What do you do with horses terrified of sprays?

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Scribbles

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I can't get near neddie with a fly spray - even just a light 'mist' one, he freaks out and runs around/twists violently.

I'm thinking fo emptying the contents into a small bucket (like a supplement one), soaking a sponge and squeezing it on. Does anyone else do this, or have other suggestions?
 
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I spray it onto a sponge and use that.

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This.
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my old horse was also scared of sponges. so i used to have to spray onto my hand and pretend to stroke her.

i gradually got her used to sprays though, by getting an old spray bottle that had fine mist and filling it with water (didn't want to waste the fly spray) and i started off by spraying it on myself in view of her, gradually getting closer, spraying it near her, etc etc until she let me spray it on her.

sadly, she still tried to kill me when i rode her, and kill the farrier when she saw him, and she actually did kill the farmer's dog... so, although she was sprayable... she was still a complete plonker... and ended up being sold on...
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Mine hates sprays with a passion, although getting better but it all depends on his mood really, so i do as above, with the sponge.
My friend had some antifly wipes that worked to a certain extent
 
Mine wont have fly spray in any shape or form, on my hand, on a sponge he wont have any of it just rears up, strikes out and kicks
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he actually quite likes having roll on fly stuff on his head and he doesn't mind tail conditioner spray. I think using the sponge is the best thing to try and i also spray his fly rug before it goes on
 
Share horsey is better if you pop it on straight after he has been hosed down - I guess becasue he doesn't feel the sudden wettness so much/has already had much bigger spraying noises.
 
Same thing with the sponge, spray on and then wipe. Only problem is if the spray is 'heard' it immediately puts him on edge so I spray sponge in the tack room and then go wipe him down. We have tried all the desensitising but he still panics, we think he associated the sound with something in his past he was very head and ear shy when we bought him, the simplest 'ssssssstttttt' noise makes him back off in fear. I am quite happy to go back and forth with sponge full of fly repellent for him. Otherwise he is the most placid boy going.
 
I ssshhh my horses when I spray. It covers up the sound of the spray. I start with just a couple of bursts and then work up to longer periods.

They all cope after a couple of sessions.
 
It's not the sound of the spray, it's the feeling of it on his skin.

Spraying onto a sponge is so simple! Honestly, I amaze myself sometimes.
 
We all have different circs and horses, my mares don't give a flying fig about flyspray or anything that makes that ssssssttt sound but he does, in fact 'ssshhhhh' can mean something totatly different if I verbally say it, he just knows the sound of a spray and it brings back something in his memory being a head and earshy Irish boy, I wish I could put my finger on it. Don't get me wrong he is fine with handling his head now, he trusts us, just NOT that noise.

Does anyone have any idea what it could have been? Does anything to do with a captive bolt gun make an 'air' sssst sound at all? Sorry if I sound like a doofus. Just trying to think what would make a noise like that that would put fear in a horse?
 
Tesco value baby wipes, spray it on one of these then wipe all over, he is happy to have roll on round his ears and eyes and OK to spray into his tail.
 
I've got an old style thick cotton string riding glove, which I saturate with fly spray. It's much easier to get it onto their ears and around the face etc than with a sponge.
 
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