Now that the weather has started warming up and we’ve all started shedding our winter layers, it’s time to start thinking about fly season. It’s that dreaded time of year where our horses start the incessant tail swishing, stomping, and in some cases, itching! Itching is one of the behaviors that owners cannot tolerate in their animals, be it dog or horse. Horses that are truly allergic to the flies and the biting midges will often rub themselves raw trying to give themselves some relief. The following are some strategies to help alleviate some of the fly behaviors that owners see, some of which needs to start now.
Environmental control: reducing the amount of manure through regular cleaning can help cut the number of flies that are attracted to certain areas. While it won’t eliminate all of the flies, it can help reduce the number that are seen. In areas where manure accumulates, such as manure piles, Fly Predators® have been shown to reduce the number of flies produced. Keep in mind that they must be applied to areas that are not high traffic as you don’t want to kill the insects that feed on the flies. Fly sprayers or misters greatly reduce the number of flies but can offer a significant startup cost. Fly traps can also help to reduce the number of flies in an area.
Topical fly control: The University of Minnesota published a study last year that found that fly sprays or products with citronella were the most effective at reducing the annoyance behaviors that horses exhibit such as stomping, tail swishing, and biting. While they don’t kill the flies, they seem to act as a deterrent. Products that kill the flies include those with pyrethrins listed as the main ingredient. Fly ointments such as SWAT should be applied to horses that have open sores where they have been itching. The most common place that people forget to check is at the lowest spot on the belly. Applying an ointment here can significantly improve your horse’s comfort. Some of the dog flea/tick medications have been proven (off label) to reduce stomping and tick adhering by applying to each leg, although this can be an expensive option.
Mechanical fly control: this is the use of fly sheets and fly masks. Many horses gain relief from the flies by using barriers. While in Texas, fly sheets aren’t ideal due to the heat (they’re much hotter than you’d think), in the spring and fall they can provide some significant help. Fly masks can be worn for more of the season, but be careful when lots of sweating occurs as you don’t want to trap moisture. Some companies have put out anklets for your horse that buckle on and act as a fly deterrent. These products actually work quite well at reducing the number of flies on the legs.
Itch relief: many horses develop a fly allergy or “Sweet Itch” in the summer, especially here in Texas. This can show up as anywhere from mild itching to complete hair loss and open sores. Many of these horses will benefit from antihistamines such as Tri-Hist or hydroxyzine (prescription only). Some horses will progress to the point that steroid injections are needed to suppress the immune system. This has its drawbacks as horses are more likely to get ill while on steroids. A product that has recently been shown to give itchy horses some major relief is Apoquel, an anti-itch drug that was created for dogs with allergies. While Apoquel is very expensive to start, the tapering dose means that it won’t cost nearly as much as you get further into treatment. It is much safer to use than steroids because it doesn’t suppress the entire immune system.
While no product is 100% effective in the prevention of fly landing or in stopping allergies, we can significantly increase our horse’s comfort level through judicious use of deterrents and itch relief starting early in the season. As always, if you have an questions, feel free to contact your veterinarian.
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