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Post by brightbay on Nov 3, 2008 2:53:23 GMT -2
After reading the thread about fly sheets it got me wondering: those of you who have horses that live out - what do you do to protect them against biting insects at night, esp in AHS areas (Gauteng etc) ?
How does that differ when the horse is sleeping out completely in the open (with maybe trees for shelter) or when it has some kind of a shelter (but not a stable)?
I have never had a horse that lived out, so I'm really very interested in how one would go about this if stabling is not an option. I know a lot of the studs have their young horses living out until they're about 3 or 4 and start work, but AFAIK they don't get fly sheets or anything such. Does anyone know?
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Post by Weezie on Nov 3, 2008 3:12:50 GMT -2
Shallb has a flysheet on from 3pm-9am. She's smothered in deet spray before her sheet is put on and when it is taken off she's resprayed.
When I ride in the evening I spray her with tabbard from head to tail and once untacked try to keep her moving til she's cool enough to have her sheet back on.
There are also no lights near their paddocks to draw the miggies.
Pray.
If I could wrap up in cling wrap 24/7 I would. :/
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Post by saxon on Nov 3, 2008 3:41:45 GMT -2
Brightbay, I know of at least one stud which is changing its "live-out" policy for the broodmares and young horses with the increase in AHS over recent years.
The broodmares are now brought in (at this stud) in mid-December, and live in a barn, going out during the day only. They cannot be covered in a fly sheet, because of the foals at foot, but the barn is covered in shade cloth to try to keep midges out. The mares will start living out again from first frost until mid-December next year.
It impacts heavily on the cost of running the stud, but it's not worth the risk as they lost a very good mare and two foals to AHS last year, and had three others down with it.
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Post by saturn on Nov 3, 2008 4:12:30 GMT -2
Im in the FS and my friend has 5 horses on her farm, she does minimal i must say, fly spray in the morning and thats that, they do have open stables to walk into if they want but she doesnt stable them at all per se! She does give the AHS injection though i know.
I know at the two appaloosa stud farms around here they do nothing either, all the horses live out, but i think the FS isnt as bad with HS than Kzn and Gauteng.
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Post by brightbay on Nov 3, 2008 6:25:10 GMT -2
Thanx
Weez, which DEET spray do you use? Does Shalb sleep out-out of under a roof?
Do you think a roof makes a big difference re the midgies?
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Post by Weezie on Nov 3, 2008 6:31:45 GMT -2
Shallb sleeps out-out. The Deltab diluted into a spray canister, which is great for the ticks too.
Don't think the roof would make much of a difference to the miggies.
Edited to add: Sorry don't know where my brain is today, I spray her with deltab not DEET. Sorry the main component of deltab is Deltamethrin.
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Post by anine on Nov 3, 2008 6:39:36 GMT -2
deltab contains DEET??? and repells midges and flies?
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edited to add:
no it doesnt:
25 % m/m Deltamethrin
and it kills ticks, flies and lice.
it doesnt repell them
so the creepy crawly bites the horse first, and then dies
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Post by Weezie on Nov 3, 2008 6:46:21 GMT -2
Haha anine got there just before you did, sorry I'm busy doing a million things at once at the moment and forgot to check my brain in at the door.
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Post by Weezie on Nov 3, 2008 6:47:53 GMT -2
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