Warble fly?

[Box_Of_Frogs]

My poor veteran unflappable Sunny lost the plot this afternoon and came galloping across to the gate in a dreadful panic. Luckily, I spotted this HUMUNGUS thing in the middle of his back feasting on him as if its life depended on it. It was absolutely huge. A good 2 or even 3 inches long and fat too. Light brown but can't be more helpful than that. Very slow so I managed to flatten it with a short sharp slap or three. Disgusting coz not like splatting a horse fly - more liking splatting a bloody mouse! Was it a warble? I've heard that they can terrify horses but I thought they were quite rare now?

 

[xRobyn]

Warbles are supposedly not in the Uk anymore and if you believe it was one it needs to be reported to DEFRA.

We get giant horseflies down south, especially as our fields are surrounded by a dyke. Could it have been this sort of thing? They're about 1.5-2.5 inches long, massive beasts

http://thenaturalstone.blogspot.com/2007/06/shelterbelt-insects.html

http://images.whatsthatbug.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/striped_horsefly_side.jpg

 

[Tinseltoes]

I saw a Warble fly about 2 or 3 years ago,horrible things. I think they are around.

 

[JenHunt]

sounds like a warble to me, especially since your boy seemed to panic - IME horses don't usually panic with horse flies but do with warbles. I haven't seen one in a few years, but it doesn't mean that they aren't around I guess.

they can make a horrible mess if they are allowed to lay eggs into the "bite"....

 

[AmyMay]

Warbles most definately are still in the UK - I've seen a few this year, around my own horse and last night around another.

 

[katherine1975]

I have only seen a warble fly once in my life, I was out hacking with my mum and the two sensible horses we were on went mental trying to run away from it.

 

[xRobyn]

Genuinely curious - do people not report them then if they are about, and if not, why?

 

[dibbin]

S**t, just googled "warble fly", I think I saw one of those in our field a few weeks ago! It was trying to land on Dylan and he kept running away from it, it was black and yellow so I thought it was some kind of big wasp, but it looked a lot like some of the pics that were on google. No wonder he was so upset!

 

[Sparkles]

I nearfly got put on my head because of one of them last year. The 'quiet' horse turned itself absolutely inside out for the lengths of about 2 fields.

 

[RuthnMeg]

My old Juno has had a warble fly or two THIS year, as in last week!! Didn't realise they were ''rare'' these days.