1:48 PM Fri, May 16, 2008 | Permalink
| Comments (1)
Posted by: Mary Hollenbaugh
|
Did I ever mention that I have a Donkey? Well I care for a Donkey; I can't call her mine, because she only has eyes for my husband Tommy. This is because her loves to feed her treats; not just carrots and apples, she also likes burritos, chips, rice cakes and, "their favorite", white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. When Tommy calls to her she brays and runs to him like a dog...I am not hurt...I mean just because I rescued her, and care for her, and I feed her, and I brush her...what was I saying...oh yea...I have a donkey...
In the summertime care for a horse or donkey takes a little extra time; they need to have plenty of fresh water, maybe a place to get out of the sun and of course some sort of defense against the almighty fly. The Donkey in particular has a tough time with the flies, they love her (maybe it's all the sugar Tommy feeds her). After an extremely hot and fly riddled day, she will have little blood spots on her knees and fetlocks. I have tried and researched several ways to combat the "Evil Fly".
Diesel Fuel!?!? - Bad Idea
I once heard that some cowboys put a dab of diesel fuel on the brim of their hat to keep flies away from them. Taking it one step further I have seen people use a little diesel fuel in their fly spray. According to several websites, this is not a good idea, spraying a chemical like fuel on your animal is likely to have a negative reaction with their skin or can even lead to chemical burns.
Home Remedies - Cheaper than Fly Spray
I read this idea on the internet; an equal part Pine-sol and Apple-cider Vinegar, and it works pretty good too, well about as good as regular fly spray and it's a heck-of-a lot cheaper.
Fly Mask, Day Sheets & Legs Boots - Good Idea
Fly Mask are a must at my house...I know they can be costly, especially when you have a Donkey who loves to take them off the horses and rip them beyond repair, but they are the most effect. Not only does a fly mask protect your horse (or donkey) from flies, it also serves as a sun blocker for their eyes. Day sheets are great for those sensitive horses that are easily sun burned or have fly allergies. Then there are the fly boots, I have mixed emotions about these. They are effective at first, but after sometime of wear they end up looking like a pair of slouchy socks and only protect the horse's fetlocks.
My recommendation - Mix it up!
Personal I think the best way is to keep the horses and donkeys as comfortable as possible with out making huge sacrifices of your time and money. I change fly spray often, switch to a new brand every time I run out, and occasionally throw in the home remedy. I use fly mask, always! And I try to keep my stalls cleans, this really is the biggest help for obvious reasons.
Of course if you have any great ideas, I would love to hear them, we are all looking for that one fool proof way to keep our "kids" happy.
Until next...happy trails!
Mary
RSS
I used to have a donkey. Her name was Molly, and I bought her pregnant. She had a baby girl, and we named her Marcy. We had to sell our donkeys many years ago, but I hope to adopt some in the near future. I want to adopt them from the Bureau of Land Management Wild Horse, and Burro Program. I really miss having donkeys. They are very funny, and great watch dogs.
I love reading fly control articles. I'm always open to new ideas on how to get rid of nasty flies. I do a couple things for fly control at my house. I feed the horses a garlic supplement. It really keeps the flies off. I've heard some horses won't eat garlic, but mine don't seem to mind. I'm also a big fan of a product called War Paint paste. I put a inch wide strip of it under my horses eyes. It really keeps the flies and gnats away. Just don't use it if you show horses. It's hard to get off, and leaves an oily residue.