[Daydream Believer]

I've trail ridden for years mostly in a more piedmont sort of area. Now I live in coastal Virginia and there is a lot of swampy land and the biting flies here are terrible. They range from the huge greenheads, the 747's and some smaller brown ones that go for the bellies and soft parts of the horses. This wet summer has been the worst that I remember since moving here in 2005.

We tried to head out this morning and once we hit the shady trails we were mobbed by a swarm of flies that went after the horses bellies and inside hind legs. I was on a very green 4 year old on his second trail ride and he came nearly unglued. I had to dismount to try and get the flies off him as he was hopping and kicking and going quite beserk..and this is a lovely sensible young horse normally. There were several biters attacking him badly on his belly and hind legs.

All that stopped the attack was to move back out into a sunny area. We had sprayed the horses before we left but it was as if we'd put nothing on them. Once we got the flies off him, he calmed down, I remounted and we headed back home. I'm not at the point with this greenie that I'd take off in a canter to outrun the flies ...he's really quite green...and I want this to be positive...not negative.

I have no idea what we could use to deter such awful flies. As a rider you can't do much with the belly biters even with a whisk. Everywhere else I've ever lived it was mostly deer flies in the woods but these are not the same thing...much more vicious.

I have an email out to an endurance riding friend from this forum (PandorasXX) to see if she knows a place we can haul out to ride in our area but I hate that it is so bad here near my farm that the flies will pick you up and carry you off practically. If anyone has any suggestions of what we might try? I used Endure on them and that seems to work fairly well on my farm in general.

Thanks!

[Trakehner]

Here's the Cashel collection of fly stuff:

2-piece for the body: http://www.cashelcompany.com/Product...ProductID=9549

Belly protector: http://www.cashelcompany.com/Product...ProductID=9552

Riding fly mask with ears (I ride both my guys in these: http://www.cashelcompany.com/product...ProductID=9569

You may feel like an idiot, but these do protect your horses from the #$!@#$!@ flies...bad year for flies.

[Daydream Believer]

Thanks! I'll check it out. I don't care how silly I look! I'm way past worrying over appearances!

[twofatponies]

There's a dreadful trail we avoid in summer - for some reason that particular spot has so many deer flies that literally each riders helmet has 20 or 30 sitting on it, and they land by the dozens on the horse's necks. Fly spray has no effect. I use an ear net to keep them off my mare's ears and poll.

For whatever reason, however, our horses - though not thrilled - do not really react badly to the flies, beyond groaning, sighing, and shaking their heads. Even when we got attacked by bees last week the horses just stomped, kicked and fretted and lashed their tails, but didn't bolt, rear, buck or lose it.

I reach up and kill the ones I can, and we trot where we can to shake them off, if we are in such an icky spot.

High open country is better - the flies breed near water and along the edges of woods. Early mornings are better than later.

I wonder if our horses are tolerant because they live out 24/7, and have to deal with it? Does your horse normally stay in, where it is comfortably fly-free? Then the ride becomes a huge contrast to the comfortable stable/indoor ring. Some horses are just less tolerant, I'd assume, though even my friend's TB doesn't get upset - he lives out also. He was with us during the bee sting situation.

[Daydream Believer]

I wonder if our horses are tolerant because they live out 24/7, and have to deal with it? Does your horse normally stay in, where it is comfortably fly-free? Then the ride becomes a huge contrast to the comfortable stable/indoor ring. Some horses are just less tolerant, I'd assume, though even my friend's TB doesn't get upset - he lives out also. He was with us during the bee sting situation.

No he's an outside horse. The flies are not so bad on the farm though as in the woods. I've never seen so many on a horse at one time as we had today. We just might have to stay off that trail until Fall.

[twofatponies]

No he's an outside horse. The flies are not so bad on the farm though as in the woods. I've never seen so many on a horse at one time as we had today. We just might have to stay off that trail until Fall.

Yeah, they've been just awful here.

Interesting about the outside horse theory - that was my only best idea for why my horses (and some others I know) don't flip out. I've had friends thrown by their horses due to fly bites, and always figured that was par for the course... but these guys - and some others I know - just seem willing to bear it. And my Morgan mare has sensitive skin - welts up easily, rubs easily, thin coat.

In the pasture they will get running or trot in a hurry to the shed sometimes, but under saddle they don't freak out. Don't know why then. Anyone out there "taught" a horse to tolerate flies, or do you find it just comes more naturally to some?

[pusher]

Deer flys are the worst here since they bite but they die sometime in late August. I just stay out of the bush until then. Come September which is just around the corner the bush becomes rideable again.

[Drive NJ]

The problem with Deer flies, Black Flies, Greenheads and B-52s is they are sight bugs not scent bugs which is why they are not deterred by bug repellent. In fact, when riding, they are not deterred by anything short of a glue trap or swatter.

They are mostly out in July-August for about 6 weeks and are around wetlands. For a while NJ was spraying along the Delaware which helped a lot, with less $$ available we have less spraying and more bugs.

We use string fly nets when riding or driving to brush them off the horses, it helps some, but nothing really works for these guys. We also use the fly traps to kill off as many as we can, but it is minimal in the long run.

EDIT: Forgot to mention... we live near the Great Swamp in NJ and there is a nice little trail system in the area. Most of the year its great, but July/Aug is bad with bugs. We've also found its better to ride in the heat and sun than go for any shade. The shade is where the bugs are hanging out.

[Daydream Believer]

Drive NJ...I think you nailed it...it just sucks to live near Wetlands in July and August! I miss the mountains but that is a long drive from where we live to just do a day ride. This baby goes home later in the month..he's been in training to be started under saddle. We may haul out this weekend and try and give him a better ride somewhere not so infested with biters.

[Drive NJ]

Physical barriers do work to some degree. You may want to try a string fly sheet

http://www.bigblackhorse.com/HorseTackFlyNets.shtml

We've used both the sheet and face mask (if we didn't want to use ear nets). Even saw a driver using light fishing net on the neck to move around and brush bugs away.

In Hungary, they use these gorgeous braided leather fly swishers called sallongs

http://www.narrowgatetack.com/nghungariantack.html

There are flank and shoulder pieces as well, but I'm not seeing that site on-line right now. I'll look for them.

VERY expensive, but WAY cool. We bought a set for our harness, but mostly use the string nets.

[matryoshka]

The problem with Deer flies, Black Flies, Greenheads and B-52s is they are sight bugs not scent bugs which is why they are not deterred by bug repellent. In fact, when riding, they are not deterred by anything short of a glue trap or swatter.

I never knew this! Wow. The flies are terrible this year.