As ever, we are busy fighting the flies this summer. The ponies often get quite nasty bites but thankfully that hasn’t happened yet this year. Fingers crossed that it will stay that way. I did try a deet fly spray for the first time but it made Cookster’s skin peel a bit so I have gone back to the plain citronella version which does seem to be pretty effective too.
More of an issue than the bites is Cookster’s eyes. A combination of flies and his long forelock mean that they can get quite weepy. The fly mask obviously helps with that but often I go out to find the ponies looking like this.
Then of course, I have to go off and find the missing mask. Cookster spent a whole day without his mask this week which led to slightly swollen eyelids and a fair bit of discharge. That prompted me to plait his forelock up – it keeps it out of his eyes and definitely makes a huge difference as they are fully back to normal again. I like to think that it makes him look a bit like a unicorn too.
Sometimes I quite welcome the wet and windy days – there are far fewer flies about then!
I am exactly the same, it can be quite a relief to get to autumn! Glad they’re doing ok though and Cookster a bit better.
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I always feel a bit bad about it but summer can be hard work!
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IMy newest addition is very allergic to the bugs, particularly the cullicoides (gnats). He gets bloody, scabby and rubs his tail off. I have him decked in a full fly sheet, fly mask, occaisionally fly boots. I bought fly predators but they don’t address gnats. I use the spray and Swat 2x/day and feed him an allergy medication with high fats.
Bugs are the worst!
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Oh the poor thing, that sounds horrid. I have known several sweet itchy ponies and they are so much work – I’m very lucky that my ponies don’t seem allergic. I do have to be very careful to keep the flies out of Cookster’s eyes though!
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