Posted 2016-05-19 1:45 PM Subject: It's allergy season again!
Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981 Location: North Dakota
And I don't know what to do for my poor horse. Last summer I kept him in a run up by the barn and the flies are not too bad and he wore his fly sheet 24/7 and did ok. This summer I've moved him out on 20+ acres of pasture with the rest of the geldings which is really good for him overall, except he is getting eaten alive. I still have his fly sheet on but on the exposed part of his neck and even the side of his cheek have hives from bug bites. I haven't found a spray that really works. I'm thinking I'll have to get a fly mask but don't know if there are any fly boots that will stand up to him running through tall grass and weeds. Is there anything I can feed him to help with his body's response to the bites? Anyone who's dealt with horses that have bug allergies, let me know how you cope!
Posted 2016-05-19 1:49 PM Subject: RE: It's allergy season again!
It's not my fault I'm perfect
Posts: 13739 Location: Where the long tails flow, ND
I have a mare that was really reactive, I now have her on Cur-OST since last fall so I'm curious to see how she is this spring/summer. She would literally come into the barn, in her stall, alone all day rather than be out in the pasture. And she was perfectly content. It wasn't even worth trying to ride her if the bugs were bad.
Posted 2016-05-19 2:15 PM Subject: RE: It's allergy season again!
Elite Veteran
Posts: 915 Location: SE KS
Animed makes a couple different allergy products.
The local farm store (here it is Orschelns) has a "paste" in a deoderant style roll up called
War Paint, I use it all over my horses, although I try not to use it on anything I'm going to ride
as it makes a "mess" of their hair in the spot it is on, however it does work on the flies!!!
Posted 2016-05-19 3:25 PM Subject: RE: It's allergy season again!
Expert
Posts: 1207
Funny that you mention this today. Most of the time I am able to control the flies and whatever on my horses. I guess I didn't think with this cooler weather they would bother the horses so much. This morning one of my horses was trotting in circles, then he would trot in and around the barn, then back outside and every so often he would stop and bite at his sides and then kick at his belly. I thought Oh no he is trying to colic. Called the vet and of course vet didn't call me back so I called the neighbor and asked if he had any banamine so he came over and gave him a shot but he didn't think the horse was colicing and he really didn't act like it. He never pawed the ground, tried to roll or anything like that. His gums were good now pulse or heat in his feet. But he gave him the shot anyway. While were standing there we saw all these little flies on his back his sides on his belly. I guess they were bothering the crap out of him. Took in into the barn and sprayed him. He calmed down. Just never ever have seen this horse act like that but then I know this horse is very sensitive to flies, grasshoppers, etc. Grasshoppers make him mad as heck...
It's allergy season again!
