Shoo Fly

Flies and other insects can be a real pain to both you and your horse during the summer months. They buzz around and bother everything they can possibly land on. Here are some simple and easy ways to help you, your horse and your barn stay bug free.

Try and spray your horse with fly spray whenever you go out to see him. Spray him from head to hoof. You can use a roll on repellant for around his eyes and nose so the spray doesn't get into his eyes.

If your horse is going to be spending a good bit of time outside, putting a fly mask on during the day will help keep the flies off of his face and eyes. Try and take the mask off at night so it's not on all the time. You also should was the fly mask to keep it clean.

The skin inside your horse's ears is very sensitive. It is a good idea to not clip the hairs in his ears really short or at all during the summer. These little hairs help keep the bugs out. But if you must clip his ears for a show, then consider putting a fly mask on him with ears to keep the bugs out.

If your horse has any cuts, scraps or wounds cover them up with ointment that has a bug repellant in it. Bugs love any open cuts.
Your horse's mane and tail are used as protection and a defense against the insects so do not shave off his mane or cut his tail too short. Think of his mane and tail as big fly swatters.

If fly spray isn't going enough work for your horse, you can try some spot-on repellant. All you have to do is apply it to certain areas all over your horse's body and it is absorbed into his skin and helps to repel insects for several weeks.
When you are done riding your horse make sure you hose him down.

Dried sweat attracts those annoying bugs.

If your horse comes in during the day try and have a fan on his stall or in the barn blowing air around. Flies and other bugs are less likely to land in an area where the air is circulating.
Does your barn seem to have swarms of flies in certain areas of the barn? Hanging some sticky fly strips will attract the bugs and they will get stuck on the straps. This will help to decrease the amount of flies in your barn.

If your horse seems to be really bothered and irritated by the bugs, putting a fly sheet on him might be a good idea. Fly sheets will also help him to not get bitten by the bugs and also to keep his coat from getting bleached out.

If your horse is out in a pasture with other horses you may see them standing head to tail. They often stand like this to help swat the flies off of each other. If your horse is out alone, you might want to consider putting him out with a buddy.

A lot of times you might see your horse's eyes watering. Wash your horses face with a face wipe to keep it clean and remove the dirt that attracts flies and other pests.

If you plan on going to a show or on a trail ride, take some fly repellant wipes with you. This way if the bugs are starting to attack you can wipe down his face and ears to help keep some of the bugs away.

Try and remove any manure from his tall and pasture as often as possible. Cleaning up horse manure and any wet spots will help to decrease the amount of flies in his stall and out in the pasture.

Source: http://www.artipot.com/articles/1352022/shoo-fly.htm

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