My horse has little tolerance for things that bug him — literally. It’s not that his skin breaks out or bug bites swell up on him, it’s that he can’t seem to stand the frustration that comes with flies.

Over the years I’ve tried a variety of sprays and other attempts to keep him comfortable. And they work, sort of.

The other day I was riding in the arena, and it was all he could do to pay attention to what we were doing. I had sprayed him prior to going out, there was a light breeze, and it’s not even the hot part of summer yet. But every chance he could, he stamped a foot, swung his neck around to deal with some bug, and swished his tail. Of course, one might wonder whether I was the pest he was trying to eliminate, but I don’t think so.

Ultimately, I told him that he had to accept that flies were a fact of life. We went back to work, and I put lots of variety in the workout, to distract him from the flies.

Ironically, there had been lots of pesky things in my life this week, too. Without intending to, I found myself figuratively stamping my foot in irritation, shaking my head in skepticism, and snapping at irritations around me.  I thought about how getting bugged by one thing colors your perception of everything else.

I commiserated with Calvin about these things as I hosed him off. I told him that we had to do better, that when we let an irritation get under our skin, it takes over. Flies are a fact of life, and we’d better not let them become the focus.

I don’t think my lecture helped him, but it helped me. And he enjoyed the cool water and my company, despite that he looked at me with his usual, “And what planet did you come from?” look.

It’s amazing how therapeutic a buggy horse can be.

P.S. Got a good bug solution? Share it below or send me an email at my website http://www.inspiredbyhorses.com.