Throat bots and how to repel them?

[SnowHorse]

A couple of times a year, a period in spring and another in fall, our horses go absolutely nuts in the pasture. They'll typically stand somewhere in a tight group and every so often, one of them has a fit and starts frantically rubbing their throat /chin on another horses back or butt. Then they run like crazy across the pasture to another shade tree, and repeat the process.

Yesterday I tried riding my mare - which was a stupid idea - because her reaction to these little bot flies - which I think are throat bots - is more violent than the other horses'. She'll throw her head hard, shake it, and strike with her front feet at the fly. Riding her when she's doing that is dangerous, because at that point she has no regard for anything at all, she just wants that damn thing off!

I've seen the fly, it's a small bee looking thing, slightly smaller than a regular bot fly (to which they have basically no reaction), and they typically fly from behind them, up along their neck, and under their jowl. At this point, the horses go nuts.

So my question is - does anyone have experience with these damn things - and how to keep them off the horses? I rarely put fly spray on the horses, and I'm not sure the sprays work on bot flies?

Anyone?

[boots-aregard]

Have you tried using a fringe fly mask, one on either side of her head?

[SnowHorse]

I don't have a fly mask, and I couldn't find one at the local feed store, either. Going to have to look them up online.

I guess it could help IF you can get it snug enough so the flies can't get under the chin, of course the fringes should help, too.

[khall]

Yes, my horses act the same way! I have to go rescue them when the bot flies get after them. Fly spraying the bots directly will knock them down to the ground, then I stomp on them. Thankfully the most I have ever seen at one time were 2, usually only 1 at a time and not every day. They drive my horses insane!

[SnowHorse]

The "regular" bot flies are a very minor annoyance to our horses - they'll swish their tails, but that's the height of it.

These throat bots however - - - a whole different story. They don't act that crazy even with the huge big "B52" horseflies. They hate them, but they don't go crazy. At worst, they'll run to you to get them slapped and killed.

The thing about trying to even spray them is - IF the throat bot is in the vicinity, the horses will throw their heads so violently you CAN'T be close to them, because you are likely to get hit with a head. And in my mare's case, also struck by her front feet. So, basically one has to stay the heck out of the way.

The throat bots don't hover around their bodies or feet, but fly off when the horses swing their heads, and then approach very quickly, and straight to the jaws. There simply is no time to slap them or spray them.

It appears the high winds we had yesterday calmed down the situation, and nobody's been going nuts today, but how long will that last.... Argh