Fighting Summertime Bugs
I love summertime, but the thing I dislike most about it is the bugs. It often seems like you can’t escape them no matter what measures you take, but I do believe there are some great products that make fighting them a lot easier.
I can’t live without the SmartPak HiVis Fine Mesh Fly Mask, especially when Two Socks, my double registered Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse and Rocky Mountain Horse, is turned out during the summer. He is not a fan of those annoying little no see ums that fly into his ears and drive him to toss his head around. I've found that this fly mask fits him well and is one of the few masks that he’ll leave on. It’s well made with fine mesh, orange fleece details, and a wide Velcro strap to help keep it in place. I love the reflective strips SmartPak offers in this mask and really appreciate the high-visibility orange features that make it so much easier to locate him in low light; plus, I love the fun orange color.
The Bite-Lite H-Trap Professional Horse Fly Control System works extremely well for our property. This trap uses an inflated black ball to trick female horse flies into trying to bite it; when they’re not successful, the flies follow their instinctive vertical flight path which leads them right into the trap’s upper UV-proof collection bin. When you check the trap, you can see through the green plastic how well it works to catch all those nasty horse flies. This particular trap is designed to help control fly populations on about 2 1/2 acres or for five horses. It’s also easy to assemble and clean out. Two Socks is super grateful that we have one of these on our property. It gives me peace of mind knowing I’m doing something to help fight these nasty bugs.
Another item I use on my horse to combat those annoying bugs is OutSmart Fly Spray. This product repels house and stable flies, mosquitoes, and even ticks. Anyone who’s had the unfortunate experience of having their horse contract Lyme disease would appreciate having ticks repelled by this product; I know I do, especially when Two Socks and I are trail riding in wooded areas.
When my former horse contracted Lyme from a tick bite, our riding season was cut short. His hind end was impacted, and even after treating him with doxycycline, it took a couple of months to get him fully comfortable and back to where we were before he contracted this horrible disease. Nobody wants their horse to go through that, and now I use OutSmart, which gives me the added peace of mind that not only am I fighting off flies and mosquitoes, but also ticks. This spray is plant-based and can also be used on people. It has a pleasant peppermint smell, and best of all, it works!
While riding in the summer, I love to outfit Two Socks in the SmartPak Luxe Collection Ear Bonnet. He's blessed with a long, full forelock, which helps protect him from the bugs, but unfortunately doesn’t cover his ears. I use this bonnet under his bridle, and due to his full forelock, I strategically cut a hole in the center of the crotchet to pull his forelock through. It sits nicely under his bridle this way, and we have no issues with bugs getting into his ears, which makes for an uncomfortable ride for both of us. Whether you use bug-fighting products on your property, your horse, or yourself, SmartPak has so many offerings to help you and your horse enjoy the summertime!