| MAY 2026 NL FLY AND GNAT CONTROL Spring is here, and so are the insects and allergies to insect bites. Horses that itch the top of their tail, butt, belly, mane and neck should receive treatment now. These horses have an allergy to the small Simulium flies and Culicoides Gnats, and will have a reaction every summer. Fly spray alone will not provide relief. Skin So Soft diluted with water 1:3 seems to work the best as a repellant. Because of its scent and oil content, it stays on the hair and heals the skin. MTG is also effective because it contains Sulphur and mineral oil. Repel or Deep Woods Off contain Deet, which repels gnats. Natural fly sprays that have citronella do help to repel gnats and flies, and you can reapply them often. A mist spray covers the skin but doesn’t last long. It is very important that you apply the Skin so Soft or other gnat repellant spray in the first hour in the morning when the sun comes up. That is when the gnats come out to bite for their first meal. Reapply during the last daylight hour before the sun goes down. Be sure to treat the areas of itching and hair loss EVERY DAY. For relief of the itching, an antihistamine or anti itch medication and a cortisone injection is indicated, but you must continue gnat control by spraying every am and pm. When we have a hard frost or freeze in Oct/Nov that kills the gnats, the horse will have relief until next spring. POPPING NOISES IN HORSES LEGS The popping or creaking noises that you hear when your horse walks can come from joints, tendons, or ligaments. The noises are normal and not necessarily a sign of joint disease. When the horse moves or shifts weight from one leg to another, the tendons and ligaments slide over prominences on the bone near the joint which makes the popping sound. It is most common in young growing, old and out of shape horses. In young horses that are butt high in their stage of growth, the tendons of the hind legs are stretched and tight especially around the stifle. When the front end catches up and grows taller it makes the topline level and the popping noises go away. In old horses, the tendons and ligaments around the joints are no longer tight and strong and often sagging on the back of the fetlock joints when the horse walks. This laxity of the tendons can cause the popping sounds from the ligaments or joints. The popping sounds from joints are from gas bubbles in the joint fluid and negative pressure upon joint flexion moving the air. This is the cause of the sound heard when people crack their knuckles. Studies of people cracking their knuckles showed that there was not an increased risk of joint disease, grip strength, or range of motion. If the popping sound is heard with pain, lameness, heat or swelling of the joint, then it may be a sign of injury or disease. Then it would be best to have the horse examined by your veterinarian. Castration Signs May 5-11 June 1-8. Durant Rodeo May 29, 30. |
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