prevention of ticks

Im curious to learn some new ways to keep ticks off both me, and my horse while we trail ride this year.

The one thing that will absolutely keep me indoors durring the summer months is TICKS!!
I HATE them!! They are creepy feeling, engorge themselves on blood, and make me itchy for weeks!!

They also annoy my horse pretty bad-- I do believe we are slightly allergic?
I've seen them make crusty puss in every horse's crest I've ever seen, but they leave welts on my current horse and me.. she is scratchin against trees, and im scratchin myself-- we both look like a couple of itchy, sweaty, weirdos, lol.


I make their fly spray, and it just aint strong enough!! I don't have exact measurements-- I just eyeball it nowadays-- but its a mix of vinegar, dishsoap, and water.. works great-- keeps the pesky flies off, but the ticks still crawl on them.

I've heard of something like advantage for horses.. like the dog flea and tick killer you put along the back.. but Im not sure how that works?

Anyone have any good home remidies, or any store bought items that work well?

Garlic helps some.

I did some research, and it read that garlic attracts things like mosquitos, and ticks. :(

I haven't found that to be the case. It doesn't do anything about mosquitoes, but I do think it helps a little with ticks.

You have to be careful not to feed too much though, that can be dangerous.

How much do you feed them?

We sprinkle one ounce across their feed in the morning only. I don't know if this is enough, but it has kept them tick free so far,. I have found 3 ticks on me from out there so far.

Feeding garlic does work to about 85% efficiency.

Do NOT feed raw garlic as it is the allicin (sp?) in raw garlic that can possibly cause anemia.

Processed garlic is good to feed as the allicin has been processed out of it.

You (because you live in tick country) might want to start feeding it right now - lol lol

Feed garlic powder, not garlic salt. I buy equine garlic from Herbal Remedies for Horses including Natural Equine Supplements for Laminitis and Founder in Horses- Herbs For Horses

I have been buying various products from this company since 2004. They are privately owned and great to do business with. They have reining horses (which perform barefoot by the way lollol) so I figure they started this company up for their own needs.

They are in Memphis, if I call early enough in the AM, my stuff is at my doorstep, sometimes the next day

I start with about one teaspoon daily and work my way up to a tablespoon daily. Is a tablespoon an ounce?

That being said, I cannot feed it to my horses with ulcers and I wouldn't feed it to a horse prone to colic.

Repel-X works great IF you mix it, according to the label, specifically for ticks. You'll get about three pasture days from spraying. However, that much strength burns all of my horses

Zonk! Works pretty good but during the height of the tick season, I have to use it every day.

What the horse is being fed can also make a huge difference, as what they eat permeates thru their skin. Sweet feed is the worst thing on earth for being a bug magnet.

As far as trail riding, I found Deep Woods OFF!, in the green can, always worked really well for both of us.

It's easy to pack and you only need one can of something to protect yourself and your horse, as long as the horse doesn't have a reaction to it.

I have heard good luck stories using a sock full of sulphur and powdering the horse's legs but if you cross a creek, I don't think enough powder residual would stay on the horse.

Last year was a very quiet tick year for us, I'm expecting this year to make up for that since I have already pulled a tick off one of the horses.

I have two that are tick magnets.

Then there's the chiggers. They don't like me one iota but will line up on the garage apron to attack Mr. WTW the minute he walks out the door

Reading stuff like this makes me more willing to put up with our incessant rain, becuase here is Western Washington State, we have NO chiggers and almost no ticks. I hate bugs that burrow into your body to suck your blood. At least a mosquito will take some and leave.
Ugh! Just totally gives me the creeps thinking about pulling off ticks.

So I got this recipe for when we lived in SC, where it is very ticky, mosquito-y and super buggy- they all carry off small children and animals on a regular basis!!
It definitely works!! You don't need huge amounts on the animal, just a light spray. If there is no rain, residuals can last for several days as well. Don't spray it where covering goes- saddle pad, leg wraps, etc.
It is a bit oily from the Skin So Soft, so be careful with clothing, and slickness of hands. Don't get it in anyone's eyes, all that good stuff... But if you can- DON'T leave the SSS out. It gives a carrier to stay on the hair and skin. If you can't find it, I have heard baby oil will work also.
Without further ado!! Lol
PS- the chemical in it- permethrin (various spellings) is actually the active ingredient in prescription dog flea and tick meds. I also use this on my dogs before heavy exposure to tick infested areas. Permethrin can be bought at most any farm store.

Fly Spray
(Amounts are to make 1 gallon)
2 oz 10% Permethrin/Pyrethrin
1 bottle Skin So Soft (16oz or larger)
White Vinegar
Water

Directions
1) Put 2 oz Permethrin in gallon size bottle.
2) Add full bottle of SSS.
3) Fill gallon bottle to halfway with white vinegar.
4) Finish up gallon bottle with water.
*** You may want to leave a bit of airspace at the top to be able to shake.
**** Shake before every use, and shake before pouring into spray bottle.
I keep it all stored in an old vinegar jug.

Good luck!!

I am from the OH/PA border originally. I was used to finding ticks on the dogs but never on the horses.

It was all I could do not to throw up the first spring my horses were here in Tennessee. By the end of the first summer I was used to taking a small flashlight and looking in every tawdry dark corner my horses own for those nasty little creatures.

I mean I literally sit on the stall floor or a stool and look up into the dark netherlands of all my horses because that's where tick like to hide.

I have found them inside the sheath.

I have found them trying their darndest to get inside the anal area but evidently that's too close quarters for the little B*st***s and they just attach themselves to the outside edge.

We are polluted with Lone Star ticks and they are near impossible to kill, unless they're full and that is not what I want to see on my horse.

I keep a tightly lidded jar, heavily fly-sprayed, on the counter in the barn. It goes with me to each stall. When I find a tick, I pull it off and throw the evil little thing into the sprayed jar so it can die in there.

The garlic and other things I mentioned work but nothing I have found, that is horse-safe works 100%. Two of my horses have gotten good at tail-swishing and hoof stomping to tell me I need to get my flashlight out because something is knawing at them