Insect bites?

[duckling]

I noticed tonight that my mare had a few little spots of blood on her back legs, belly and bits, and a few areas where they seemed to be scabby and clustered together. She didn’t seem particularly bothered by them, but I’ve not seen anything that looks quite like this before so wondered if anyone could confirm please! Not sure if they look worse as she has such pink skin. I’ve attached a few pictures (poor girl!)

Any help much appreciated ?

 

[ester]

I'd say so, we've had loads of midgies about the last couple of days.

 

[duckling]

Thanks ester, that’s reassuring. I hadn’t spotted any midges but she does live out 24/7 so it’s very possible.

 

[ester]

I generously wore my yellow top to cycling tonight which kept them away from everyone else because I got them all . I just kept thinking of the extra protein!

 

[PurBee]

Biting small black flies - theyve just started up this week where i am. Every spring the udder and sheath of my horses get attacked, and horses going crazy flicking their tails and kicking their bellies.

If im around the horses when the black flies are active they bite me too. Horrid little things. Theyre the first flies of the season we get, before the midges mid april.

ive been fly spraying their nethers to give them relief....it helps a lot. My mare is constantly pushing her butt in my direction to get the flies off her udder....so she’s happy to be sprayed.

I give a cool wash to relieve the heat from the bites, then spray her.

These little black biting flies are about a third the size of a house fly and will just hang from their skin sucking blood until full...pesky vamps. They leave a drop of dried blood wherever theyve been biting. They’ll absolutely cover my mare‘s udder in a day, so im keen to spray her when the fateful day arrives that they appear.

 

[duckling]

Thanks PurBee, these sound horrible - poor girl. I wonder if I’ve just not noticed these on previous horses as they’ve all been darker colours, or if they’re just particularly bad this year.

I gave her a sponge off with hibiscrub last night and put fly spray on so hopefully that will help, will douse her in it today to see if that gives her a bit of a break from them, by the sounds of it need to douse myself in it too! Thanks again ??

 

[duckling]

I generously wore my yellow top to cycling tonight which kept them away from everyone else because I got them all . I just kept thinking of the extra protein!

Haha, yum..!! ?

 

[PurBee]

Thanks PurBee, these sound horrible - poor girl. I wonder if I’ve just not noticed these on previous horses as they’ve all been darker colours, or if they’re just particularly bad this year.

I gave her a sponge off with hibiscrub last night and put fly spray on so hopefully that will help, will douse her in it today to see if that gives her a bit of a break from them, by the sounds of it need to douse myself in it too! Thanks again ??

Yes black skin makes it harder to see them- it’s only the blood droplets left behind that are easier to see, and the horses tail behaviour change alerting me to harrassment!
The bites on your pink skin girl are very obvious so its good youve caught them early.

These biting insects seem to know the places to bite where the horse has trouble reaching - like right up in the crease where the top of the back thigh and belly meet. My mare is so relieved when i itch her there, her habit is to barge me with her butt to let me know she’s being harrassed and needs assistance!

 

[Pinkvboots]

Small black flies are out in force at the moment they tend to attack that area and the inside if the ears, I use some sort of fly cream underneath and a fly mask to protect the ears.

 

[duckling]

Thanks both, I’ve seen a number of posts in various horsey Facebook groups about these today, and lots from people who’d never seen them before either - wonder if it’s the changing weather conditions ?

I put a post on my yard page earlier and a few with geldings seem to be suffering even worse than my girl, 2 have really swollen sheaths but are dark skinned so owners hadn’t worked out what was causing it.

I’ve ordered some summer fly cream which should be with me tomorrow, going to go and douse her in fly spray again tonight. Will also try and check her ears although she isn’t great about me touching them at the best of times ?

 

[racebuddy]

My boy this week ???