Flyspray issues!

sedonasilver · Advanced

Flyspray issues!

MagsNMe · Advanced

When I first got Maggie, I started spraying and she broke her halter and ran. With her, if I started at her bottom, and moved forward, she was good. Now, she's totally fine with any sprays. Odd, I know, but that's my girl!

justice · Grand Prix

Until she settles over it with some patient and innovative desensitization, you might try dedicating a soft brush for spray applications, saturate the brush, apply. We do this to cover the more sensitive areas: underbellies, ears, faces, inner hind legs, and for any horse that just can't get it together over spray noises/bottles/aromas from the spray bottle contents.

Nikki Salo · Grand Prix

Frusterating! I had a horse that was really bad for bathtime, and it took a long time for him to become somewhat sane about being clean. I don't think he was actually scared of being bathed, I think he was scared of being clean!

Like Justice has mentioned, using a brush to brush on the fly repellant can work. I used to work with a few pampered endurance horses that would die if a bottle of anything with a sprayer came close to them. As a result the owner and I came up with the idea to keep the repellant in a bucket (with a securable lid for safety), and we'd keep a hand towel in the bucket and towel the repellant onto the horses. It worked. I've also seen a bottle with a wand brush, for brushing on repellant too (going to do a quick search and pop this in as I'm typing)

I'm sure you've tried this, but starting from the legs and working your way up can help, but I'd do this with just a spray bottle of water so you aren't wasting your bug repellant and just make the water spray bottle a part of your every day routine. Spraying the horse at different times: going outside, eating grain, grooming etc. (whatever you have time for).

Okay, apparently it is called the Tip N Wipe and here it is:
http://washwand.com/tip-n-wipe/

barnfrog · Advanced

The solution is fairly easy. Take a spray bottle (or two or three) and fill it with water. Then start spraying on the lower front legs and keep doing it. Empty the bottle(s) if necessary (and have a halter and (chain)shank on the horse). They get over their flight response in about a day.

Christine-C · Well Schooled

Do you spray him while hes in crossties? that way he cant run from you..

csherrenbrueck · Yearling

Take your time. If there is an area where he is not sensitive when you are spraying spend some more time there and then slowly work towards where he panics. The other thing, maybe it's the fly spray itself? My colt here is sensitive to certain sprays and totally wigs out, and then for another brand he just stands. Could be something as simple as that. Check your ingredients and try another with a different set.

barnfrog · Advanced

Never in a cross tie (or tied). In hand, and keep going (ifrst on lower extremities, and have several bottles available (with water) in the first place.

Patti B · Foal

In addition to desensitization training, do you use any other methods of fly/pest control? My youngster doesn't get as distracted during training sessions as it sounds like yours does, but she does have skin reactions to a vairety of them so I add apple cider vinegar to her water and this year started trying fly predators in addition to that. The vinegar seems to make her less "tasty" to a lot of the bugs and I am hoping the fly predators will cut down on the annoying ones even more.