Garlic to keep flys away?

Yes and yes, I started him on it in February and will give him one dose a day until September. When I got him last summer his chest and body were covered in lumps the size of 50p pieces from fly and midge bites, this year he's not got a single one and he's only had his fly sheet on twice.
 
I found that feeding garlic had the opposite effect, it made my horse more sensitive to bites; there are some sweet itch horses who do badly when fed garlic.
Garlic in high doses has also been found to cause anaemia, although it would have to be huge amounts to cause this, I personally don't feed it continuously for this reason.
 
Like anything, it does for some, sometimes, and not for others. I have tried in the past with real cloves in food as I found the chinese garlic in the granulated dried stuff not very effective and it did work for about a year, moved yards and had no effect whatsoever.

I now use Coopers Spot-On at £28 100ml lasting me from May to now (probably need another 100ml soon) he's been out without a rug, mask or anything all year. The other two gather around him as he seems to emanate a no-fly-zone! :D

I wish I had found this sooner. Like I say, it works for some, not for others, so far so good in our case.
 
I've used garlic with mine for years and always found it effective. However last year I tried Feedmark's fly formula and its amazing. So far this year I've only had to put fly spray on them twice. Usually its everyday once if not twice.

I've also put gold fish in their water to eat any fly lavae which also seems to have worked.
 
Lynz25 said:
I've used garlic with mine for years and always found it effective. However last year I tried Feedmark's fly formula and its amazing. So far this year I've only had to put fly spray on them twice. Usually its everyday once if not twice.

I've also put gold fish in their water to eat any fly lavae which also seems to have worked.
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Really?? Goldfish?? How bizzare - but can see the idea behind it. How many in a water tank and do the horses ever accidently swallow one?:confused:
 
Never heard of goldfish, but can see how it would work.

I like that idea but don't have a trough, little lord stuck up lol will only drink freshly poured water, I am surprised he has not put in a request to have evian :D
 
i used to feed garlic and it worked a wee bit but i found that homemade fly spray works better i got the recipe off of this and its really good x
 
I was reading a blog online from a vet student that says that garlic may actually be harmful to horses...it's a really interesting read (http://tackntails.blogspot.com/2011/07/garlic-miracle-herb.html) I don't use it anymore as I would rather spend my money on something that is proven to be safe and effective!

Although...I do like the look of this - http://tackntails.blogspot.com/2011/07/new-product-shoo-tags.html and am seriously considering giving them a go! I'm a sucker for any new products for keeping away flies
 
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I feed mine garlic and TBH haven't noticed whether it works or not, just fed it as heard it was good for flies.
Apparently it's also good in winter for breathing ? (not sure of this though my YO told me).
 
When I was looking into anaemia, I found research that showed it could make them anaemic, so I asked my vet about it and he said that the amount you would give as instructed wouldn't be enough to make a horse anaemic in his opinion, but I stopped giving it, fed lots of alfa amongst other things and my horses gums are now pink again, so I wouldn't feed it as a matter of preference, but I had done for a long time prior to finding this out
 
I guess it doesn't matter if it's good for them anyway. Not like they're off out for a snog of a Friday night.
 
Lynz25 said:
I've used garlic with mine for years and always found it effective. However last year I tried Feedmark's fly formula and its amazing. So far this year I've only had to put fly spray on them twice. Usually its everyday once if not twice.

I've also put gold fish in their water to eat any fly lavae which also seems to have worked.
Click to expand...

Poor fish how often do you change the water? Its a wonder it doesn't have a heart attack, not good for them in fresh tap water either, sorry I like fish
 
I used to feed garlic religiously in the summer but actually found it made one more sensitive and got bitten worse! The other became really itchy, I thought it was sweet itch at first, cut the garlic out and he's now fine!! Saved me loads on a sweetitch hoody!!! I now just use fly spray alone and marmite, much more effective for my two!
 
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