health & wellbeing


to flies so it pays to make extra effort with your daily grooming to remove mud and stable stains. Also remember to keep nostrils, eyes and dock clean.


Use fly rugs and masks: These have become essential pieces of kit for many horses during the summer. Applying a fly repellent or insecticide to the rug can make it even more effective.


Did you know buttercups are poisonous?


All parts of the ranunculus species (buttercups, crowfoot, spearwort, marsh marigold) contain the glycoside ranunculin which forms protoanemonin an irritant substance. All domestic animals, including horses, are susceptible to protoanemonin poisoning.


Buttercups do have a bitter burning taste which acts as a deterrent to horses eating them but when there are large quantities of buttercups in pasture it can become impossible for the horse to avoid them. The highest concentration of protoanemonin is present during flowering.


Symptoms of buttercup poisoning include: Excess Salivation


Mouth ulcers and difficulty eating Swelling of the face Skin blistering Colic


Diarrhoea


Discoloured urine Inco-ordination Staggering Impaired hearing and sight Convulsions Although extremely rare, due to the symptoms stopping the horse or pony from eating, buttercup poisoning can result in death.


Buttercups in hay Buttercups are non-toxic when dried so you don’t need to worry if you find them in hay or haylage.


Removal of buttercups Buttercups are obviously undesirable in your horse’s pasture and being an extremely invasive plant they need to be removed. Buttercups thrive in poor compacted soil, so aerating and draining the soil will help reduce numbers. Harrowing breaks the runners and reduces numbers. They can be killed by the use of a suitable weed killer but you should note that buttercups appear to be more palatable to animals after the use of weed killers and there is a greater risk of poisoning. Treated pastures should not be grazed for at least two weeks after the use of herbicides.


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Use repellents: These aim to make the horse less attractive to the fly and will usually need reapplying frequently.


Take control of flies


Flies, mosquitoes and midges are not good news for your horse. At best they bring considerable stress and bother, causing lumps, swellings, sores, rashes and itchy skin. They may trigger conjunctivitis and headshaking. At worst they can contaminate wounds or in some countries they can spread diseases, such as West Nile Virus, which can be fatal. It is thought that flies may be responsible for the spread of sarcoids, while the biting midge, Cullicoides species, is responsible for sweet itch, a debilitating allergic condition. Flies can also carry other parasites that can infect the horse, affecting the skin and sometimes the eye. The good news is that there is much that we can do to help stop the irritation caused by flies. Zoetis vet Wendy Talbot has put together six important tips to help you keep your horses fly-free this summer.


Know your enemy: Horses are prone to attack from many species, including house flies, horse flies, black flies, blow flies, bot flies, mosquitoes and midges. Knowing the type of fly that is causing a problem can be useful in deciding how best to control it.


Keep stables, yards and paddocks clean: Most flies thrive and breed in warm, moist conditions such as on dung, rotting bedding or spilt feed material. Frequent removal of droppings from the pasture and stable will reduce fly breeding grounds, while keeping the muck


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heap well away from stables and paddocks and keeping stables meticulously clean will reduce the risk of flies bothering the horse and spreading bacteria.


Keep your horse clean: A well- groomed horse is less attractive


Take control with insecticides: These have a medicinal function; aiming to kill the fly as soon as possible after contact, with no biting needed. For maximum effectiveness, treatment should be started before the fly season has begun, to control breeding and continued at regular intervals throughout the season. The four active ingredients contained in insecticides currently licensed for use on horses in the UK are: Pyrethrum which belongs to a group of chemicals known as pyrethrins, derived from the crysanthemum flower; cypermethrin and permethrin which are synthetic forms of the natural pyrethrins belonging to a group known as synthetic pyrethroids and benzyl benzoate which is formed from benzyl alcohol and benzoic acid. Cypermethrin has the longest expected activity of horse insecticide ingredients currently available. It is a prescription only medicine and may control files for up to four weeks.


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