Horseflies

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EmilyKS

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Hi everyone
Is anyone else having problems with horseflies at the moment? If so - what are you doing/what are you using?
Thanks
 
I've tried loads of different fly sprays but the only one that seems to seriously deter those horrid bloodsucking horseflies we get this time of year is Leovet Power Phaser.
 
I hate horse flies, as much as you do, and our horses do. There's one relatively simple answer;

1/ You go to your local Ag merchant, and you tell them that you keep cattle.
2/ You buy a box of "Flectron" cattle ear tags. They aren't licensed for horses, but who cares.
3/ You cut the stubs off TWO tags, and you stitch them on the INSIDE (that's one each side) of a head collar. It's vital that you place one each side and it's equally vital that you stitch them on the INSIDE of the head collar, so that they rub against the horses face. They are impregnated with cypermethrin, which is a systemic insect repellent, and after 3 or 4 days, your horse will be insect free. If your horse is in and out, then if you leave the head collar on for only 12 hours at a time, then it will take twice as long for it to start to be effective.

So many have tried them, tied them to the horses main, or on the outside of a head collar, and wonder why they don't work. Follow the bold print above! ;)

Alec.

Ets. As a footnote, the packaging says that they're effective for up to 5 months, so for horses, you could probably say 3-4 months!!
 
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That makes sense Alec, the repellent I'm guessing eventually reaching the whole body.
Do you use them on nursing mares or not. I have one mare that just gallops like a lunatic when they are around, exhausting and upsetting the foal. She is in more than out at the moment.
 
ribbons, I've used them on mares that were in foal and right through foaling and lactation. They are entirely harmless to mammals.

The tags are designed so that they are a slow release, and it takes several days for the chemical to cover the whole body. I always leave the head collars on, and for the summer, and it may be my imagination, but I suspect that the foal gets a degree of protection too, from going down to drink, and rubbing on the mare's side, but that may just be wishful thinking!

From memory, a box of tags cost about £10, which for 20 tags, and so ten horses treated, is value for money!

Alec.
 
I've noticed that our neighbours horses are plagued by horse flies, whilst ours are not. We get a few obviously, but next doors are plastered with them.

We don't use any strong insect sprays or repellants, though the neighbours do.

The only difference in the way these horses are kept is in the hard feed that they get, we both use the same haylage supplier.

Next doors get one of the normal well known brands, whilst ours are on a strictly no sugar diet. One is insulin resistant and another sugar intolerant, therefore all our horses are on non sugar and starch diets.

I'm convinced that flies are attracted to horses fed molassed grain type hard feed.
 
ribbons said:
Thanks Alec. I'm going to give these a try.
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Wow me too!
My horses are kept near swampy areas and the amount of horse flies here are unreal. My farrier commented that since being at my yard for 10 minutes he'd squashed more (and been bitten by more) than he's seen so far this year!
 
They work for all invertebrates, flies, mossies, clegs, the lot!! BUT, and I'm sorry to reinforce this, the tabs themselves must rub against the coat of the horse, permanently and for several days before the effect is felt. It's a gradual process, and once full coverage is achieved, horses will shrug off swamp conditions! ;)

Alec.
 
Suelin,

the tabs arrive in a box of 20, complete with a male part of the tag, if that makes sense. The male part, which is designed to do through the cartilage of a cow's ear, you throw away!! The part which you want, the opaque see through part, has a "stub" for want of a better word. You will need to cut this bit off, with a very sharp knife, or it'll rub on the horses face, and make it sore.

Any probs, PM me, and good luck!!

Alec.
 
Or if you don't want the hassle of cutting and stitching, and don't fancy the idea of your horse wearing a head collar all the time, you can use a cattle pour-on treatment (I use Coopers) which you only have to apply twice during the summer and it'll sort out all the flies for you.

Before I get leapt on, we all do this round here on the instruction of our equine vet, because we have problems with midges and cleggs (horseflies), and it works an absolute treat. The only single disadvantage is that it leaves a greasy smear on the horse's back for a few days, which is a problem with show horses, but not with any others.
 
