Banish the Buzz With NAF This Summer

No one wants their horse to be pestered by flies...

The truth is no one wants to see their horse or pony being annoyed by flies and insects whilst turned out in their paddocks, or when you are riding, carrying the buzz of insects that hover above their head or your hat and join you on your ride.

It is not just horse flies that find our horses an attractive opportunity. The black fly finds a home inside their ears as they need an area with less hair to be able to suck blood from the skin; these are around throughout the warmer months along with midges. With fly activity increasing at the break of dawn or dusk, irritation for horses can become apparent as the flies bite releases saliva into the skin; it is this that can cause the itching sensation. The crab fly tends to remain between the hindlegs but they have no wings, they have to be brushed away. Then you have the stable fly, these breed in our muckheaps and usually gather around the face and the eyes and appear around the same time as the horse fly. The horse fly receives the most attention as it's sharp teeth can bite through the skin, creating a larger lesion and likely resulting in a skin reaction.

Research the best formulas for your needs...

NAF has taken its learnings from nature itself, some plants have the natural ability to mask scents that are attractive to insects, while others can confuse the insect’s odour receptors and create an unappealing environment for them to land on. Then there is of course the well-known synthetic repellent, DEET which combines what nature has taught us into one product. DEET was formulated by US soldiers upon testing times in the jungle during 1946. Generally, the higher the rate of DEET the more effective the repellent will be. However, safe levels for use on horses and in our environment, are capped, so avoid using DEET repellents designed for use on people, as these are likely to be too high for your horse. As with any topical application it is always worth doing a patch test for 48 hours prior to use.

Should you have a Fly Repellent to hand? Fly repellents have been used for generations to help repel flies and biting insects from irritating our horses. Using a fly spray can help avoid contact with these blood thirsty feeders and in turn can help to prevent the many diseases that flies may transmit which can lead to extreme discomfort. When picking a repellent, think about the type of fly you are seeing and even horses who wear a fly rug will benefit from a repellent.