Protect your horse this summer with these popular fly control methods. No one like seeing their horse suffer from swarms of biting flies, and it's also not pleasant for you and anyone else that is around your horses as well !
Fly Masks:
You will know when to put a fly
mask on a horse because you will see flies swarming your horse at an unusually
frequent rate. Most horse owners can anticipate this by putting preventative
fly masks on their horses as the seasons change, and the weather grows hotter. Flies tend to come out more in the summer months, so have a fly
mask at the ready come June-July so that your horse does not spend too many
days unprotected. Fly masks are also good ideas in the summertime, not just to
protect your horse from bothersome insects, but to provide facial protection
from harsh UV rays.
Fly Sprays:
When used as
directed, fly sprays can be effective in reducing irritation and the risk
of diseases transmitted by flies, and should be considered as a component of
horse owners' fly control regiment. A few casual spritzes of fly spray over
your horse's topline isn't going to do much to keep bugs away. Most
manufacturers recommend apply 2 to 3 ounces of product, which can be as much as
40 sprays of the bottle. Apply the product everywhere—especially down the
legs and under the belly where flies congregate. All fly sprays are not created
equal. Some fly sprays contain multiple active ingredients for a quick
knockdown and repellency, providing a barrier that prevents flies from attacking
horses before they land. Others contain natural ingredients, skin conditioners
or sweat-resistance properties. Before using a fly repellent, always read the
label to find the one that works best for your needs. At our farm we personally
use Endure Fly Spray for our horses. Endure Sweat-Resistant Fly Repellent Spray
stays active and keeps working even in wet conditions. Provides up to 14 days
fly control. Protects against stable flies, horse flies, deer flies, house
flies, face flies, horn flies, gnats, mosquitoes, ticks, deer ticks and lice. Endure
is the only fly repellent spray with RepeLock, an exclusive conditioner that
binds to the hair shaft, locking in the fly repellency of Endure fly spray.
This unique formula stays active even when your horse sweats or in wet
conditions. Endure Fly Spray contains 0.15% cypermethrin, 0.20% pyrethrins and
1.60% piperonyl butoxide.
Feed through Fly Control:
Early prevention is key. One of the biggest obstacles in
fly population management is manure – because that's where flies lay their
eggs. Feed through fly control can help prevent the growth of stable flies in
your horse's manure. Waste evacuated from the horse as manure contains the
effective fly control directly in it. The result? No more flies! Effective feed
through fly control options work by breaking the life cycle of the fly in
treated manure. These supplements, including additives are created to be safe,
palatable, and eagerly eaten by horses.