The fly sensitive horse and showing...

[belgianWBLuver]

[QUOTE=alibi_18;8285001]
Of course!!! Especially since there is a steward standing there anyway who could help you for free…

When there is something you cannot do on your own, the elegant solution is to pay someone to spray your mare. The person will be there when/where you need her to be. An extra 5-10$/day shouldn’t bust your show budget. You can always find “Readers” or “Braiders” who wouldn’t mind the extra bucks.

Or bring a friend with you that could play the groom role for the day.[/QUOTE]

Eh bien Alibi - ben oui mais vous savez ? - ce qui est simple pour nous est trop difficile pour elle!! :rolleyes:

Try some deep woods “Off”. Do a test first on her rump and belly - My sensitive skin horse is fine with it and it protects him the entire night during our southwestern monsoon season.

If you can’t do that than the “elegant” solution is purchase/lease a thicker-skinned horse to compete on… :lol:

[Jumper_girl221]

I also have a full TB mare that does not handle flies well. I do find that banding her forelock helps substantially with keeping my girl focused. The little wisps of hair tickle her ears and make her think its a bug.

Also, forcing her every now and then to be out, without her full fly regalia, and let her realize she won’t die (note this does not work for noseeums, she will run herself to death for those). At home she gets one spray down prior to her ride, and when/if she sweats through it and the bugs start to cluster, we do lots and lots of lateral work to keep her focused.

Are the bugs actually dive bombing her, or does she just think they are?

You could also bring a bottle of spray and hang/set it somewhere easily accessible from the saddle and at least get her neck, hq, flank etc. I also highly recommend the equispot.

[tabula_rashah]

As an endurance rider who ventures over to dressage-land every once in a while, I may have a suggestion that will work. My fly spray has to work for hours, through sweating and repeated sponge off’s while we’re riding, so here’s the protocol I do. I use the Absorbine Super Shield Sport (the bright blue bottle) as a base layer and do a good coating of that and kind of rub it in with a rag. Then once that’s dry, I spray with her human OFF (the 40% DEET sportsman’s version, I usually can find it at camping supply places and Tractor Supply). I’ve used this routine a couple of seasons now and it really works, even on the horseflies and deer flies.

[netg]

I want to try tabula rashah’s suggestion!

I have pulled off boots, fly sprayed, grabbed a jacket and held a horse, etc., for someone whose support team wasn’t there at many dressage shows. I’ve read for strangers as well.

I haven’t done any of those things while a ring steward, as regardless of whether I was the bit checker/competition ring steward or the warmup steward I was busy keeping a watchful eye on the rings. One glance away is usually when someone gets kicked or dumped, or chooses to ride in to the ring when they aren’t up yet. It’s not unfriendliness to put emphasis on doing what you are there to do, just diligence.

But I think dressage riders in general are more friendly than people give them credit for - and usually they have “teams” which are barn mates who have different ride times, friends/family, trainers/coaches, etc. And so there are usually horse knowledgeable folks around who are HAPPY to help and it won’t be interfering with their (unpaid) job.

[nu2u]

[QUOTE=J-Lu;8284271]
I’m not sure about this piece of advice, but can you teach your mare to simply forge through and work? Can she learn that she’s working in the 1 or so hour of riding? how does she handle the flies in the other 23 hours of her life (is she indoors or turned out?)

You can certainly try to ask other competitor/their ground crew/the ring steward to spray your horse. Many dressage folks are friendly enough to cooperate. But I think if you put your energy towards getting your horse to pay attention to you rather than the flies, your general problem would be lessened. if that works.[/QUOTE]

Ummmmmmm no offense but does not seem that you have EVER had to deal with a fly sensitive horse let alone TB mare…there is NO consoling or controlling them in turn out or under saddle, fly spray is your only hope. ESPECIALLY if those big @$$ biting B52 bombers are around, just get spray, pray and get out of the way then get em inside. Seriously my mare was hazardous when those suckers were around, she knew they were coming and would control herself just enough to be brought in if she heard the reassuring ssssshhh sshhhhh of the spray bottle BEFORE you snapped on a lead, but once they were onto her FORGET IT AND GET OUT OF THE WAY.

OP see if you can not find a familiar compassionate bystander, or perhaps stash a teeeny travel size spray bottle on your person so you can spritz her with out dismounting. Also I find mixing and matching fly sprays gives them some added synergy and staying power. Good luck, I feel your pain.

