can horses get fleas?

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Sugar_and_Spice

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Have found what looks like small black dog fleas crawling over my horse, is this possible? Or are they just some insect that's harmless? They were on the surface, I couldn't find any near the skin. Also found one in my hair and one in my bra (under my nails when I scratched) but I have no bite marks so I'm confused. I don't even have a dog! Horse is not itchy and I thought horse lice were brown, so don't think its that.
 
Sugar_and_Spice said:
Have found what looks like small black dog fleas crawling over my horse, is this possible? Or are they just some insect that's harmless? They were on the surface, I couldn't find any near the skin. Also found one in my hair and one in my bra (under my nails when I scratched) but I have no bite marks so I'm confused. I don't even have a dog! Horse is not itchy and I thought horse lice were brown, so don't think its that.
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could they be lice?
 
I thought horse lice were brown and these are definitely black. Wouldn't the horse be scratching if it was lice? The horse is an itchy individual anyway but there's no sign if rubbing at all.

What are keds? I've never heard of those. Off to Google it now.
 
I found a nasty line of loads of tiny black flies on the horse's midline in the summer. I think they were the Culicoides midge. If you can squish them and they don't crack, they're not fleas.
 
We have a lot of tiny midge flies at the moment. They do bite but you may be lucky and not react to them. The horses seem to find them irritating more than anything else (stamping, tail swishing etc) Some people react badly to them though and come up in incredibly itchy red lumps which last a good week (can you tell I am one of these people and currently look like I've got measles and I am so itchy you would think I had fleas) :-(
 
May be thrips, about that size. I wondered if they was a plant thing, horse seems to attract everything and often has ants etc crawling up the legs. Not sure about them being flies or midges as couldn't see any wings. Definitely squidgy though, no cracking, so I guess that rules out fleas thank goodness. Thanks everybody. :)
 
Fleas don't t like horses ,so I was told by an old horseman years ago. Also people who worked with horses did not get fleas either. Probably not something people need to worry about in 2014!
 
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