Biting, burrowing spiders!!!

[Bert&Maud]

I tied my horse in the yard yesterday and he kept getting really agitated, violent tail swishing, kicking hard at his tummy, ears back etc. He'd got a few nasty looking bites on his rump. First thought he had bad flies, so gave him a thorough groom and sponging then copious fly repellent. He carried on, so then started to worry about colic. Went to get Mum for second opinion, and we eventually spotted a tiny spider near his tail. I removed it and it took several attempts to squash it between my fingers. Once it was removed he was fine, although the bites are obviously still very sore and itchy today. I don't remember ever having a horse attacked by a spider so wondered if this has happened to anybody else?

 

[Chico Mio]

Was it really a spider? We have these disgusting fly things that are made of steel (apparently) and they scuttle about on the horses, especially under their docks and round their sheaths. They are almost impossible to squash and produce nasty bites. They drive the boys mad.

 

[lilym]

sounds like a crab fly......you get lots of them around the new forest, they drive horses mad, nasty biting little critters...

 

[Fii]

Sounds like keds or small black tics, cat gets covered in them, more prevelent around sheep and deer. check yourself for them as well!!!!

 

[Bert&Maud]

Definitely looked like a tiny spider, with several legs, rusty brown colour. We already have ticks but this wasn't one.

 

[lilym]

did it look like this?
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:Hiw_j...nus%2520ked.jpg

 

[Weezy]

[ QUOTE ]
Was it really a spider? We have these disgusting fly things that are made of steel (apparently) and they scuttle about on the horses, especially under their docks and round their sheaths. They are almost impossible to squash and produce nasty bites. They drive the boys mad.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ahhh I don't miss those!

 

[Bert&Maud]

lilym - didn't have a microscope on me at the time, but think it may have been similar! What is it???!!!

 

[Fii]

I dont meen the ticks with blood sacks these look like tiny spiders!! a bit like lilym photo.

 

[Shay]

Lilym's photo is a louse. They are similar to small red money spiders. but really hard to squash as they have flattened armoured bodies. They bite around the tail, dock and belly - hardest for the horse to reach. You might want to go get some louse power!

 

[Three]

We have two horses with keds on the yard atm - no idea where they've come from as they're long-term horses (not new to yard)

They look like sucking lice but are slightly different

http://ag.ansc.purdue.edu/sheep/ansc442/Semprojs/2003/sheepked/sheepked.htm

Vet has been out and injected to kill them off.