Hello Again!

Another reason to love winter: freezing temperatures kill bot flies! Yes! Death to bot flies!

Bot flies start laying eggs on your horse's hair in the summer. This annoying habit continues until the first hard frost in November or December. Treat your horse for bot flies with ivermectin and moxidectin after the first hard frost to avoid reinfection. If you treat too early, surviving flies can lay more eggs.

Ivermectin and moxidectin are effective against bots as well as a wide range of other internal parasites. But remember that these products don't kill tapeworms. As a precaution, be sure to include praziquantel in your horse deworming program at some point after a killing frost.

If you are feeding the daily dewormer Strongid C, ask your veterinarian if you should stop feeding before you dose your horse for tapeworms.

As the weather turns cooler, mice may decide it's time to move indoors. Here are some mouse proofing tips.

Mice tend to nest within 25' of a food source. Plug up all holes more than 1/4" wide with steel wool. Store all food in rodent-proof containers. Old coolers work great! Mice hate peppermint oil: soak cotton balls in spearmint or peppermint and place them strategically around the barn.

Happy riding!

The Practical Horsekeepers

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