Living next to horses

[dorcarpo]

We moved to our house 3 years ago. The people next door kept two horses and we had no problems. About 18 months ago they moved and the new neighbours also have two horses. Since then we seem to have many more flies at the back of our house and I was wondering whether it could be because maybe they aren't as particular about clearing up?

I'm guessing @TrainspottingWelsh has the luxury of many many acres per horse? Are you as the name suggests in Wales? If so in jealous as section Ds are my favourite!

OP - black flies go hand in hand with any livestock I'm afraid. A surge in them at this time of year might be more likely to be attributed to disturbed nests though - anybody been doing any earthworks, or are you somewhere affected by the floods?

No Avacodo, name is for the author (Irvine) rather than the country. Section d's are beautiful when they're someone else's, if I lived in wales I'd end up with a yard full of demonic A & B ponies!

I might have started with acres and acres per horse but naturally just acquired more! I wasn't particularly thinking of that though, even when it's bordering on too many horses in a decent size field it's still more practical to harrow and roll.

Poo picking in current weather conditions may actually break your back! The swamps that horses are having to endure there is no way I could push a full wheelbarrow through!!!!!

There are other plenty of field management techniques. Many people only poo pick in the summer!

It doesn't mean an abundance of flies

Pop picking should be everybody's first line of defense against worms. Ascarid eggs can survive 5 or more years on a field!

Granted I wouldn't like to attempt to poo pick some of the swamps at the moment either.

I'm a vet nurse, and I do worm egg counts. We are seeing unprecedented high counts right now.

That's your opinion Avacodo. I've had more than one horse that's lasted well into 3 decades without ever living in a poo picked field, and exactly none that have ever had worm damage, including before worm counts were a thing. And know plenty more.

I poo pick my injury paddock when it's in use, so your advice might be relevant to those keeping horses permanently in similar set ups. Otherwise there are plenty of other methods, which you possibly aren't aware of if you only speak from your experience of veterinary nursing, rather than land management experience.

Admittedly the latest research isn't something I keep on top of, but I thought it was 10yrs for ascarids?

I have had my own 16 acres as well as having been on several different yard set ups - but I mainly speak from working in parasitology for the best part of 10 years.

Anyway. We're not getting to the bottom of OP's black fly problem

Yes poo picking is the ideal. However it sometimes just can't be done practically especially in the winter. Other methods are acceptable

I poo pick in summer and not winter where she's in a large herd. She had had work counts 4 years and always low and not needing treatment (awkward do ERW obv may do new test next year). So other management can and does work!

@TrainspottingWelsh not in my yard! We poo pick regularly all year round for the reasons stated by @Avocadohips. I stand by my argument (and management methods)!.

Yup, everyone on my yard poo picks every day, rain or shine. Keeps the fields looking great and really helps maintaining a low WEC. It takes about 10-15 minutes per horse every day.

@britnay how do people who work full time do that in the winter?

how do people who work full time do that in the winter?

by paying someone or by keeping the horse(s) at a stable during winter.

same thing as with dogs or other pets - it you can't deal with your animal's shit you should not have one.

@woodencoffeetable yes in ideal world everyone could find someone to poo pick everyday

In reality in winter with limited daylight it's not possible or practical everyday. That's why people do things like Harrow

I work in the industry and go out to many different yards. I can only think of 2 that poo pick daily in the winter. It really is not the norm due to state of fields and time and daylight. Also on big yards where horses are in herds it just doesn't happen. I don't know any yard where horses are kept in more than pairs where people poo pick any time of there year. In the summer they Harrow or poo Hoover.

"by paying someone or by keeping the horse(s) at a stable during winter."
I don't believe that for a minute. I've been a horse owner for 30 years, have a wide network of horse mates due to the activities I organise and don't know a single person who moves their horse (s) to another stable during winter. For a start, if they wanted to keep their original place they'd have to pay for both.

My liveries pay me to do if they can't. Some will work it out between them if they are in the same paddock. I'm up at 6:30 every morning to do the horses before taking the children to school/going to work. Sometimes I have to use a head torch if its too dark.

They only time it doesn't get done is if its been snowing and the poos are covered or frozen to the ground. It just means a bigger job to clear it afterwards.

We have horses over my back fence. Flies are a nightmare. Twice I've ended up really poorly from a nasty reaction to the bites. And the owner does clean up after them too...still get flies though. They also push up against our fence in hope for carrots. The owner has tried many times to put a boundary fence up but they just trample all over it. Pics are rather gross of my bites...sorry.

Avocado We are getting a bit off topic, but the point is relevant. It's misleading op to tell her the neighbours are irresponsible if they don't, and certainly won't help the relationship if she follows the advice to tell them to poo pick. But hats off to you for poo picking the full 16 acres every day.

MrsExpo it might be the best or only option for management on your yard, but your narrow experience doesn't mean it's the only method for everyone, everywhere.

@TrainspottingWelsh you're inferring things from my posts that I haven't said or implied, at least not intentionally.

But I'm stepping away now as it's a side point.

@roseelizabeth the ones found biting you sound like horse flies, not black flies (the type the OP appears to have). Horse flies are nasty, nasty things for both horses and people

@roseelizabeth horse flies are after blood, not poo unfortunately, and they don't confine their activities to horse fields. You may be victim to others who do feed the horses in another part of the field - which is a total pain in the arse and worry for horse owners. Horses that aren't treated don't look for treats.

Avocado Sorry, I've just read my post back and it does read as though I'm implying you were the poster that made the suggestion in the first place. That wasn't my intention.