IT’S TIME: keep flies away from horses with our repellent

Spring rarely comes alone, pests are always there! Beyond the inconvenience caused to our equine friends, flies, flies, horseflies, mosquitoes, ticks, can have potentially dangerous consequences for the horse.

In order to avoid these complications, at Naturacheval, we had to offer you a natural solution: our REPUL’ HORSEFLIES & FLIES.

What are the risks?

Depending on the geographical area and climate, some flying insects can become extremely harmful to horses, attracted to sweating, dirt and wet areas. They quickly prove to be harmful to the comfort and also to the health of the horse. We can even talk about harassment as the pressure of flies exerted on the horse can be substantial. This harassment inevitably leads to discomfort, which is a source of stress for the horse. Because of this constant disturbance, this can lead him to change his daily life: eating less, drinking less, a reduction in rest time, etc.

The danger is that biting insects can be vectors of viral or bacterial diseases. The bites, as such, are not described as dangerous for the animal, even if they create a certain agitation in the animal. What is dangerous is the consequences of this contact between the insect and the horse. For example, flies can lay their eggs in the eyes, resulting in conjunctivitis. Insects landing on an existing wound increase the risk of superinfection caused by contamination by an infectious agent (streptococcus for example) located on their legs. Some pests feed on the blood of animals using their saliva and venom, these two substances can cause an allergic reaction in the horse such as itching, and summer dermatitis. West Nile fever can also be transmitted to horses by mosquitoes that have bitten sick birds beforehand. Some viruses can also be transmitted, such as infectious anemia.

Ticks, on the other hand, wait patiently in tall grass or brush for a living being to pass by in order to cling to it and feed on its blood. Tick bites can be painful but are not serious, the consequences occur when ticks transmit infectious agents to the horse when they feed. Vectors of Lyme disease, for example, are a bacterium called “borrelia burgdorferi” that enters the horse’s body when bitten.

So, as you can see, the list of consequences is long. It is therefore necessary to protect our horses from these pests in order to avoid any complications.

What to do?

Naturally, horses try to keep pests away with tail movements and shivering preventing insects from landing. However, we can help horses to live better during this period.

First of all, we must pay attention to their living conditions. As we have seen, insects are attracted to wet areas and dirt. To limit the presence of these pests, you should try to avoid areas of stagnant water and keep a clean and ventilated environment for the horse. Meadows shaded by trees are also to be preferred during this period, as this limits the sweating of horses attracting these insects. It is also advisable to keep horses away from herds of cattle if possible, and also to avoid allowing tall grass, brush and shrubs to invade the environment. When you go outside, on a walk or in class, it is best to do these activities in a group.

In terms of hygiene, we advise you to adopt two reflexes during this period in order to keep insects away from your horse for a long time:

• Shower with a lemongrass shampoo with strong repellent power
• Spray your horse regularly with repellent that respects the animal’s comfort. At Naturacheval, we have designed the REPUL’ GAWDFS & FLIES containing natural ingredients with recognized repellent and purifying properties.

Finally, in addition to all these precautions, there are tools to help the horse gain a little comfort in the face of these tenacious external agents: anti-fly masks and blankets.

As you can see, harmless, annoying, these insects are major pests for horses because the risks to the horse’s health are great. Some horses are sensitive to these pests, others less so, nevertheless in any case, prevention is the best weapon to face this summer peacefully with your four-legged friend.