[sophie]

Just make sure your thin-skinned Tb mare ( I have one too!) does not react badly to mixing fly sprays and using OFF -that stuff is noxious.

My mare does best with Bite-Free or RepelX which I mix myself from the concentrate so I ca make it strong if needed.

Even so…when bugs are bad, Mare has to wear her Cashel fly mask AND nose net when I ride her, or else!

[J-Lu]

[QUOTE=nu2u;8287875]
Ummmmmmm no offense but does not seem that you have EVER had to deal with a fly sensitive horse let alone TB mare…there is NO consoling or controlling them in turn out or under saddle, fly spray is your only hope. ESPECIALLY if those big @$$ biting B52 bombers are around, just get spray, pray and get out of the way then get em inside. Seriously my mare was hazardous when those suckers were around, she knew they were coming and would control herself just enough to be brought in if she heard the reassuring ssssshhh sshhhhh of the spray bottle BEFORE you snapped on a lead, but once they were onto her FORGET IT AND GET OUT OF THE WAY.

OP see if you can not find a familiar compassionate bystander, or perhaps stash a teeeny travel size spray bottle on your person so you can spritz her with out dismounting. Also I find mixing and matching fly sprays gives them some added synergy and staying power. Good luck, I feel your pain.[/QUOTE]

Actually, I used to compete a TB mare and I rode other TBs. i think if you read my subsequent post you might understand where I’m coming from better. Having not seen the OPs horse, I offered this as a mere suggestion. I think we all know horses who can be extra fussy if they think it will get them out of work. I have no idea if this is or is not the case with the OP’s horse.

[J-Lu]

@belgianWBLuver;8287386

Eh bien Alibi - ben oui mais vous savez ? - ce qui est simple pour nous est trop difficile pour elle!! :rolleyes:

Well that’s a little obnoxious. OBVIOUSLY the OP is having some difficulty, hence her post. It’s great that this isn’t a problem for you but she’s not you. Be nice.

[Jumper_girl221]

[QUOTE=J-Lu;8288604]
Actually, I used to compete a TB mare and I rode other TBs. i think if you read my subsequent post you might understand where I’m coming from better. Having not seen the OPs horse, I offered this as a mere suggestion. I think we all know horses who can be extra fussy if they think it will get them out of work. I have no idea if this is or is not the case with the OP’s horse.[/QUOTE]

I have two Tb’s, both that are crazy over sensitive to bugs. They both learned that if in work, forge ahead. Now, I don’t saunter around on a loose rein or stand still, but they still have to work and focus with a few bugs…and honestly the more they are moving the better the bugs are. I’m on the edge of teh dismal swamp and not only do we get the B52’s but also the deer flies which IMO are worse.

Even mare face who FREAKS over gnats will focus under saddle with them, its just a matter of demanding their attention and keeping bugs off the hind end out of self preservation.

And if anyone thinks my girly isn’t sensitive enough…

https://youtu.be/-AHwTlGAmJg

Here she is in the cross ties, I actually had just aced her here because the way she was behaving in the field was making me nervous about her injuring herself.

Now…I don’t do a whole ton of walk work and go right into the trot/canter stuff because walking does make things worse when she’s being dive bombed.

[Crash_Helmet]

[QUOTE=J-Lu;8288609]
Well that’s a little obnoxious. OBVIOUSLY the OP is having some difficulty, hence her post. It’s great that this isn’t a problem for you but she’s not you. Be nice.[/QUOTE]

So obnoxious. I can’t believe some of the ridiculousness on this thread.

OP, I’ve ring stewarded what seems like a million times (and it’s not a paid position, btw ), and feel my job is to help riders in whatever way I reasonably can. I–and I expect others in the same position–would be happy to spray your horse down as you exit for the arena. Don’t let the responses here scare you off from asking for assistance!

That said, there are some great suggestions here. One of mine is also extremely bug-sensitive and I work to keep him comfortable so he can focus. SWAT down his midline works great. I also keep his tail well oiled–bugs hate oil so anything with an oil base is helpful (but be careful that they don’t get sunburned). Finally, I do all my warm up in one of those full-faced riding fly masks over his regular ear bonnet. I whip off the mask at the last minute.

[elizabeth_Callahan]

Crash Helmet and everyone else.
Thank you for your suggestions . My mare does work well , focuses, and deals with every type of biting insect there can be here at home ( and even the B-52’s).but when I’ve paid out all that $$ for a recognized year end championship, I would like to have the test be the best it can be . Just that little bit more fly spray might make the difference .