Newsletter June 2021

Hayes Equine Newsletter

June 2021

Summer is fast approaching and the biting bugs that come with it are back.   Have you ever walked into a swarm of no see um gnats and gotten bitten?  The bites can itch for days!  The same goes for your horse.  The no see ums, cuilicoides gnats, and simulium small black flies will once again be biting our horses, sending some into a itching frenzy. 

Every year I see owners in despair after their horses have rubbed out manes and long pretty tails.  These horses are allergic or have a sensitivity to the bites.  Horses will rub fences, trees and feeders.  They lose hair on their face, neck, shoulders and chest, often resulting in raw, oozing skin.  The hair loss will resemble a skin fungus, but does not respond when treated with anti-fungal shampoos. Treatment for most allergic horses is a cortisone shot and anti-itch oral medication, along with the preventative suggestions below.

1.  Apply repellant oils and sprays to discourage the biting.  Avon skin so soft, applied at a 1/3 Avon to 2/3 water ratio repels the gnats and conditions the skin.  Sprays containing DEET work best for the mane and tail.  Walmart and Amazon sell sprays that contain DEET.  Natural sprays with citronella, Equiderma natural Spray, and Wipe (an oil based Farnam product) also work.  Sprays with permethrin or pyrethrin are not very effective.  The insects bite aggressively at dawn (6am-7am) and dusk.  It is very important to apply the repellent at these times, continuing until the insects are killed by the next seasonal frost. 
2. Stall your horse from sunset to 8 am.  This is when the most bites occur.  High velocity stall fans move a lot of air and can also prevent bites, as well as cool your horse.
3. Use a mesh sheet with a belly band on pastured horses to help prevent insect bites.

 Mosquitos

All of the suggestions above work for mosquitos.

Horse flies

If you have ever been bitten by a big black horse fly?  It REALLY hurts!    No repellent works well against them, but the same oil-based gnat repellents do help. Horse flies bite during the day, but are most vicious at dusk.  They must get their last bloodmeal just before night to live another day.

Fly sheets and putting your horse inside (preferably with a fan) before sunset works the best.  This absolutely provides the most protection/relief for your horse.

 Use the same oil-based gnat repellents listed above.  No spray or wipe works well against horse flies, but they do help.

Set up fly traps.  Amazon sells Horse fly Sticky Balls and swinging cone traps that help reduce horse fly numbers.  Be sure to follow the instructions when hanging these products.  They have height requirements, and must have access to sun and wind to work.

Bot flies

This bee looking fly lays the yellow eggs on your horse’s hair, most often on the legs.  They don’t sting or bite as many people think, but they will drive your horse crazy.  Fly sprays don’t discourage these pests because they don’t land on your horse.  The eggs they deposit on the hair, if ingested by your horse, will become bot larvae.  Tools can be purchased to remove the eggs, or a pumice stone will do the job.  

EVENTS

Kings Trail Playdays are held the 3^rd Saturday of the month in Whitewright TX, in a COVERED ARENA!