Alec Swan said:
Suelin,

the tabs arrive in a box of 20, complete with a male part of the tag, if that makes sense. The male part, which is designed to do through the cartilage of a cow's ear, you throw away!! The part which you want, the opaque see through part, has a "stub" for want of a better word. You will need to cut this bit off, with a very sharp knife, or it'll rub on the horses face, and make it sore.

Any probs, PM me, and good luck!!

Alec.
Click to expand...

just a thought but could you use the stud bit to go through a hole in the headcollar instead of having to cut it off and then stitch the tag on?
 
Thank you thank you thank you....I posted last week looking for advice and got one smart Alec reply directing me to the top shelf of any stable suppliers. The horses I ride are being plagued by them and one was so annoyed and grumpy about it that he started trying to bite me. I will pass this tag advice on to the horses owner. Again thank you.
 
Rowreach said:
Or if you don't want the hassle of cutting and stitching, and don't fancy the idea of your horse wearing a head collar all the time, you can use a cattle pour-on treatment (I use Coopers) which you only have to apply twice during the summer and it'll sort out all the flies for you.

Before I get leapt on, we all do this round here on the instruction of our equine vet, because we have problems with midges and cleggs (horseflies), and it works an absolute treat. The only single disadvantage is that it leaves a greasy smear on the horse's back for a few days, which is a problem with show horses, but not with any others.
Click to expand...

The product to which you refer, may well be called Deosan or Deosect, and you're right, it's brilliant stuff, BUT, when a horse gets wet, as in when it rains, if you look carefully the coat tends to form spade shapes, so that the water runs off. If you're going to use a pour on, then it's vital, that the horse is firstly soaked to the skin, as you would bath a horse, then and only then should you apply the pour-on, otherwise it'll run off.

These cypermethrin and 2nd. generation Alpha-cypermethrins, are systemic, and it isn't contact with the horses coat which works, they need to exude the chemical through the pores of their skin. Good stuff, isn't it? ;)

Ibblebibble said:
just a thought but could you use the stud bit to go through a hole in the headcollar instead of having to cut it off and then stitch the tag on?
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You could do I suppose, and if you put the stud through the ring in the head-collar, then you could hold it in place with electrical tape. I suspect that stitched in is best.

TrasaM said:
....I posted last week looking for advice and got one smart Alec reply .......
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:eek: Not this one, I hope! :D

Alec.
 
blimey i just googled them and they are way more than £10 for 20 tags, more like £50:eek:
I've just ordered some Tri tec 14 spray from amazon for about £23 inc p&p, that contains cypermethrin, i'm hoping it's going to work on some crab flies a little new forest pony has brought with him , I'll let you know how i get on with it and if it deters the horse flies too:)
 
TrasaM said:
Thank you thank you thank you....I posted last week looking for advice and got one smart Alec reply directing me to the top shelf of any stable suppliers. The horses I ride are being plagued by them and one was so annoyed and grumpy about it that he started trying to bite me. I will pass this tag advice on to the horses owner. Again thank you.
Click to expand...

Actually you misread the reply to you - the poster wasn't directing you to 'the top shelf of any stable suppliers' - they actually directed you to the Stable Yard forum "where you will see at the top section a whole post of fly repellent recipes. " - ie they meant the thread below:

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=157038

which lists recipes for home-made fly repellents! They were trying to be helpful, not sarky!
 
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MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
So presumably you could sew a couple inside a sweet itch rug? Would one do, or does it have to be two??
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I always put one each side of the animal, working on the basis that one tag will do one side. I suppose that if you put one dead central, over the neck, it would all work its way back. I don't know, give it a bash, and report back!

Alec.
 
TGM said:
Actually you misread the reply to you - the poster wasn't directing you to 'the top shelf of any stable suppliers' - they actually directed you to the Stable Yard forum "where you will see at the top section a whole post of fly repellent recipes. " - ie they meant the thread below:

Doh! New in here and didn't realise..apologies. And you are right I did misread..tiptoes away quietly...
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Do the ear tags keep for a long time?
They seem to come in boxes of 20 & they're quite expensive, as I've only got 2 horses I don't want to spend a lot of money & then waste them.
I don't mind spending the money if they will keep for a few years.
Thanks
 
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