Many people are saying this summer has been one of the worst for flies. Stable management is first key to reducing fly populations, but what about those of us who board and can’t develop our own first line of defense? Or barn owners who want reinforcements in the battle of the flies? What can we do to provide our horses relief from flies?
Physical Protection
Fly masks and fly sheets provide a physical barrier preventing flies from landing on and biting the horse’s skin. They require minimal maintenance; just the occasional cleaning or repairs (we can do that!).
Putting a fly mask on your horse is one of the easiest ways to provide relief from flies. Flies tend to congregate around a horse’s eyes because they drink the moisture from the eyeball and feed on the mucus – Gross! Fly masks do not reduce the horse’s vision (unless caked in mud) despite their opaque appearance and as a bonus they sort of act like sunglasses.
The most basic fly masks protect the horse’s eyes, other fly masks also offer ear and or nose protection. The fit should allow for room around the eyes, no gaps for flies to get in through and for the Velcro to close securely.
Here at Richvale Saddlery we carry Mighty Masks, Equestar Fly Masks, Bucas Fly Masks and Cashel Fly Masks and a size range from Mini to Draft.
Have trouble keeping fly masks on? We can add a custom double Velcro closure on most styles.
Fly sheets offer almost full body protection against flies. Styles range from classic mesh sheets to high neck, belly banded, UV protection super sheets. Bucas even makes a full body sheet that you can ride in, perfect for hacking through dense forest.
Chemical Protection
Chemical protection comes in two forms: repellents and insecticides. Repellents mask the smell of horse with a fragrance that is unappealing to flies. Insecticides kill flies when they come in contact with the spray. Most insecticide sprays have a repellent fragrance component. Your choice of fly spray depends on your choice of ingredients and your application method.
There are 3 basic application methods: Spray, roll-on and wipe-on. Sprays are the easiest solution to cover the majority of the body and are versatile enough that they can be wiped on around the face. Roll-on and wipe-on products are similar and are best for direct point applications like the face or around wounds. Swat is a medicated wipe-on product designed directly for wounds.
Insecticide sprays are typically based on Pyrethrin, Piperonyl Butoxide Technical and Permethrin. There is a wider range of ingredients in repellents including citronella, tea tree oil, lavender oil, eucalyptus oil and lanolin.
When shopping for fly spray take some time to compare labels in terms of concentrations and the volume of the container to get the best value.
Richvale Saddlery carries a wide range of fly sprays including Absorbine, Golden Horseshoe, Flicks and Farnam.
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