I own three horses. Two of them live right next to each other. They get the same exact diet. However, the mare attracts more flies than the gelding. The mare is a 9 year old tb. and the gelding is a 7yo qh. Their stalls are kept the same way and there is no difference in the footing. I treat them both with fly spray and the mare wears a sheet and mask but I just wanted to know if anyone had any ideas as to why this is happening.
Answers:
I know this sounds stupid but what color are they? There are differences in flies on horses compared to coat color. I am willing to bet that the mare is chestnut or bay or a light brownish coat. Brown and black horses often have more flies on them than other colors (including bots). Greys and whites have the least number. I have had over 300 horses that I have cared for and this is rarely found untrue.
Mares often urinate more than geldings too, so that could be part of the problem. And, if she is in heat she will often attract more flies.
Pheremones.
You didn't say what color they were, but I know that my white or lighter color horses attracts more fly then the darker ones. Also it maybe that the TB mare has thinner skin making her a tastier meal. Maybe it has to do with the amount of light in her stall? whats is on the other side of her is it a dirty stall that belongs to someone else,feed room hope these ideals help
Horses, like people, have different attractiveness to insects.
Some reasons your mare could attract more flies:
- what color is she? It seems that red tones and darker horses attract a lot more flies than paints or lighter-colored horses. The theory behind this is that a paint's color pattern 'breaks up' the body outline that may serve to show flies where the horse is, and where to land. I worked at a ranch where we had over 100 horses-- the paints and blanket appaloosas suffered far less from flies than the solid-colored horses. Lighter-colored horses had more flies than the paints, but still less than the darker horses. Flies landed on the darker legs of horses more than those legs with white socks or stockings. Even today, my sorrel gelding has 3 times the flies on him as my paint mare on any given day.
- if she's in heat, she will attract more flies
- perhaps she is less active than the gelding
Ok sounds weird it mostly matters on what color they are. Then you can know what might be the problem.
It is more than likely Pheremones. Also, mares do urinate quite a bit more than geldings; so that may have something to do with it. Giving a horse a few cloves of garlic is a perfectly safe and effective way of reducing the fly attraction. I have used this method before many times and had great results.
Yeah, The Hitman is wondering what the "third" horse is up to? ... and whaat color are these stinking flies? Enquiring minds want to know? Kapeesh?
Well seems like everyone here has hit the nail on the head with their answer.. color, pheromones, how much sunlight (thus warmth ) is in her stall are all part of it. Plus thoroughbreds are thin skinned and nature is amazing perhaps the flies realize it's an easier to obtain meal. If would be interesting to see who would attract the most flies when kept in the same conditions and are the same sex a hotblooded thoroughbred, a warmblood or a coldblooded horse. Might be a good science experiment for some 4H kids.
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