Anyone else being plagued by horse flies?

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RachelB

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We seem to have a plague of horse flies at work this year... normally it is bot flies but I've only seen three of them so far (maybe we killed them all off last year?! I can hope
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) We do have millions and millions of huge great dirty horse flies though
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Quite a few horses are coming in with blood on them - those without fly rugs have blood on their necks and shoulders mostly, and those with fly rugs are still getting bitten on their bellies and any exposed bits. Some horses seem tastier than others... some will stand and look miserable until we get them in, some will kick and kick and kick, and some will go plain nuts and gallop madly until we get them in. The buggers are even following us back to the stables though
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I was just wondering if we are alone or whether horse flies are on the up this year in general? Makes a change from the bot flies I suppose... and the horrible horrible crab flies we had at home a couple of years back *shudder*
 
yes yes yes! bledy things!!

I havent been able to ride my 3 year old for the past few days because of them!! She threw a wobbly the other day kicking out and trying to get them off when i was on her! I squashed as many as i could but in the end i finished on a good note as quickly as i could!

We have just had the grass cut for hay so i assumed the influx was due to that. I thinks its the long grass though, as when i ride over my friends field i have no problem as its very short grass?

I havent seen one bott fly all year!!

its so frustrating!
 
I was just thinking the same thing. They seem to have emerged early this year to plague the life out of horse and human. My gelding being a connie x TB seems to tolerate the flies much better than my very thin skinned warmblood mare. I have to truss her up like a chicken to try and keep her covered. I have even seen her try to head butt flies she get's that frustrated with them.
 
yes! Horse came out the field other day had 20 on one side of his neck, about 5 on thoe other ,was bitten badly, theres at least 5/6 every day at the minute I splat
 
I got to the yard today and the horses were going mad, my mare gave me the most desperate whinny and came blasting down the field!! Turned out they were being bitten to hell by horse flies. Haven't had them at this yard before, we get seriously plagued by midges, (head burying nasty blighters!) but not horse flies... I had to bring them in and wash them down as they'd got themselves into a right plava!! I just hope they are passing by, I can't stand horse flies. Does anyone know of a good repellant???
 
Yes!!! Was terrible yesterday, poor horse was eaten alive and one flew up my nose
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Not an experience I would care to go through again
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Yep, they 'arrived' at our yard today, in force.
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My mare has gone out in her armour - big bug rug and a mask - combined with a grazing muzzle... all you can see are her feet poking out of the bottom.
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I find that the Barrier Super Plus fly spray keeps them at bay: http://www.barrier-biotech.com/product.php?pid=SP - I watched them fly over, hover around and then buzz off without landing today when I used it
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We are being driven mad by them. Most horses will only stay out for a hour or so before they want to come in or start galloping about.
On our fun ride yesterday we must of killed 50+ between us.
They were really going after one of the mares.
 
They are horrible at the moment and nothing seems to work!! Ive tried every spray going, i got bitten by one last week and ended up at the NHS walkin centre, my wrist was in a right mess.
 
Yes horse flies and many many other nasty horrible creatures have suddenly arrived on mass in the last couple of days although the section A seems completely unaffected the one who gets them the worst wont have fly spray any where near him
 
[ QUOTE ]
Yes horse flies and many many other nasty horrible creatures have suddenly arrived on mass in the last couple of days although the section A seems completely unaffected the one who gets them the worst wont have fly spray any where near him

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My sec A isn't that bothered either.
 
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Yep, they 'arrived' at our yard today, in force.
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My mare has gone out in her armour - big bug rug and a mask - combined with a grazing muzzle... all you can see are her feet poking out of the bottom.
grin.gif


I find that the Barrier Super Plus fly spray keeps them at bay: http://www.barrier-biotech.com/product.php?pid=SP - I watched them fly over, hover around and then buzz off without landing today when I used it
smile.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

My mare normally does wear her armour but this year is nursing a foal so no armour allowed!!! Have to resign them to the stable if they stay. Like I say we aren't normally affected by them but I think now they've found us their here to stay!! GRRRRRRR
 
It was really bad for flies today near us, My horse was just galloping round and round, they was driving him mad. Mind you all the horses was going crazy today and all come in sweating full of blood etc.
 
Definitely! I won't kill anything, not even spiders or wasps, but I am on a mission when it comes to horse flies! Each one squished is one less in the world to eat me or my poor little horse.
 
Yes we have loads. My mare is plagued by them. Repellants are of limited use as they primarily find their victim by sight. My mare is big and black so is a good target. I hate fly rugs but am seriously considering one!
 
You beat me to this post!!! I was just about to ask the same question!!
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We've got millions of them, and they are driving us crazy, let alone the poor horses!!

There's been a lot of
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today to try and get rid of them. This year they seem to be worse!!!
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No, we haven't got many flies, and we rarely see bot flies either. Must be my perfume
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Yes, today for the first time this year. I find PowerPhaser by Leovet is very effective against them (they approach but they don't land) but it really stinks to high heaven ...
 
Up until the past 2 years my horses we haven't had many flies and the horses haven't been bothered by them this year and last they have turned up in mass! Poor horses are plagued by them!
 
Yes there are loads around at the minute!
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I've also noticed there are a lot of green fly around this year too, has anyone else noticed this?
 
Totally off subject but donklet, that has to be the cutest photo ever.

Back on subject, i have a massive itchy red lump from a bl**dy horse fly today. No wonder the horses go so mad, it felt like a needle being stuck in me when the wretched thing bit me. I will not normally kill anything, i even rescue flies from the water troughs. But horse flys give me great satisfaction to swat. Barrier fly spray normally works but today it did jack sh1t!

Has anyone used effol horse fly blocker?
 
Got hundreds. And me, being an IH type owner, I never usually pat or ever hit my horses. So what was I doing today? Whacking horseflies off my horses with mighty great hand stinging wallops. And what were my horses doing? They were saying 'oooh OH that's great, quick another one on my neck, get that one as well please'. If I smacked them any other time they'd be highly insulted and leave home with their spotted hankies on a stick over their shoulders.
 
We sem to have a huge amount as well, green flies also. I hate the blinking things nearly ended up in hospital last weekend got abite on the back of my knee so swollen couldnt bend it by Sunday morning. Poor neddies is all I can say, have got them all in in the day at the mo.
 
They do seem bad at the moment. We are trying fly traps in the yard that are supposed to catch the flies and something about catching the females to stop them breeding, not sure how much it's reducing the flies but the traps are getting full which at the very least is satisfying!!!

Hasn't there been some posts before about Matmite being a good repellent????
 
Green flies - yes! I have swallowed countless greenfly, and one horse fly so far
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eugh!
I'm just glad all we have at home so far are billions of those flies that get in their ears - irritating yes but not dangerous like horse or bot flies! Shall keep wrapping up the liveries and struggling on!
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