This post is sponsored by Farnam, but all opinions expressed are my own.
As we all know, the summer months usually bring in their fair share of pesky insects. Growing up in the Midwest, we had tons of mosquitos in the summer, especially up in the northern woods. I would always have bug bites all over my legs! The horses would also get attacked and we couldn’t reapply fly spray faster. I thought I knew bugs until I moved to Florida two years ago but let me tell you, I was pretty naive. Because of the heat and the humidity, the flies here are unbelievable. Horses are constantly swarming with flies and it breaks my heart!
A lot of products out there just don’t cut it for this level of insect invasion. Enter Farnam. I have been a big time fan of Farnam products for quite some time, so I was seriously pumped when they sent me a whole range of their “No Fly Zone” products. This company truly has found the holistic solution to fly control to help Block, Repel, and Reduce those pesky flies! Here is what I do to protect my horses from flies:
Prep Face. I am a huge fan of fly masks (I’ll get to that in a second!) but sometimes flies and other insects manage to get trapped under the mask, making it extremely uncomfortable for your horse to relieve himself of the biting and itching. This is why I always prep my horses’ faces with SWAT Fly Repellent Ointment. This is a white-to-clear paste that comes in a 7oz. jar and a little goes a long way. I rub a nickel size amount of SWAT in my hands and transfer it directly to my horses face, concentrating around their eyes, the outsides of their ears and sides of their faces. Because it goes on clear, horses could wear it in the show ring even!
Protect Face. The Farnam fly masks mean business. I seriously love the SuperMask II Horse Fly Mask with Ears to help block those flies and pests. Lux and Teddy are in the Assorted Horse size and they fit them perfectly. This mask is super breathable and doesn’t impede on their vision. The soft edges provide the most comfort for the horse without added heat (super important being in the Florida heat!) and won’t cause rubs on their faces. The SuperMask also comes without ears and in a range of different sizes and colors.
Protect Body. There are a few products I like to use on my horses’ bodies for fly protection, but I am especially a fan of Tri-Tec 14 Fly Repellent products. For me, they have been super effective and I can honestly say that I feel like my horse can breathe a little easier after they get sprayed with Tri-Tec 14. I use both the continuous spray can and the bottle with the trigger sprayer. I don’t necessarily think there is much difference in how the spray is applied, but I usually keep the continuous spray in my grooming box to apply before I ride and the other bottles I hang by the handle on each horse’s stall door to spray before getting turned out.
Protect from the Inside Out. There are even more products that Farnam offers to help reduce the fly population in the barn and farm. I just put the boys on SimpliFly feed-through fly control with LarvaStop. Living in a hot and humid area, I have to pay close attention to my horses’ body inside and out. Because of the climate, if my horse gets a cut, there is a higher chance for it to get infected and lead to something more serious. Flies swarm open wounds, which can cause serious infection. SimpliFly is a is a pelleted feed that helps tackle the No Fly Zone mentality from the inside out! I am so relieved my horses are on it now.
What I appreciate about Farnam products is how they protect on all fronts! The key to the No Fly Zone is to block your horses face and ears from flies and other insects, repel and kill flies on horses’ bodies and environment, and reduce the fly population in the barn (CLICK HERE to find out more about Farnam’s No Fly Zone products). There isn’t a single magic product out there that covers all of these areas, but the products I mentioned above really cover all aspects of creating an environment for your horse to survive and thrive during fly season.
XO,
B
