Midges and marmite!

[Melandmary]

Since the weather has warmed up I have noticed mosquitos on my pony and in her stable... I have a river running through the field so not sure if that is due to being near water or just the temperature. I k ow someone else posted about feeding to prevent flies but has anyone used marmite to prevent midge and mosquito bites in horses? Or is it just an old wives tail? I was just thinking of giving them carrot and marmite crudités ?

 

[Rumtytum]

Haven’t tried with horses but I’m addicted to Marmite and it has never stopped the mozzies, in fact they seem to like me more ?. Read somewhere that Avon Skin So Soft is good as a repellent for horses (rubbed on not mixed in feed ?).

 

[tristar]

what``s for main course?

 

[poiuytrewq]

It is supposed to work, it’s the brewers yeast I believe. May be cheaper/easier to get that if your horse will eat it? Mine won’t.

 

[Cortez]

It's the B vitamins that do have an effect (slight), Marmite has a lot of B's; brewer's yeast is packed with them, so if you want to get the full effect get some BY. Good luck getting horse to eat it though, some of my SI guys turned their noses up very firmly.

 

[Gloi]

Theoretically it works like brewers yeast but I have had zero success with either

 

[Quigleyandme]

Marmite is nice with apple but I doubt a horse would eat it. I give mine brewers yeast in his feed and he accepts it fine. Mind you he doesn’t pull faces or react in any way when I worm him.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Mozzies have been out in force here the last week in late afternoons. I've been smothering B (who seems to be the favoured one for them) in Avon spray on her exposed bits outside her rug, last night I used the TriTec which really did the job far better.

 

[Snow Falcon]

2 of my mares have brewers yeast in their feed. It's not been refused yet. ?

 

[Cragrat]

One of ours turned her nose up at BY in her feed for about a week, and would stomp and protest and whinge, but she'd always eaten it by the morning. Now she scoffs it rapidly, and then spends 20 minutes licking and running her teeth (!) over her bowl to get the very last traces
ETA no midges yet, so can't comment on that.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

My chestnut mare loved marmite carrots.

I tried it with Mim and she was horrified ?

 

[Melandmary]

Thanks for the input, I was hoping to not have to hard feed as they are very good doers on plenty of grass so I thought a carrot with a big blob of marmite on would do the trick ?. I will look into the brewers yeast though, I didn't know about that and plenty of decent fly spray.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Thanks for the input, I was hoping to not have to hard feed as they are very good doers on plenty of grass so I thought a carrot with a big blob of marmite on would do the trick ?. I will look into the brewers yeast though, I didn't know about that and plenty of decent fly spray.

Give it a go! It’s cheap enough to try and chuck if no use.

 

[Annagain]

Marmite is nice with apple but I doubt a horse would eat it.

I've never known a horse turn its nose up at Marmite. Archie had his drugs in a marmite sandwich every day for three months. Monty managed a few days before working out his sarnies were laced but that was more than everything else which worked once and never again!

 

[cobgoblin]

I tried marmite sandwiches one summer. No idea if it worked as a fly repellent, but they certainly enjoyed them.

 

[Reacher]

I have had bother with my Mr H being allergic to midges and we unfortunately have a lot of them. In previous years he was rubbing and wounding himself all year round. (For some reason he rubs himself above the eyes, not the usual mane / tail)
I have noticed that he hasn't done this for a good month or more - am not really sure as to the reason though I have changed his minerals to forage plus which has less iron in it that other brands.....don't know if this is the reason - but I'm keeping my fingers firmly crossed...

 

[DizzyDoughnut]

Thanks for the input, I was hoping to not have to hard feed as they are very good doers on plenty of grass so I thought a carrot with a big blob of marmite on would do the trick ?. I will look into the brewers yeast though, I didn't know about that and plenty of decent fly spray.

Not sure if mine are just odd ponies but they eat brewers yeast tablets from my hand like a treat so you might not need any hard feed

 

[Melandmary]

Not sure if mine are just odd ponies but they eat brewers yeast tablets from my hand like a treat so you might not need any hard feed

How many do you give each pony to make them effective. I am guessing quite a few ?

 

[PSD]

Theoretically it works like brewers yeast but I have had zero success with either

Same here, noticed no difference in my SI pony last year when I tried BY

 

[DizzyDoughnut]

How many do you give each pony to make them effective. I am guessing quite a few ?

I fed them because my vet suggested it for something else, he had about 7 tablets a day but they didn't help with flys that I noticed