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on trail: tips
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| Fight On-Trail Pests |
| Story by Jessica Jahiel, Phd., Illustration by Annie Kennedy |
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Insects are part of nature, and
the love of nature is one of the primary reasons you choose to trail
ride. But
“natural” doesn’t always mean “beneficial.” Getting up close
and personal with
insects on the trail can be downright dangerous. Some
can be irritating, some
can be painful, and some can be hazardous to
your horse’s health.
A peaceful trail ride can
become a nightmare if you’re slapping and scratching. It’s even worse
if you’re
simultaneously trying to calm down your agitated horse. It’s
no fun to ride when
your horse is shaking, shuddering, twitching,
itching, and making it clear that
instead of walking through the creek,
he’d much rather stop and lie down in the
water.
Even trying to mount, dismount,
or lead your horse can be dangerous if he’s swinging his head violently
from
side to side or reaching around to bite at a sudden itch or
irritation. Plus,
insect bites can carry potentially harmful, even
fatal, diseases.
Here, we’ll tell you how to
fight on-trail insects, starting with a rundown of where and when they
bite, and
the diseases they may carry. We’ll also give you a handy
guide to pest-fighting
resources.
Bugs,
Bugs,
Everywhere
You’re probably all too
familiar with the insect pests in your own area, and, being a savvy
trail rider,
you probably try to schedule your rides to avoid your
local bug seasons. If
you’re planning a trail-riding vacation on
unfamiliar turf, learn which insects
are likely to be a problem there,
and at what times.
Trail riding near Houston,
Texas, in summer means mosquitoes, but if you’re planning to enjoy a
summer
getaway trail ride in lovely New England, prepare to battle
black flies. Heading
westward into the high country might seem like a
possible summer escape, but be
warned: If spring features a major
snowmelt, the resulting standing water will
create a breeding ground
for mosquitoes.
To find out the bugs you might
encounter, ask local trail riders. Try to get information from someone
who lives
at or very near your exact destination, even if you already
have a general idea
of which insects are in that region. The insect
population in any state can vary
widely from county to county, and can
also vary within a particular county.
Also, visit
www.bitinginsects.siteideas.net,
which provides helpful information about
biting insects and their
prevalence around the country at various seasons.
Ticks
When they
bite: In the
daytime and nighttime,
from spring until after the year’s
first killing
frost.
Where
they bite:
Anywhere they can
reach. They particularly like to
attach to
the base of your
horse’s
mane and tail, to
the
insides of his
ears, and to his inner thighs.
Fight
them with:
Constant awareness (inspect
your horse closely,
several times
per day),
prevention through the use
of
insect
repellents (ticks remain
active long after fly
season ends),
and prompt, careful
removal. (For how
to remove a
tick, see below.)
Disease
they carry:
Lyme
disease, a
multisystem
inflammatory disease caused by a bacterial infection. Both you and
your
horse are vulnerable to this
disease.
TICK REMOVAL
Tick removal is tricky,
because ticks have tightly gripping
jaws that attach to your
horse; you
have to remove the tick’s head along with
its body.
You can coat the
tick with a product that
will kill it (such as
rubbing alcohol, baby
oil, or petroleum
jelly), but you’ll
still need to remove
it.
Tick removal doesn't have to be performed immediately— ticks
need 12 to 24 hours in place before they can transmit Lyme disease, so
take the
time to do the job right. Using tweezers or your
fingers
(gloves are advised),
grasp the tick without squeezing
it. Pull it
gently and persistently upward, out
of and away
from your horse's skin,
then disinfect the
spot. Mosquitoes
When
they
bite:
Some
will bite all day long,
some are most active at sunup and
sundown, and
many feed in the cooler hours
between dusk and
dawn.
Where
they
bite: Anywhere
they can reach.
Fight
them with:
Products
containing
DEET.
Disease they
carry:
West Nile virus
(WNV), a potentially fatal
disease
that multiplies in an affected horse’s blood system
and infects
the brain, where
it interferes with the central
nervous system. Equine
symptoms include fever,
weakness,
hind-limb paralysis, uncoordination,
convulsions, coma, and death.
Fortunately, you can now vaccinate your
horse against this
virus, but the
vaccine isn’t 100 percent effective;
mosquito
repellents and good mosquito
management are still recommended.
And keep in mind that you’re also susceptible
to
mosquito-borne
WNV.
Sand
Flies/Black Flies
When
they bite:
In the
daytime.
Where
they
bite: Anywhere
they can reach.
Fight
them with:
Products
containing DEET or
citronella oil, plus a coating of petroleum jelly
inside your horse’s
ears.
