[Hoofprints in the Sand]

Has anyone ever used this? Does it work?? I have a mare who is extremely sensitive to bites, she gets lumps that develop into masses which the vet then has to remove :-( This even happens in the dead of winter (spiders maybe??)...the vet suggested I try something like this to ward the creepy crawlies off!

Fly Away Garlic - Statelinetack.com

 

[smrobs]

I have heard that garlic would keep the creepy crawlies away. Lots of dog owners around here use it to keep the flies, fleas, and ticks off their dogs so I would imagine that it would work for horses too. Though they generally just use the garlic powder you can buy at the grocery store.

 

[MyBoyPuck]

Horse - Bug Off Garlic for Horses - Springtime, Inc.

I've been looking at this stuff. It's cheap compared to some of the other bug products out there and appears to be effective. I guess you never know until you try it.

 

[Gidji]

I use garlic granules and I find it very effective. Ricky used to come in covered in ticks, lumps and bumps and it was just horrible. But now you bring him in and you'd be hard pressed to find one bite on him. I'd say because the mare is so sensitive to use in combination with rugging too

 

[Hoofprints in the Sand]

Thanks everyone!! And Gidji yes, she will be wearing a fly sheet and I'll still be using fly spray and a fly mask too Just thought this would be nice for the winter months since something has been biting her even in the deep freeze of winter and I can't be spraying fly spray all over her and then sticking a thick winter blanket on her :-/ I would think that would irritate her skin!

So I'm hoping that whatever's been biting her is repelled by this stuff as well as the flies!

 

[smrobs]

Could she have possibly developed a skin allergy to something in the environment? That seems more likely to me, especially if she has been getting them in winter too.

 

[Hoofprints in the Sand]

Could she have possibly developed a skin allergy to something in the environment? That seems more likely to me, especially if she has been getting them in winter too.

That's what I thought at first too, but the vet biopsied 2 of the bumps...one that had been there since this past Autumn and one of the ones that just popped up recently. Both came back as external insect bite reactions :-/

 

[smrobs]

Wow, how odd. I hope you get it figured out. I imagine poor Sandie can't be comfortable with those itchy bites all over. :? Silly bugs.

 

[Hoofprints in the Sand]

I know!! :-( The strange thing is that they don't seem to bother her or itch at ALL!! It's SO weird...the only reason I had to get the vet to do something about it is because the one from Autumn is right underneath one of the panels of my saddle and once it got bigger it started rubbing it raw! So I haven't ridden her with a saddle in like a month and a half, and haven't done anything except sit on her (very far forward in front of the bumps) and walk around in a month :-/

But I'm glad they're not really bothering her anyway...the vet injected them with steroids this week and said that should take care of the ones that are there, but who knows how long it will be :-( Now I just have to figure out how to prevent MORE of them from showing up!

 

[Pidge]

Have you checked the blanket for eight legged creepy crawlies? Spiders like to nest up in the fleece lined blankets or for the non fleece lined they seem to just find their way up into the seams an folds an such. Or atleast thats my experience here in Texas. I shake my horses blanket out every time I put it on him if its been sitting. Even if its only been sitting for a few hours.

Also I hear that apple cider vinegar if s natural fly repellent. Its suppose to do something to make the horses no longer tasty or something like that lol i read an article once... I believe it said to mix in between 1/2 to a whole cup of ACV with the horses feed for it to be effective. If you bought it in the huge jugs you find at sam's club an such it might be more cost effective then a garlic supplement.

I also hear that garlic works great though too...Everyone I've ever met just buys the garlic cloves and grinds them up to put in the feed.

You never know what will work till you try it! and i think the fly sheet is a really good idea.

 

[Hoofprints in the Sand]

Thanks Pidge! We did shake her blanket out and took a good look at it and didn't find anything, but that's not to say that the spider didn't bite her and then leave :-/ That's why I'm going the route of the feed through stuff...because it's too hard to make sure there's not something in her blanket when she wears it all the time, and something could just as easily crawl up there even if there wasn't when I first put it on her :-(

 

[ozarkmama]

We are using this on our horses as well as our dogs and really like it.

Horse - Bug Off Garlic for Horses - Springtime, Inc.

I've been looking at this stuff. It's cheap compared to some of the other bug products out there and appears to be effective. I guess you never know until you try it.

 

[themacpack]

For those actively using garlic, does your horse have the odor that can develop from use of garlic supplements?

 

[myQHpaul]

my barn owner started using garlic in the horses feed and paul refused to eat it. after 2 days of no grain, they emptied out his food container, washed it out, and he's back to eating again. looks like i will be using the fly spray again this year.

 

[themacpack]

Paul - how did they go about introducing it? As with anything being added to a feed program, it is recommended to start by introducing a much smaller amount than the actual "dosage" so that the horse can adjust to the new flavor in steps. If they just dumped a scoop into his food, I'm not surprised he refused it. Garlic has such a unique odor and flavor.

 

[ozarkmama]

We started off with small doses and increased it gradually. Our horses lick their buckets clean. We don't notice an odor but have just gotten to the full dose so we shall see.