Flies are on their way back

[DianneC]

LOL, maybe they do. The ad says its the pattern of dark and light and they like to fly around their victim before biting. I've only see a couple of horse flies and they do panic my horses, but the fly usually won't go into the shade. Came in really handy when I was training a reluctant filly to trailer load. She was quite sure she was not going in. The horse fly came buzzing up and I'm thinking "Shoot, what bad timing" But she leapt right in the trailer and wouldn't come out until she was sure the fly was gone. So maybe a shady run-in would help during the day.

[Michelle Clarke]

Internally you can feed Sulphur and dolomite. The sulphur helps make them unpalatable (and they eat it better than garlic - which has to be fed raw for it to work for flies) and also heals any bites quickly. The magnesium in the dolomite helps balance the diet and makes them less likely to have reactions.

I get mine here:

www.jollygerman.com/products/

5 lbs. of dolomite lasts me a few weeks with 17 horses on it. I am experimenting with different ages for different reasons to see the results. I do have some sulphur but have not used it on anyone yet - plan to on a few that seems to get summer itch like your mare.

Also Apple cider vinegar (ACV) - you can use on grain or in water. I also am having great luck using Spirulina on some of the horse that get seasonal allergies either with plants or flies. 1 tsp. twice per day (I mix it with the apple cider vinegar).

Make sure the ACV is not pasturized. I buy the organic kind, Braggs, from the Vitamin Shoppe (also where I get my spirulina - their brand). If you buy it at the regular store, Hienz is not pasturized (last time I used it years ago).

Oh...the sulphur in those big yellow blocks are for cows - is not digestable to horses. We use them with our cows and it has cut down the flies a good amount.

One final note: a client used this product and had good results. I have never used it myself...

www.smartpakequine.com/ProductClass.aspx?productClassId=686&cm_sp=Category-_-TopPick-_-686

[Brandy Deck]

Michelle,
I checked out the link for the dolomite and the sulphur. Is it o.k. to give both at the same time? I am also assuming that it would not mix well with pelleted feed. We have the giant biting horse flies here that look like teradactyls. My poor horses suffer miserably in the summer. I am desperate for something that will help. I tried the garlic granules, but it did not help. It works great for ticks, not flies. We are also surrounded by cattle farms. The fly predators would likely be a waste of money.

[gotkiger]

Dito (minus the horse flies)... and with the ACV, does it help repel the flies as well or is it for the itch and what exactly is spirulina? (yeah it is pretty obvious that I never have done anything extra) Could I give that stuff in with her morning bran mash?

I have been trying to get the bug check for a few weeks, but every site I go to for some reason they cant or wont ship it to CA... but i just found a site that will and so i ordered it ... I sure hope it will help.

Oh and I talked to the vet yesterday. He said that since I am trying to treat one horse amid 4000 cows it is unlikely for a topical solution to work well enough to help her keep her face this year. He said that once the foal is 2-3 weeks old he can give Dollie a long lasting (1-2 1/2 months or possibly longer) steroid shot to hopefuly help with the itch and irritation and inflammation.

[fantasykiger]

Steriod shots did great things for Fantasy when she was having really bad reactions....Dollie will likely do well too.

[gotkiger]

I am hoping so ... I hated to see her literally rub holes into her face all last year... She even would bite her chest so much she would make herself bleed needless to say something needed to be done for her this year or I was going to go crazy just watching her (and the foal) suffer

[kigerfan]

I have found the chickens have a very strong effect on how many flies are around. They dig up the fly larvae and eat it. My chickens are free range so they are constantly digging. The first year we were here, we had no chickens, the last two years we've had them and the flies have been way less. (I know this is an old post but the time is coming around again).