TICK PREVENTION???

[mickeyfan3]

Because Reno is in a paddock this hasn't been an issue for us. But my friends mares are in pasture part time and coming in daily covered in ticks and bites......

They are wormed regularly and she uses a fly/tick repellent, but is there anything else that can be done to help keep the buggars off?

[beckybee]

Does Equispot repel ticks?

I just moved my guys to pasture with ticks and I wormed 'em with ivermectin. It knocked back the ticks for approx 2 months.

[piopico]

I use Equispot religiously thru the summer months....we don't have any ticks here yet in the East Bay. But my boy is inside- he only gets them when we ride in the hills. But I DO believe the Equispot helps.

[cutiepiepmu]

There are a couple of things I STRONGLY recommend doing if you are in an area that has alot of ticks. FIRST - get the horses vaccinated for LYMES. This is super important. I also suggest boosting Potomac as well - since Tics can also spread Erlichea which is similar to potomac. Boost Potomac one time additional yearly.

Then, I also suggest spraying the pastures and areas. Hiring a crew that does this professionally can be a good choice. This will kill back the population which is a GOOD thing.

Using a topical spot on like Equispot or Freedom Spot on is a good idea. Make SURE to apply it like this vs. what is recommended. Use a glove, apply to the inside of the rear legs, inside of the hocks, inside of te front legs under the chest, down the middle of the belly, a small thin stripe down the mane area and between the ears, and an additional drop smeared on the inside of the ears(do NOT drip this into the ear canal, just smear some on the skin inside he ear)

Test a small area before applying all over. some horses have a bad reaction to the product and it can scald the skin, so test an area first by applying a good amount in a single spot on the inside of a back leg and rubbing in well. Wait 24 hours, rinse the area and check for any inflamation or irritaiton. If all is well, apply as above. Normally, you only apply every 14 days, but with heavy ticks and whatnot, you may need to apply as often as 2 times a week. I recommend a full bath with soap between applications to avoid too much pesticides on teh skin.

Lastly - Get some Guinea fowl. they LOVE LOVE LOVE ticks and will eat lots of them which helps keep the population down. As long as you have somewhere for them to come in at night, they can be free range during teh day and most all horses don't mind them a bit

AND - a flysheet such as the Rambo or amigo BuzzOff sheets can work well They have built in bug repellant. Cutting down excess brush in pasture areas is a good idea too. That is where ticks live, so when horses go through the brush that is where they pick up ticks


Hope that this stuff helps!

Sara

[piopico]

I didn't think of applying the Equispot any differently than the directions on the package- you have a very "by-the-rules" gal here.....but it makes sense. If we ONLY pick up ticks as we ride the trails, perhaps I could forego the mane stripe as well, and keep it just to the horses legs and underside??

[cutiepiepmu]

Yes, you can - although I like to do the stripe down the base of the mane(generally under the mane) as i have found that ticks are tricky little buggers. They will stick in the hair and work their way into the skin

Sara

[mickeyfan3]

Thanks guys!

I passed this on to my friend, so hopefully it'll help. The ticks are BAD out there (Livermore, off of Collier Canyon Rd). I hear they're bad up on the Pleasanton Ridge, too.....