Repelent for horses

[czechsonofagun]

Bart was out eating grass before I start cutting the backyard and he was just full of flies. I have a big can of Backwoods OFF in my jeep. Decided what the heck, grabbed his halter and sprayed his fly mask and top of the nose - and flies left instantly. I was impressed so I sprayed his legs, chest, back and butt and he went on eating - I believe - much happier horse.

I don't think OFF can hurt him, it is tested on humans for pete's sake, but is there a better alternative to keep pesky insects away from him? What do you use and how often do you apply it?

 

[whistlepig]

We have tried the insect repellents. However the horses don't seem to want to help with this program. They remove the repellent by sweating, rolling in the dirt, laying in the creek, and standing in the rain. We do keep fly masks on them.

 

[tallyho8]

Our fly season is running a little late this year. May is always the worst month for flies but we didn't get our first ones till about a week ago and they are starting to peak now.

I fight the fly population on many different fronts. First, I clean my stalls daily and make a compost pile with the manure. This kills the fly eggs and prevents them from hatching. I always keep a few fresh fly strips in the barn during fly season.

I have a fogger that I use rarely because it is usually so windy that the fog just drifts right off. I don't like to use it in the evening when the wind dies because this is when the horses are in the barn and if it isn't good for me to breathe, it isn't good for them to breathe either.

I buy fly concentrates by the gallon, usually ones with different ingredients each time because I am afraid the flies will become resistant. I use my 2 gallon pump sprayer to spray the barn during the day while the horses are on pasture about once a week during the worst part of fly season.

I add a little bit of citronella oil to each batch to help repel the flies that I don't kill. I spray a little on each horse every few days to offer them some relief.

Taking these steps keeps the flies at a minimum most of the year except just during May and June. When I kept my horses in a public barn with many others who did not practice sanitary methods we had a terrible fly situation about 9 months a year.

 

[whistlepig]

I think keeping the horses outside 24/7 365 days a year helps us with the bug problem. We do have a barn with stalls and a three sided run in shed. But we keep our horses outside. The manure is removed from the run in shed twice daily. Keeping a horse in a stall seems to make a horse barn much more bug friendly.

 

[Patriotic Stabilist]

I use some stuff in the chicken house called Fly Rid, it works pretty good. But its due for a good cleaning now, have left the manure in to long and I'm sure flies are hatching.

I just can't seem to keep up or get ahead.

 

[Egon]

Flies and horses!

I can faintly recall the combination when using horses for making hay. One could run the back of your hand over the horses side and leave a streak of blood from all the flies. Nose guards were standard fare for horses.

Can't help with any repellents, sorry.

For cattle you can get the rubbing stations.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Get some fly predators. My wife has used several and says these are best:Arbico Fly Parasite Release Instructions
If you are isolated, or your neighbors use them too they will work great ... however youre a bit late in the season, so off the power curve. She says that if you live within 1/4mi of a bunch of cows reinfestation will be a problem.
larry

 

[weldingisfun]

Add a little garlic powder to the feed. When they sweat, the garlic odor comes out. A natural fly repellent.

 

[Jimbrown]

I use this it is the best I have found.

Absorbine UltraShield EX

 

[Bird]

Well, I've learned a lot of things on Tractorbynet, but this is another new one to me. I'd never heard of fly masks and nose guards for horses; had to google them and look at some pictures. If they're used in this part of the world I didn't know it.

 

[weldingisfun]

I use this it is the best I have found.

Absorbine UltraShield EX

The same product is available at TSC for much less.
Ultrashield Residual Horse Insecticide & Repellent Sprayer - 5024261 | Tractor Supply Company

 

[whistlepig]

Well, I've learned a lot of things on Tractorbynet, but this is another new one to me. I'd never heard of fly masks and nose guards for horses; had to google them and look at some pictures. If they're used in this part of the world I didn't know it.

I had a new employee at work that asked me where I lived. When I told him where I lived he knew exactly where it was. He said: "You have the farm with all the blind horses, don't you?" When I asked him why he thought our horses where blind he said "They all have patches over their eyes!" He was talking about the fly masks.

 

[riptides]

Well, I've learned a lot of things on Tractorbynet, but this is another new one to me. I'd never heard of fly masks and nose guards for horses; had to google them and look at some pictures. If they're used in this part of the world I didn't know it.

They have fly blankets too.

I use a combination of manue management, BRONCO fly repellant, AND air movement.
During this time of the year, I bring the horses in from pen/pasture at 04:00am and they go into the barn stalls. There, we have fans in each stall. They go back out in the late evening.

If we let them out in the day-time. like with yesterdays heat, the flies are on the "gross" factor. And our manure pile is about 2000 feet from the pens and pastures. And I do turn it over once a week, the birds love it.

 

[michindo]

Try this. Bags of water hung to keep flies away I heard about this before but my horses stay outside the barn. Who knows? Maybe there is something to it. Good luck.
Dennis

 

[ShenandoahJoe]

I totally misunderstood the title. I was expecting some ideas for how to keep horses away. :laughing:

 

[BobRip]

Yeah, My friend needs that. His wife keeps buying horses.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Horseoff - you spray it on yourself and horses will stay away from you. :laughing: Oh, you meant to keep bugs off of horses.