It's me again!  I forgot to add one thing in my last post.  I would surely NOT recommend feed thru fly control.  I tried it several years ago and ended up with a colicky horse.  I've heard of other instances of this too, so I would stay clear of those!  I don't think it did any magic re the flies, either!

 Thanks everyone for being so responsive. The trainer at the barn refuses to use feed-through stuff so that's out of the picture. I'm pretty sure those fly predators will only work if we all get them so I'll ask her what she thinks. Other wise I guess I'm down to fly masks and spray. I love this time of year but I hate the flies. Drives me crazy.

Yeah, I hate 'em too, but your trainer just might know what she/he is doing.  Feed thru's don't get rid of all the flies, and in a barn situation like yours, everyone has to feed their horses this stuff in order for it to do any good at all.  And, as I said in my earlier post, it can cause horses to get sick; I would rather have the flies.....

 Yeah my trainer said she ordered up a bunch of feed-through for the whole barn last year and then her vet told her that he was getting all kinds of colicky horses coming in because of it. I'd much rather have flies than a colicky horse.

I bought a fly sheet for my horse and he tore it to shreds before the day was over. Now I use fly masks and fly spray. I found this really good fly spray- Pyrahna aerosol fly spray- and it works amazingly well. We have a lot of those big black horse flies (which I like to call B52s), and it even keeps those off! it's incredible stuff. I use it twice every day.

 I'll keep that brand of spray in mind. Right now I have Equi-Sect but our fly season has staretd late so I won't be totally sure if it works well or not until it really kicks up.

Gosh, sorry to hear about your fly sheet's early demise.  I don't know if pastured horses could keep from wrecking them tho; they might be fine for horses in stalls and such.  My guys are turned out except at night and they love to roll, nip at each other, etc. which would seem to be hard on fly sheets.  I haven't tried Pyrana, but have heard of it.  I like Endure because it stays on even when the horses sweat, so it's good for riding.  I've also heard of switching brands every so often which is supposed to help, too.  A big thing too, is keeping the manure under control; we clean our pens as often as necessary to keep flies away.  We usually have the horses out all day, so it isn't a huge chore.  And it pays off!

A few years ago I used the Equitrol feed-through in addition to removing manure and pee spots daily. The next year, I had trouble finding it and about half way through the summer I realized that the flies weren't any worse with out it. I had not heard about the colic problems associated with it, but now I'm glad I stopped using it. Another thing about the feed through is that the chemicals in it only stay active for about a week. After that, any eggs which get laid in it can hatch. So if your manure isn't removed from the property weekly, it would be a waste of money.

I've heard good things about the preditors but I personally wouldn't bother with them. It's so windy at my place that they would just blow away!  Nice thing about wind, is the flies get blown away, too!

I like Tri Tec  and the Endure rollon. They seem to work the best for me.

Hi.

I was at a barn where there used the fly predators and it worked well.  I'm at a different barn now where they don't.  I've heard and read about a product from Cheval International called Inside Out which has apple cider vinegar, no smell garlic, yeast, and some other good natural products.  They get a quarter cup a day in their feed.  I have a very sensitive, thin skinned saddlebred who reacts if he even hears flies.  He's been on it for 3 weeks and it seems to be doing well.  It takes about a month to kick in and it's not cheap, but if it works and I don't have to use sprays I really don't want to use, it would come out even and the horses really like it.

reinchick53:

check out:

http://spalding-labs.com/

So I checked it out because I am also interested in fly control but I couldn't find any pricing.  Also, we move our horses around between two or so different places not quite half a mile away.  Could it work still somehow? We have two horses and there is no other livestock nearby.  Oh ya, and does this work for misquitos by and chance? We have major problems with those too.

I use fly parasites and I can't believe the difference they make.  They don't bother the horses or people but they sure do keep the flies down.  I also used a fly sheet and got a softer one that covered her belly and chest more. She is in with 2 other horses and didn't destroy it!

We used Arbico in Arizona.  They are priced a little more reasonably and they do work.  I have been using them for about 10 years now and see a major difference.  They sometimes last through the winter and they do not blow away in the wind.  It is very windy here right now!

Here's a fly spray recipe to try-you can do the math for smaller amounts. This can be sponged on full strength or dulited with up to 8 parts water for a spray.

I have tried most of the feed-through fly control measures (eg garlic, etc)-they don't work. At least this formula is good for your horse's skin (eg sweet itch, etc)-and also repels bugs really well. Hope it helps!

24 ounces Avon Skin So Soft

32 ounces Witch Hazel

1# Epsom salts

I've had my guys on the feed-through for a week now, and I can already see the difference.  I'm using Bug Check, which has NO chemicals in it.  It's just garlic, grape seed and diatomaceous earth.  The horses love it!  They all smell like antipasto, but what the heck.  I got it at SLT online, but you can read user reviews of it on the Smartpak website. 

What brands of fly sheets are you using & likes & dislikes. I bought a Pro Choice one last year & it lasted about a week on my stallion who is generaly pretty easy on his clothes The thing was with all the little holes in it his hair would stick through it & not allow it to slide forward when needed. It would get so tight around his shoulders that it was strangling him so i was constantly manualy pulling it forward. Finaly he blew it out at the seams while rolling. They actualy took it back but I wouldn't buy another. I noticed that Pro Choice has come out with fly boots - they look kinda cool & was thinking about trying a set on my mare with a bad knee since the little black flies seem to bite thier legs & thye are always stomping.

I got this fly recipie sent in an email but I have never tried it

ONCE COOLED STRAIN AND BOTTLE HAY PRESTO YOUR VERY OWN FLY SPRAY!!