cattle fly tags on horses?

Firehorse

Firehorse

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i read in a horse magazine that you could use cattle fly tags for horses. by plaiting them into the mane or tail. has anyone ever used them? do they work and are they better/more cost efficient than fly sprays?
 
I read that article too and bought a box of 10 Flectron tags. My filly is on box rest until tomorrow evening, but I'm going to plait one into her forelock and another onto her tail. I might even attach a couple to the d'rings inside the back of the rug where the legs straps attach. She's kept on a dairy farm and a stream runs at the bottom of her paddock so the flies and mozzies are absolutely horrendous. Last year she developed oedema along her mid belly line from the constant midge bites and that was dispite wearing a wrap around fly rug and being bathed in Deosect all summer. :(

I'm hoping the tags might help this year. I'll keep you posted!
 
believe so we have lots of flies /midges as fields surrounded by woodland, but lots of fly repellants are not much good,
 
I fly tag all of mine (riding school) - around 30 in total, and I don't use a drop of fly spray all summer.

Invaluable as can you imagine catching the whole lot in every day and spraying them all - would cost a fortune ... a £3 tag lasts about 5 months

I make a small plait in the underside of the mane, thread the tag through one of the strands, carry on plaiting and sew up. They need to touch the skin to get into the skin grease and around the body.
 
most agricultre stores will stock them, just keep quiet about usg on horses as not licenced for them, around £3 tag. where are you.
 
You can get them from any farm supply shop. I wouldnt use them as cattle have a differant metabolism to horses as I would not use Pour On that is used on sheep. Cattle and sheep are farm stock and their life expectancy is not the same as a horse, these products have not been tested on equines, and the long term damage is unknown.
 
Yes, I'd like to know where you get them too coz I've had them recommended for mine with sweet itch.

I tried to get some from Mole Valley, but they said they couldn't/wouldn't let me have them because they weren't "licensed" for horses, only cows. So unless you're prepared to utter a little white lie then I don't know how you can obtain them.

Ideas anyone?
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
Yes, I'd like to know where you get them too coz I've had them recommended for mine with sweet itch.

I tried to get some from Mole Valley, but they said they couldn't/wouldn't let me have them because they weren't "licensed" for horses, only cows. So unless you're prepared to utter a little white lie then I don't know how you can obtain them.

Ideas anyone?
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Yes my idea is not to use them, they are not licenced for horses for a reason!
 
most reasons is the costs of getting them licenced as someone said in a previous thread about vet giving horse unlicenced medication, licencing isn;t cheap.
 
i'd be slightly concerned about using them as they're not licenced for horses. what is the active ingredient? i assumed it was infused with citronella or something. is it a bit like the flea meds for cats and dogs that goes into their blood system? has anyone ever asked their vet's opinion about them?
 
Well they come in sealed packets and recommend not handling them too much, but of course in the course of plaiting 30 tags in I handle them an awful lot. I have sensitive skin and am allergic to biological detergents and bizarrely, horse shampoo - yet handling these has no ill effects on me so I doubt they will affect horses unduly.
I did hear from my supplier that they haven't been horse licencesed as the market isn't really there - horse people have one or two horses they are happy to spray every day, cattle people have hundreds and its not feasible!
I've been using them for years, my two vets practices know about it and never raise an eyebrow and we've never had any ill effects or skin complaints.
 
Back around 1988 ish, I was given Flectron tags by my vet to use on my horse and I used them for about 3 summers. He suffered from inflamed fly bites around his sheath area so I plaited one into the back of his tail and another in his mane about 6 inches from his ears. Worked well when he was kept in a field with large, rather swampy, pond and lots of midges. No known adverse effects. Would use again in similar circumstances.
 
ester said:
they contain cypermethrin which is a pyrethroid, a synthetic insecticide (similar to the natural pyrethrums). they are more skin/eye irritant than the natural version though

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cypermethrin
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I wouldnt get them near eyes, nose, dock, etc - I have all mine at the wither/neck.

Word of warning for the one horse owner - part of their efficacity is in tagging a whole herd, not one animal - so don't be suprised if they don't work so well if just doing one horse!
 
After reading this I went and had a wee look. You can buy the tags online from hyperdrug. They ask what animals its for and I put horses (wondered if they were then going to stop me but they didnt) You have to get a box of 20 though. Works out at £2.23 each tag.

Thought this might help those of you that couldnt buy cause you said they were for horses.
 
I bought mine in shop, at Mole Valley Farmers. Went in, went up to the aminal pharmacy counter and simply asked for a box of 20 Flectron tags. No one asked me what they were for. If they'd asked, I'd have said cows!

As others have said, licencing products is expensive and often not deemed financially viable (or the manufacturers simply aren't interested in the 'equine' market) for all products that may otherwise be quite suitable for horses.

Let's face it, there are products we've been using for years on horses but which when suddenly not relicenced for financial reasons, are abruptly withdrawn from being available for use on them. It's nothing to do with safety in many cases, more due to £'s....

That said, anything used on your horse (licenced or unlicenced) should be carefully considered. Particularly in pregnant, lactating, young, elderly or sick animals. If at all concerned, ask your vet. Many will give you their 'off the record' opinion on such items.
 
Whoever you are buying them off should be asking you for a herd number. If they aren't they're not doing their job properly. Alternatively speak to your vet and see if he can supply them.
 
I havent been involved since it changed from PML to POM-VPS but think they are equivalent, in which case there was certainly never a requirement to record herd numbers, name, address, batch number and authorised by and SQP but not herd number. Though this may have changed.
 
Bumpety-bump :-)
Anyone else? I'm also very interested in using these as we have water, cows, sheep and other fly attracting stuff sharing our yard!
Isn't the active ingredient the same as those in the 'stronger' (ie come with warnings for handling) horsey fly sprays? I'm not sure whether it was Deosect or Coopers? I stand to be corrected!? :-)
 
bouncebackability said:
Isn't the active ingredient the same as those in the 'stronger' (ie come with warnings for handling) horsey fly sprays? I'm not sure whether it was Deosect or Coopers? I stand to be corrected!? :-)
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You may stand correct! :D

Deosect contains the active ingredient, cypermethrin, and is licensed to control flies and lice in horses. Cypermethrin is a synthetically produced pyrethroid, which means it has extra stability and high biological activity.

Goodness knows what's in Coopers though. Can't say without looking at my bottle but it's at the yard. Nowhere on line seems to say what the active ingredient of Coopers is. Is it a secret or something???!! LOL. :p
 
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