Disease they
carry:
Vesicular
stomatitis (VS), another
viral
disease that affects both horses and humans. Equine symptoms are
fever, mouth
sores, and face-rubbing; humans typically develop flu-like
symptoms.
Horseflies/Deer
Flies/Stable Flies
When
they bite:
In the
daytime.
Where
they
bite:
Anywhere they can reach — and they
can bite
through fly sheets and stable sheets. Painful bites can cause your
normally calm horse to go out of control.
Fight
them with:
Your
hand or a flat leather “popper.”
Hitting them hard or pinching them
will kill them, but spray-on, wipe-on, and
roll-on fly repellents don’t
seem to impress them much.
Disease
they
carry: Equine infectious anemia (EIA), also known as swamp
fever, a chronic
degenerative disease
caused by a retrovirus similar to the one that
causes HIV in humans. Biting
flies can transfer EIA from horse to
horse.
Biting
Gnats/No-see-ums/Midges
When they bite:
Early morning, late evening, and all
night long. Where they
bite:
Primarily your horse’s ears,
chest, and belly.
Fight them
with:
Direct topical application of
wipes, sprays, or roll-on products featuring repellents and insecticides
(pyrethrins, pyrethroids, or both).
Problems they
cause: Anything from mild annoyance to severe skin irritation
to major blood loss. Take these tiny, blood-sucking pests seriously, especially
if your horse is surrounded by large clouds of them. Anemia (a deficiency of red blood cells and/or hemoglobin)
from blood loss can lead to death.
Biting
Gnats/No-see-ums/Midges
When
they bite:
Early
morning, late evening, and all
night long.
Where
they
bite:
Primarily your horse’s ears,
chest, and
belly.
Fight
them
with:
Direct topical application of
wipes, sprays,
or roll-on products featuring repellents and insecticides
(pyrethrins,
pyrethroids, or both).
Problems
they
cause: Anything from
mild
annoyance to severe skin irritation
to major blood loss. Take
these tiny, blood-sucking pests seriously, especially
if your
horse is
surrounded by large clouds of them. Anemia (a deficiency of red blood cells and/or hemoglobin)
from blood loss can lead to death.
Know
Your
Enemy
Ticks hang out in tall grass
and in the woods; mosquitoes, flies, and gnats all prefer
damp, moist
environments. Wherever you ride, you’ll encounter
bugs.
Here’s a
rundown of
common biting and stinging
insects — when
they bite, where
they bite, how to
fight them, and the
diseases they may transmit to you
and your
horse.
Bees/Wasps/Hornets 
When
they sting:
In
the
summer months. Be doubly
careful toward the end
of summer when the need
to defend their
nests will make
these territorial
insects more
aggressive than
usual.
Where
they
sting:
Any
exposed area of your
horse’s
body
(and
yours).
Fight
them with:
Awareness and avoidance. Avoid
bright-colored
repellents. For instance, if you normally apply smears of
Farnam’s
SWAT, use the clear formula instead of the
pink one.
Keep an eye out
for nests and
hives.
Wasp/hornet nests and bee
hives may be found in
dead/hollow
trees and logs, and hanging
from tree
branches. Nests may
also be in the ground
or dug
into
the stream banks.
Stick to wide,
well-used trails; late summer
is
the wrong time
to leave the trail and
go
exploring. Your
Pest-Fighting
Arsenal
Before you leave
the barn,
give
your horse every possible advantage in
the
battle against biting
bugs. Start by
grooming him
thoroughly,
so that the products you use
will give better
coverage.
There’s no sense in applying insect
repellent to dirt and
loose hair. Then bring
on your
arsenal, both
chemical and
physical. For optimal
effectiveness, follow
these
tips.
Select
wisely.
Choose
your chemical
fly-control substance according
to your
individual needs.
If your horse needs
leg
protection, or
already has some bites or other
wounds, a
thicker gel product
may be more effective than a thinner
spray-on. If you’re
heading out for a full
day’s
ride, you’ll get more
long-lasting protection from an
oil-based product
than from a
water-based one. Water- and
sweat-resistant repellents, such as
Farnam’s Endure and
Absorbine’s DuraGuard, are also coming
onto the
equine
scene. Tack
up first. Apply the product
after tacking up, so that you won’t
waste product or put your horse’s tack on top of
chemicals.
The heat,
pressure,
and friction that
build up under tack
could combine with
those chemicals to
cause skin
irritation.
Apply
with
care. Read the
manufacturer’s directions about how best to
apply the product,
not only
whether to use it full-strength or diluted, but how
much of it to use,
and exactly where on your horse’s
body to
use it. Some insect
repellents lose their
effectiveness after
a few hours, and others are
washed
away by sweat, so read the
labels carefully. If you’re
preparing
for a long, hot
ride,
carry a roll-on or
wipe-on product and re-apply
as
needed.
|
Rider Tips
Your horse isn’t the
only one in need of protection from biting insects; you also need to keep them
away. You don’t want to be distracted and uncomfortable on rides, and you’re
also susceptible to insect-borne diseases, such as Lyme disease and West Nile
virus. Here are some bugs-off tips.
