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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2013 20:09:22 GMT -5
It's that time of year! I thought we could share any recipes we have for fly sprays, and other things we like to buy for horses.
Here are a couple:
Fly spray: One part red cider vinegar/one part Avon skin so soft. put in sprayer bottle. I have been doing this for 6 or 7 years, and find it works better than any fly spray out there....even the really expensive ones! I use it on me, too!
Show Sheen: 1/4 cup hair conditioner 1/4 cup baby oil 1/4 cup water. Haven't tried this one yet, but will this weekend!!
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Post by cyndi on May 24, 2013 8:02:24 GMT -5
I keep hearing that Skin-So-Soft works for bugs, but have never tried it. Maybe it's time to start!!
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Post by vsolubo on May 25, 2013 8:23:18 GMT -5
S-S-S works for flies, but not for mosquitoes. Avon has even put out warnings not to use it for mosquitoes during the west nile problems a couple of years back. It will also put a nice shine on a horses coat, in fact, do not spray their body prior to riding or the saddle will slip around something terrible! Just spray the head/neck & rump.
I have to start trying the vinegar/sss again, tried it before & it worked ok. I've been using Endure, it works great but is rather expensive.
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Post by Deleted on May 25, 2013 8:33:39 GMT -5
Really? We must not have a big mosquito population, then. I have no issues with it. I have to really use a lot of it, but it's the best thing I've used. I get a headache from the chemical fly sprays now. I'm just not used to them any more.
I'm going to mix up the show sheen today. I'll report back later!!
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Post by Deleted on May 25, 2013 8:35:24 GMT -5
Really? We must not have a big mosquito population, then. I have no issues with it. I have to really use a lot of it, but it's the best thing I've used. I get a headache from the chemical fly sprays now. I'm just not used to them any more. I'm going to mix up the show sheen today. I'll report back later!! This off topic a bit: Our area rarely has any reported cases of West Nile any more. We did several years ago...I even had a yearling that contracted it, and lived. What are other areas like? Are people still dealing with it?
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Post by MaryS on May 25, 2013 9:17:33 GMT -5
They say it's still out there affecting horses. But the vets have said that it has gone down because we have vaccinated against it.
My personal opinion is that we've now been exposed to it and have developed immunities. People have also experienced deecreased contracting of west nile
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Post by Deleted on May 25, 2013 12:33:59 GMT -5
Mary...my vet isn't even recommending the vaccine in our area any more. He thinks the horses have built up a resistance.
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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2013 9:25:35 GMT -5
I mixed up the show sheen. I tweaked it a bit, and I will need to tweak it some more. I put in LOTS more water than it called for, as it was really thick. I use expensive salon conditioner on my hair, so I didn't want to use that. I had some cheap stuff, ( Fruitisse?) on hand that I used. It's pretty thick, so required a ton of water.
I was out of baby oil, so I used canola oil. I think I'd like baby oil better.
My horse has a long, thick tail that gets snarls. It worked great on that. He had some burs in his mane, and it worked great on those, too.
I didn't like how the mane dried, though. It feels greasy, or gummy. I'm hoping using less water will help. If not, I'll use it for tangles, but if I'm going to a show, and want a sleek, shiny mane and tail, I'll have to go back the show sheen. '
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Post by vsolubo on May 29, 2013 9:26:25 GMT -5
The studies show that in area's where people stopped vaccinating for WNV it has been re-appearing. So my vet is still recommending it twice a year. I use straight baby oil on my horses manes/tails, just spray it on & the burrs slide right out. I make sure to do it after riding though & on days I don't ride. The drier the hair is, the quicker it's absorbed.
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Post by ghostrider on May 29, 2013 10:35:01 GMT -5
My guys all went down to the vet a week ago for their shots and coggins. They get the rabies, WN, and 5 way here. In Wy they would not get rabies because we just don't have all the little critters there that they have here, possums, coons etc.. BUT we do Potomac there and the vet here commented that the immunization for potomac is very hard to get.
I don't like baby oil on my horses at all, no matter how small a quantity it seems to attract dust everywhere they've been sprayed.
As for flies/ticks/fleas/gnats etc... I use Freedom spot on which even deters the flying insects and then for a spray on I use Repels X mixed with SSS. The Repels X alone will come off with sweat but the SSS will stay on. We also don't have many skeeters here.
When I run out and don't intend to go to town for a day or two I mix a solution of 1/3 vinegar, 1/3 water, 1/3 mix of rubbing alcohol with ivory dish soap. Stay up wind though.
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Post by cyndi on Jul 5, 2013 17:27:53 GMT -5
Here are two recipes someone gave me. She is really happy with them, and says that the oil repellent makes her horses' manes and tails nice and soft and shiny. I used the oil repellent yesterday on Fanny and she didn't feel greasy today. She was dirty though, because it had been raining. Fly Repellent Oil (used in the hard-to-spray areas like belly, udder, sheath, etc.): In a 16 oz bottle (not a spray bottle, but a bottle with a lid like a shampoo bottle) combine 8 oz of castor oil and 8 oz of almond oil Add 50 drops (yes, 50 drops!) each of; Patchouli oil Lemongrass oil Peppermint oil Cedar wood oil Thyme oil Shake well and apply. Smells wonderful Fly Spray Repellent Fill a 32 oz bottle (regular spray bottle size) with tap water. Add 20 drops of each: Lavender oil Thyme oil Marjoram oil Lemon eucalyptus oil Optional is 10 drops of garlic oil Shake well and apply. The essential oils can be purchased at health food stores. "NOW" makes all of these.
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Post by ghostrider on Jul 5, 2013 21:05:56 GMT -5
What is Patchouli?
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Post by cyndi on Jul 6, 2013 19:41:44 GMT -5
Patchouli is a plant from the mint family. It's used in perfumes, incense, alternative medicine, etc.. It has a really strong scent, but when used in lotions and massage oils, it is so nice...at least I like it I had to buy a number of essential oils for the bug spray, and the patchouli was by far the most expensive at $22 for a 1 oz bottle. The average price of the oils was between $10 and $15, with the cheapest being a little over $6. The oil will last for a long time because even 50 drops is a small amount.
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Post by ghostrider on Jul 6, 2013 22:27:39 GMT -5
I hate mint anything. I can do peppermint but not any of the other mints. Mice are allergic to mint and if you plant it around your barn/house etc it will keep them from entering. Or so they say.
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Post by cyndi on Jul 7, 2013 14:10:42 GMT -5
I didn't know that Patchouli was part of the mint family until I checked it out for you (truth be told, I wasn't sure exactly what it was either), because it doesn't smell like mint at all to me. I've heard that mice didn't like mint, but I didn't know they were allergic to it. I should plant some around the barn. The stuff grows like weeds here. I did try putting some peppermint oil on the brick floor at the base of my saddle rack, at the old barn, to keep mice from getting at my saddle pads. Last year they nibbled at the sympanova material on the underside of my bareback pad...and I wasn't impressed. Now that I have a sheepskin that is part of my saddle, I am nervous about keeping my saddle at the barn. The mice could nicely make a home in the padded sheepskin
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