Horse and Pony Fly Repellent Tip

Keep Those Flies Away!

Are the Flies Driving Your Horses or Ponies Crazy?

By Karen Griffith - Equine Nutritional and Farm Management Consultant

© 2007, Karen Griffith. All rights reserved.
To reprint this article call (740) 992-5782 or e-mail griffith@frognet.net

If you have more than one equine in your field, you can keep those hateful flies off your horse's body and face with a little method that I have used for years....

First, make sure your horse or pony is OK with the idea of having a spray can used all around him. (If he is flighty or tends to kick, you will need to work with him or have an experienced trainer give you a hand getting him accustomed to such things.)

Next, go to each horse and apply fly spray to his tail. Make sure that it is damp with the spray from about 10 inches below the tail head to the bottom of his tail.

That's it....fly spraying over!

With horses being the gregarious animals that they are, they will stand on those lazy, hot summer days and swish flies with their buddy. This puts the fly repellent on their buddy's face, so no need to use the wipe-on or roll-on face applications. They self apply the repellent to their sides, hocks, and bellies.

With close to 60 head of horses and ponies here on the farm, this is a quick easy way to control the flies. Just go around the herd and spray their tails. I haven't had a fly on a horses face all summer.

If you only have one animal, spray his tail and then spray a bit on a rag and apply to his face, neck, and chest.....he'll do the rest!

I use a pyretherin based, dairy aerosol (very safe, as it is approved for milking parlors) that can be found at your local feed store at a very reasonable price. It's funny how much cheaper a product is with a cow's picture on the can....

P.S. This type of spray works very well in the stalls and barn. Just spray for about four seconds in each stall or area you want rid of the flies For a better effect, close the barns doors for a few minutes to slow the breeze.

Karen Griffith - Equine Nutritional and Farm Management Consultant

Ohio State University - 1974

Karen has been doing equine and livestock nutritional and farm management consulting work all across the United States since the early 80's. She is a 1974 graduate of The Ohio State University, College of Agriculture, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science. She returned to obtain a second degree in Agricultural Education, and her Master's work is in Large Animal Nutrition and physiology.

Karen also has served as head research associate for the O.S.U. Surgical Research Department.

Professional equine articles by Karen Griffith have appeared in many top equine publications.

Karen served as Equine Science director for the Delaware City-County Joint Vocational School, Delaware, Ohio. She developed the curriculum for the program which included anatomy, nutrition, parasite control, reproductive physiology, stable and farm management, stallion and mare management, sales, farm promotion and advertising, western and English riding, and the breaking and training of young horses. She coached their horse judging team to a State Championship and Top National Status. During this busy time, Karen also served as coach and riding instructor for Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio.

Karen was a livestock nutritionist and field manager for the Furst-McNess Co., of Freeport, Illinois. Here she was responsible for the success and nutritional programs of over 100 dairy, beef, hog, and horse operations including the entire West Virginia State Farm Commission.

Karen was breeding top quality Paint horses before the Paint Horse Association was ever founded. Her first great foundation Paint mare was born in 1959. (The APHA was formed in 1963.) In 1973 when Atahi arrived on the scene, the bar was raised as to the quality of horses with "color". Her horses have been a major competitive factor in the industry. Karen's breeding program has produced some of the most successful horses and ponies to be found in North America to this date.
Want to see your farm turn a profit? Make your own breeding or sales operation profitable. To find out how to speak with Karen Griffith personally, click on the underlined text: Paint horses, paint stallions, equine nutrition information and farm management consulting.

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