• Dress for
trail-riding success by wearing light-colored, long sleeved-shirts, long pants
tucked into your boots, and a hat with a wide brim. Consider clothing with
built-in repellent, such as that from Ex Officio (800/644-7303;
www.exofficio.com) and L.L. Bean (800/441-5713; www.llbean.com).
• Cover exposed skin
surfaces with your favorite insect repellent, and carry some with you to
re-apply as needed.
• If mosquitoes are a
problem, use a repellent that contains DEET, and
ride at midday rather than at dawn or dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.
• Frequently check
yourself for ticks, especially your hairline and just behind your ears.
• Avoid wearing things
that attract bees, such as bright-colored clothing and cologne. Wear earth
tones, which bees don’t find appealing. Avoid flower- and citrus-scented
shampoo, conditioner, and even repellents when going on late-summer trail
rides. |
Don’t
fight
your
horse. If your
horse
hates the feel and sound of spray around
his head, don’t
fight
with
him. Either use a roll-on product — such
as Farnam’s
Endure in roll-on
form — or apply spray
to a clean
stable rag
or a wet-wipe, and
calmly
wipe the product
on your horse’s
head, around,
inside, and outside his
ears, and under his
eyes.
(Tip: Avoid applying chemical repellent over your horse’s
eyes, where it could run down and irritate his eyes’ sensitive
tissues.)
Get
physical.
Fly masks,
bonnets,
sheets, and leg wraps can help keep biting insects away from your
horse. Some fly masks come with ear covers and nose shields
that
provide near
full-face coverage. Consider
getting a
fly
cape —
essentially, a mesh
version of a quarter sheet —
designed to
protect your
horse’s
sides and
rump while
he’s under saddle. Also
available are
Horse Fly
Tush Covers,
patterned rump
covers
designed specifically for
trail riders.
If you ride in a particularly
bug-prone area, consider investing in the Crusader Bug Armor, full-body
insect
barrier from Cashel
Company.
This
two-piece
“mesh
armor” ties to
your
bridle and
saddle,
providing coverage
in
front of and
behind the
saddle, and
effectively
screening
your
horse
from just behind his ears
to his hocks.
Covering your
horse
with a full-face fly mask
and
draping
him with
front-and-back
mesh screening may
make you feel as though
you’re about to
audition for
Medieval Times dinner
theater, but that’s
not
necessarily a bad
thing.
Combine
your
arsenal. For maximum
protection, spray chemical repellents on
physical barriers,
such as fly
capes, sheets, and leg wraps (not masks; you
don’t
want to expose your
horse’s eyes to harsh
chemicals).
Whisk
away.
If you don’t
mind
holding something in addition to your reins while you ride, you can
carry a
fly whisk (a section of horse tail hair attached to a
leather-covered
wooden
handle). You can also hang
shoo
flies —
tassels made from
horsehair or narrow leather strings — from your horse’s
bridle,
breastcollar, cinch, saddle, and stirrups.
Shoo flies
discourage flies
from landing.
(If you’ve
ever wondered why
there are so many tassels
hanging off
Arabian horses in Native
Costume classes,
a day on the
trail with a set of shoo
flies
will make
everything
clear.) Go
natural. Your
horse’s own mane and
tail are
effective fly whisks, so leave them
loose. The hair on his
ears, inside
and outside, helps protect him from
insects, so if you’re
thinking of “tidying
his ears”
with the clippers,
don’t. If
his
ear hair is already clipped,
apply a
fly bonnet or fly
mask with ears. Or,
carefully rub insect-repellent
lotion,
gel, or
cream
on (and in) his ears.
In a pinch, coat the
insides of his ears
with a layer
of petroleum jelly to create
an insect
barrier.
Stay
high and dry.
When you stop
for
lunch, keep your horse in a high, dry, breezy area — and, if possible,
in
the shade.
Trail
riding is one of the most pleasurable activities that you and your
horse can
enjoy together. To promote on-trail health, safety
and
comfort, be aware of the
dangers of insect pests,
and take
all possible
precatusions to protect your
horse and yourself
from them.
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 Stumble It!
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Fight On-Trail Pests
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| Desert Southwest Trail Ride |
If you’ve always wanted to see the desert Southwest, the Red Rock Ride is for you. This six-day trail ride takes you through some of the most beautiful and breathtaking landmarks in the world. You’ll ride through the read |
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