fly repellent for horses

[shas]

hi, can anyone help me and my horse, who is plagued by flys,

some of which I don,t recognise, I have been to the vet, and

purchased some horrible black tarry stuff, but It still hasn,t done

the trick, Have also tried marmite sandwiches, which did help a

bit with the mossies, any advice would be gratefully recieved.

[Wicce]

Hi Shaz.  We had this problem last year and our Vet recommended a product called Versatrine.  It's actually for cattle and sheep and repels flies, ticks etc.  It works really well - I sponged it round our horses' eyes and on all the vulnerable bits.  Horribly expensive, but what price happy horses?

 

Mary

[shas]

Thanks Mary, I,ll get some tomorrow and give it a try.

don,t know about driving him mad, it,s driving me mad too.

                       sharon.

[IAN_S]

We have tried all the products available I think, and none of them really worked for long so resorted to head masks which do work but only on the face. We were advised by a French friend to try a mixture of concentrated geranium essence and sesame seed oil and we found this did work well and all day/night, the only problem being getting hold of the sesame oil. The last time we used ordinary tournasol oil which seemed to work just as well.

We bought fly rugs which are good but the main solution to this problem for us was to build a large field shelter 6m x 6m with a doorway covered in strips of garden netting to create a dark interior that the flies do not go into.

The horses now live in the shelter during the heat of the day and leave it at night to graze. They are ex-racehorses so also get hard feed/hay as well.

 

 

 

[shas]

have been to the pharmacy and ordered some of the expensive stuff tres expensive, but maybe cheaper than through your vets. I will also try geranium essence/oil and maybe use sparingly the expensive, and more liberally the cheaper.

 thankyou for both suggestions, from one at the moment mud covered, so possibly more comfortable horse, also ex racer...

                                     sharon

[Robbos]

could try a mixture of Benzyle Benzoate (2l) with Citronella oil (500cl) sponged on mane, tail liberally and sparingly over remainder of body and face.  Don't get in your eyes it hurts.  Works for me.

[Robbos]

could try a mixture of Benzyle Benzoate (2l) with Citronella oil (500cl) sponged on mane, tail liberally and sparingly over remainder of body and face.  Don't get in your eyes it hurts.  Works for me.

[Robbos]

could try a mixture of Benzyle Benzoate (2l) with Citronella oil (500cl) sponged on mane, tail liberally and sparingly over remainder of body and face.  Don't get in your eyes it hurts.  Works for me.

[peachy]

We have the same problem with flies, found a product called TRI TEC, comes in a silver spray bottle available from horsey type places, about 42 Euros, we found that the field shelter is the best remedy, in the shade out of the hot sun, 

[Keely]

A girl at the yard where we keep our horses in the Uk makes her own fly repellant, which we all use.

Will get recipe of her when she her again, but know it has lavender oil, citronella oil and tea bags!!

Seems to work though

[shas]

thanks everybody for your help, I have now bought the horribly expensive stuff, and it works really well, and you don,t need to use a lot,

              so thankyou again from one now happy horse.

[Richardbk]

We use garlic granules in the food - this works incredibly well on its own and is relatively cheap, but when on competition we also use a professionally recommended product, used also on sheep and other animals called Dermaflex (about 40euros for approx a litre).

regs

Richard