don’t have the inclination or confidence to do this I would highly recommend to buy horse fly repellent from the experts who have tested and created formulas which actually work. Also, be careful if your horse competes as some substances are prohibited.
Athena is our Equine specialist, who has been riding and competing (predominantly in show jumping) since the age of 6 years old.
She also has a diploma in Equine management and has 3 horses of her own.
