Beat the flies with Aivly

Flies. They make the summer miserable for horses and humans alike. Clouds of barely-visible midges; aggressive horseflies; a horde of crab flies persistently playing passenger. The negative effects range from behavioural to more severe health impacts. On the milder end, flies are a persistent annoyance - crawling around delicate skin. Especially for sensitive horses, the irritation can build up and sensitise them to the feeling of a fly landing on their bodies. Just the presence of flies increases horses' stress. In some cases, the drive to evade flies can disrupt grazing patterns and reduce the amount horses can eat, leading to weight-loss and difficulty maintaining condition.

Even less sensitive-skinned horses can show physical reactions to bites, with welts and swellings. In sweet itch sufferers, the saliva injected by a bite causes irritating and painful skin reactions which can be so distressing they rub out their hair. If the flies are congregating in large numbers around the sensitive skin of eyes, ears, and nostrils, they can cause damage, infect the horse with diseases, and even spread parasites.

Luckily, there are many avenues of attack to reduce the impact of flies on our horses. Especially in the New Forest, it is vital to make use of as many of these prongs of attack as possible. Here at Aivly, we offer physical barriers, including cutting edge fly rugs and masks from leading brands like LeMieux, Weatherbeeta, and Tempest. Supplements from top brands like NAF can change the scent of your horse to flies, making it more difficult for them to locate the target, and of course, we stock a wide range of repellent creams, gels, and sprays from top suppliers including Carr&Day&Martin, Lincoln, and Biteback.

Another approach is in management: frequent removal of droppings; preventing parasitic infections by removing bot fly eggs the moment those telltale yellow flecks appear; turning out overnight rather than during the day; avoiding turnout near standing water, which attracts flies to breed; and thorough washing to remove sweat after exercise and alter their scent.

Browse the fly collection here at Aivly to fill up your arsenal with free delivery across the UK for qualifying baskets, or come to visit our New Forest country store on the edge of Ringwood to chat with our friendly and knowledgeable team.