Anyone who lives or rides in the New forest.

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LauraWheeler

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Is it just me or Have you noticed how bad the Crab flies are this year?
My boys are getting eatern alive by them :( I seem to have finaly mastered the art of catching and killing them if they venture on to the ponies bum but was wondering if there were any fly sprays that actualy kept them away. I've tried the Lincon fly spray but it doesn't help with the crab flies. :( Even when i'm grooming I can spray them and they just don't seem to care. :mad:
So before i spend a fortune trying every fly spray on the market I thought i'd ask you guys first ;) What works (If anything) to keep those flys away.

Before I moved to the forest I hated horse flys, But i'd rather have them than crab flys. At least you and kill horse flys by hitting them. :(
 
Its not just Dorset!
And we have a funny looking fly this year that I have never set eyes on before....kind of like a jumbo mozzie in black!
Coopers seems to be working well for me, but I am using every 2 days instead of every 4.
 
Yup, and coopers seems to do the job, but I am applying it more often that normal to have a decent effect!
All kind of wacky looking flying critters this year though....the birds will be loving that, but I certainly am not!
 
Thankyou I'll give coopers a try then :) The birds do seem very happy with the amount of food around I just wish they'd eat loads more. Herbs came back with about 20 crab flies the other day :( I've never seen them so bad :(
 
Squeeze them till they pop, its the only way...
My boy has a permanent collection under his tail, I think he must have adopted them as pets and named each one of them. Luckily they don't bother him at all, but it always makes me jump when I lift up his tail and they all come crawling out.
 
Am afraid i have'nt managed to find one that works for crab flies yet., luckily they dont bother my mare but its horrendous if you got one that looses the plot every time one lands on them..lol
 
I've yet to find a spray that keeps them away. You could try smearing a thick cream like udder cream under his tail and between his back legs which at least stops them from gathering under there. I've also noticed that they seem to lurk in the ferns so perhaps try to avoid riding through them. Our lot seem to have got used to them although they are rarely seen on our current yard as we are now on the other side of the Avon and I've heard they don't cross it ??
 
I find the good old homemade citronella, lavender and tea combo works for about 45 mins only, after that nothing really works. The citronella does have to be quite strong though.

My boy also has a permanent collection under his tail when coming in form field and they don't really bother him, but we have perfected the under belly clean out and pop routine!
 
Thanks guys. I'll deff give coopers a try but don't think i'll hold my breath :(
Herbs and I do make quite a good team. He swishes his tail to get them out from under him, they land on his bum and I catch and pop the little buggers. He doesn't get to stressed by them thank god and Merryn is to stupid to notice them anyway ;) :p :D But I hate them and realy wish there was something that would keep them away.
 
I've never come across something that works to keep them away but sudocrem suffocates them (I cannot bring myself to grab and pop them, ewwww)!. My boy hates them and bucks and kicks. I try to avoid the really boggy places as they seem worse around there, the dry wooded areas are a bit better. Going out early in the morn is slightly better also.
 
Thanks elliebelly1 doesn't sound like theres much hope for us then :( Where we are must be the boggyest place on earth :( Popping them is horrid but it's the only way to kill them and I do realy hate them ;) To be honest listening to myself rant on here about them I think I hate them more than the ponies do ;) :p :rolleyes: :D :D
 
Never seen one close up don,t want to! I went to Morton to watch a friend compete a few years ago and a horse got loose and went balistic it had come from the forest that morning and brought one with it!
It put me off going to Morton to do any dressage myself!! I feel your pain Laura.
 
I killed 5 tonight, wore my thick gloves and twisted em till they popped! I take back the boggy comment above, they are everywhere. Rode through woods and ferns tonight and they were awful, we can't escape :( :(
 
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