Ticks- Help!

[RHGR]

I got a message this afternoon from the woman I share a field with on livery to say she was concerned my horse might have a small injury around his fetlock/pastern. She sent me the pic I have attached (or at least tried to!) to show me. I have gone up after work to give his leg a good wash and try to find an injury. There's no cuts or anything, but I did find a number of small ticks! The stuff on his leg is kinda sticking the hair together, not sure if it's just from weeping where the ticks have attached? Very small ticks, a few not attached, but a lot more than I'm used to seeing, at least 6-8 on one pastern. I didn't have my tick remover at the yard with me as it was taken home for the dog, so will be up first thing in the morning to remove them. Does anyone have recommendations for tick repellent? We have fantastic hacking around where I am, both through woodland and around fields. Unsure whether he's picked them up on our hack last night or in the field today as there are a large number of dockings down one side of our field that they may be living in! Has anyone experienced any issues following ticks on their horses? Any ideas for how best to repel them?

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

I found a tick on Faran today. I just treated him with tick stuff which will take care of it.

You can buy the spot on stuff from the vet

 

[Petalpoos]

Do you have any hedgehogs in the field? My dog was smothered in ticks after she went rootling in the bushes by a hedgehog nest

I found a couple of ticks on one of my horses once and just removed them with the tick twister, but otherwise they never seemed to get them, despite there being a lot of deer around. That’s why I asked about the hedgehogs as that would also explain whey they are so low down.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

I have never seen a tick on any of my horses but obviously at least one had them at some point as she contracted Lyme's disease. I would not wish that on any horse or owner.

I believe Ivermectin treats them against any that are alive on the horse but my vet seemed to think nothing is foolproof so worth being really vigilant in spotting them and removing as quickly as possible.

 

[RHGR]

Do you have any hedgehogs in the field? My dog was smothered in ticks after she went rootling in the bushes by a hedgehog nest

I found a couple of ticks on one of my horses once and just removed them with the tick twister, but otherwise they never seemed to get them, despite there being a lot of deer around. That’s why I asked about the hedgehogs as that would also explain whey they are so low down.

I've never seen a hedgehog anywhere near the yard so I don't think so! But will keep my eyes more peeled!

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

Ticks live on the ground and will migrate upwards in dense grass etc and latch on to any passing host.

 

[Midlifecrisis]

Fly sprays containing DEET or other chemical repellants ought to put them off …not sure about the more “natural” fly sprays.

 

[olop]

My old boy used to suffer terribly with tic bites, he was kept on yard that was very close to woodland so we had a lot of deer that used to come in the field.

The only stuff that ever worked for us was the spot on treatment for cows. I can’t remember the name of it unfortunately. You can buy it from viovet.

 

[RHGR]

Pulled at least 30 off of his legs this morning! Mostly front legs, they seem to only be on his socks, I'm assuming because the pink flesh is easier for them to get a hold of! The bites are weeping quite a big though, having to pick through the crusty bits to get to the little ticks underneath. They are so small, I wouldn't know he had them if he wasn't weeping at the bites. Any ideas on how best to wash his legs?

 

[Exasperated]

Pulled at least 30 off of his legs this morning! Mostly front legs, they seem to only be on his socks, I'm assuming because the pink flesh is easier for them to get a hold of! The bites are weeping quite a big though, having to pick through the crusty bits to get to the little ticks underneath. They are so small, I wouldn't know he had them if he wasn't weeping at the bites. Any ideas on how best to wash his legs?

Ask your vet practice what is best advised for your locality, likely be a cattle / sheep product.
Do you ride through bracken, or push through any dense foliage? Try to avoid, if ticks are plentiful round you, and keep inspecting closely (relevant phrase: ‘fine tooth comb’....)
Lyme illness in horses is nasty, good luck.

 

[Gloi]

Neem oil is a good and cheap way to keep them off if you put it on the legs.
You can also wash the little ones off with a strong salt solution.

 

[RHGR]

Neem oil is a good and cheap way to keep them off if you put it on the legs.
You can also wash the little ones off with a strong salt solution.

Oh thank you, will try that. Was using warm salty water to wash the legs last night a bit as wasn't sure if it was a wound causing the gunk, will get more warm salty water and give all his legs a good wash with it

 

[RHGR]

Mostly grassy and farm tracks that we ride on, but some do go through the woods. No one else I've been hacking with has found anything so not sure if my guy is just particularly tasty! Will give the vets a call at the start of the week and see what they recommend because there's no way I can get all of them off by hand when they're that size and that well hidden! Couldn't feel or see any without properly poking and digging around with a head torch!

 

[Barton Bounty]

Absolutely cover the ticks in power phaser gel they will fall off by the next morning

 

[little_critter]

Tick season seems to have kicked off here too.
I’ve found several on my ponies noses in the last 2 days. I expect there are more in other nooks and crannies…I need to do a full check.
I usually just pull them off with my nails, I never have the tick remover to hand.
I’ll wipe some fly repellant on their noses and see if that helps.

 

[Widgeon]

Absolutely cover the ticks in power phaser gel they will fall off by the next morning

I think I would fall off by the next morning if you covered me with power phaser gel, that stuff stinks

 

[Spotherisk]

Only place I saw them on my horse was his sheath.

I had a tick in my hair this morning, I was still in bed when I found it! Not latched on to me thankfully - hate the things.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I found a tick in my horses armpit!
I have just seen a post, not horse related but a local page and someone was warning people how bad ticks are this year

 

[I'm Dun]

My old boy used to suffer terribly with tic bites, he was kept on yard that was very close to woodland so we had a lot of deer that used to come in the field.

The only stuff that ever worked for us was the spot on treatment for cows. I can’t remember the name of it unfortunately. You can buy it from viovet.

switch

 

[FFAQ]

I lost my cob to lymes disease last year, so now am extra paranoid about ticks. I use hedgewitch icaridin spray and find it absolutely brilliant for repelling ticks. The sprayer is almost silent and it doesn't really smell, so i find that all the horses are happy to be sprayed with it. It seems to be effective for at least 24 hours, although I aim to use it morning and evening.

 

[Barton Bounty]

I think I would fall off by the next morning if you covered me with power phaser gel, that stuff stinks

Its honky isn’t it

 

[dorsetladette]

I have found lots of ticks on my ponies in the last couple of weeks. They have been grazing older pasture that hasn't been grazed for a long while. There is lots of evidence of wildlife in the field and deer/munk jack often visit.

I use spot-on pour on on the horse and sheep, but that doesn't seen to be doing the job at the moment - on ticks anyway.

 

[Fransurrey]

One of the benefits of washing my sweet itch mare weekly with benzyl benzoate/neem oil slosh (basically a no-rinse bath) is that I never find ticks on her. BB is an insecticide and the neem repels them. I don't risk neem oil with my Persil white horse, but the BB alone should help.