Does garlic work?

[oldernowiser]

Has anybody got experience of using garlic supplements to ward off flies? Is it effective, and are there any issues about feeding it to laminitics?

We are plagued by flies, even when covered in repellant and it is difficult to avoid woods as all our tracks go through some woods. Nell (new horse)is stoic about it but Ben (pony) gets very distressed by them which is upsetting for him and leaves GD feeling anxious and not enjoying her ride.

Any advice? I think he'd be freaked by a hood.

[Butkin]

No but as we bought a big tub of garlic supplement yesterday I hope the answers are positive!

Sec B has a Horseware fly sheet and neck but still gets upset by them particularly when going on hacks.

[Pixel]

We've been feeding ours garlic for years and we don't seem to have a fly problem. The horses in the fields around ours wear fly rugs and masks but we rarely have to bother (they have masks if they need them but we've never owned a fly rug). Of course we are on the Downs so have no woods or water near us which helps I expect. Never had a problem feeding to laminitics either, I should think it helps as it is good for the blood.

Years ago we were advised to use a mixture of cold tea and vinegar as a fly repellent (not sure what the tea was for but I suppose the smell of the vinegar kept them away). We did have some success with it as I recall but we got fed up with our white ponies having brown streaks on them all summer!

[Mermaid2]

I use garlic and at the moment doesn't seem to be helping much with the flies. have just bought super duper fly mask and it works a treat. I also use garlic as its supposed to also help with their respiratory and breathing, so will carry on using it.

[shufflebum]

Brewers yeast is what you want. Failing that Leovet powerphaser fly repellent is working well for me this year, stinks though!

[Fluffyone]

Garlic is bad news for the horse. I'll find a link. That Phaser stuff is excellent, and I've been feeding Global Herbs Fly Free since February and it does seem to be helping my sweetitch pony.
Here you go ihdg.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=ght10&thread=106517&page=1

[Fluffyone]

ihdg.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=ght10&thread=106517&page=1
Try that

[Charlieknows]

I used garlic supplements for years with my horse and it worked a treat. All the other horses were bothered by flies and Charlie wasn't....two of them were my friends horses, one of which was an ex-racehorse like mine and fed exactly the same thing as Charlie. Her horse was surrounded by flies, Charlie wasn 't, go figure....