They're enough to drive a body insane, whether man or beast!! In Maine, we determine our outdoor activities based on when the fly season starts - you do not want to go camping when they are at their worst! Some people purchase head nets and wear them religiously whilst gardening. There are stories about deer and moose going crazy and wreaking havoc. Kitch has a particularly hard time dealing with them, since he didn't meet them until he was 15 and moved here from New Mexico. He always drops weight in the summer because he runs and runs around the pasture trying to escape the flies. (It's okay though because he always puts that extra weight back on during our lazy winters!) He also spends a lot of time walking through the underbrush, scraping bugs off his belly.
Tillie has it figured out though! And this blows my mind because it's a foal behavior and not something I've ever seen an adult do - she keeps her head in Kitchy's tail so that whenever he swats at flies, he brushs them off her head!! Brilliant, although she almost lost some teeth the first couple of times she tried it and he kicked at her....
5 comments:
Ouch! Very interesting post!
Funny way to keep them off, but if it works.
Great Photo!
Smart horse! When I volunteered at a donkey sanctuary in Australian summer, some of the donkeys and one horse had to wear a head net. When grooming them, I did too.
Good luck to Kitch and Tillie.
I lived in Maine for 4 years, and the black flies are about the only thing I don't miss. :-) Cute and intelligent horse!
Hey, thanks for coming by and commenting on my Villigen CH blog.
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