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Other fly management tips
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Besides making your horse more comfortable during fly season, there are a few management tips that can help cut down on fly infestations.
Keep pasture grass short - for some reason insects seem to congregate in longer grass, brushing off onto your horse as he grazes. Spread the manure and mow the longer grass, the weed patches and manure areas. In addition to helping dry the manure (killing off worm and fly larvae) you reduce their habitat and help prevent weeds from taking a choke hold on your pasture.
Remove your manure! Clean out your pens, pick your paddocks, and then take
all the manure elsewhere or better yet, compost it. This includes the piles from your stable if you use one. I'll include a column on composting your horse manure in the issue, but the bottom line is that as a properly prepared manure pile composts, the heat prevents flies from breeding! Gotta like it- clean out your pens AND slow down fly breeding!
Drain those swampy areas if possible, especially if very near your horse's field. Consider bleaching standing water areas. If you have a small swampy area (I mean small, like a mucky wet spot near the barn, not a life-supporting actual swamp), try using a few capfuls of bleach to kill mosquito larvae. Don't do this if you suspect anything will be drinking out of the water spot (ie, anything in the horse field). This is more important in late spring/early summer than later in summer like it is now.
One last thing you can do to help combat the fly problem is to build smudges. Smudges are smokey fire piles created from piling old hay and dry manure and lighting it. The smoke given off is strong smelling and when the horses stand near it the bugs abate somewhat. We've found the best way to build a smudge is to take some dry hay and pile dry manure over most of it, leaving some spots for air to get in. Then light it and make sure it catches. You can add a bit of paper if necessary, and pick up little sticks and such in the paddock (help rid your horses of flies and your paddock of debris at the same time!).
Horses will stand around the smudge once they realize that the flies don't care for the smoke. You may once in a while find singed whiskers or even a singed tail, but for the most part horses seem to respect the fire.
You also need to respect the fire - a smudge can burn for many hours, or even several days without tending. Make sure you check it frequently to prevent starting a wildfire. Even though there is no visible smoke, the ashes underneath can still retain heat much like charcoal briquets, and a simple stirring can bring them back to life. |
| If you have tips or questions on equipment care, purchases, fit, or anything else to do with equestrian equipment, please mail them to kristi@hiway16.com |
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Western, English, Penning or Trail riding, all equine sports have a voice on Northern B.C. Horse
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Past articles are all available in the
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Bulkley Valley Exhibition
The Bulkley Valley Exhibition is a huge Fall Fair for the residents of Smithers and surrounding towns. The Carnival comes in and sets up their wildest rides, food booths from all over vie for your stomch's attention, and local craftsmen and gardeners bring in the fruits of their labours for judging. The BV Exhibition also hosts one of the largest light horse shows in BC.
There are four packed days of equestrian events planned once again this year. Starting with Dressage and 4-H classes on Thursday, August 24, the
show rapidly picks up speed as somewhere around 250 horses enter the grounds over the course of the show. Friday is as action packed as a regular weekend show, with Western, Dressage, Gymkhana, Reining, and English Divisions as well as some Specialty classes, filling out the program. Three different judges and arenas are utilized on the Friday.
Saturday is the action packed day of the Fair. Starting with English,
Jumping, and Driving, moving into mixed classes and Trail, then ending with the spectator thrilling Liberty classes, there is something for nearly everyone. Four judges and four arenas are needed to accomodate all these classes! Sunday is a little quieter, with the remaining Hunter classes,
Driving Games, Leadline Trail and a huge selection of Halter classes (halter classes are split by breeds, and there are lots of breeds here in northern BC!). The halter classes wrap up with Best Of Show, and the High Point awards are also presented on Sunday.
The BV Exhibition is a huge event but at the same time it is still filled
with back yard horsemen and next door neighbours, and it still retains the hometown flavour you would expect from a Fall Fair. And as they say - hope to see YOU at the Fair!
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| If you have tips or questions you'd like to share with other local equestrians, please mail them to kristi@hiway16.com |
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| Northern B.C. Horse is brought to you courtesy of our advertisers including:
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Thanks to our advertisers for making this all possible...
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If you are new to Northern B.C. Horse, check out all the previous issues on the Archive page.
Kristi is building a great knowledge base about horses, with the emphasis on our area of the world.
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New to Showing Series
I've decided to show my horse - now what??
One of the biggest things to take into consideration for your first competition is show size. While it may sound quite grand and impressive to enter the local Fall Fair as your first ever event, there is an awful lot of stuff going on - things that can faze even the most experienced horse and rider.
It may be a much better idea to start with a small show, such as a schooling show or even a playday. Sometimes, even if you aren't intending to make your mark in gymkhana events, you will find the chance to ride for fun, with lots of encouragement from the other riders, a much nicer way to get started than in the sometimes less friendly environment of a full fledged show.
What classes should I show in? When you do decide to take the plunge and show your horse for that first time, you need to decide what discipline(s) you will be exhibiting in. There are english classes, hunter and jumper (over fences), dressage classes, western, reining, trail and gymkhana among others.
If you have a coach that you ride with, discuss the matter ahead of time, and she will likely help you pick suitable classes. Know what each class consists of and what the requirements are, before you enter. Your coach is likely reasonably current on the show scene in your area and can point you in the right direction.
Don't overface yourself! If your horse is capable of getting the job done in a lower level reining classes, or over crossrail jumps, enter those classes instead of the more glamorous high jumps and full reining patterns.
It is far better to show your horse at something for which he is fully prepared than to introduce something new or which he is not solid at while under the extra stress of the show ring. In fact, some people prefer to show slightly below their level at first so that both the horse and the rider feel comfortable about what they are being asked to do.
Many shows offer Green or First Year classes that don't require a lope or canter. Check the fine print though, you may not be allowed to cross enter these classes and a canter class as well. Still, for a first time out, sometimes that is all you and youir horse need - a simple introduction to the show pen without too many extra nerves!
If possible, go and watch an event or two where you plan on showing for the first time. Note the position of the in-gate or collecting (holding) ring .
Check where the out-gate is. Identify things that may bother your horse, such as the announcer's booth, signs, bleachers and more (don't dwell on them, but be prepared). Return on a non-show day with your horse and quietly familiarize him with the arena. Some horses are capable of taking new things all in stride, but others need a few rides to acclimatize themselves to all the *boogie men*.
Whew! There's a lot to learn about this horse show stuff isn't there? Next week we'll start going over what is involved with each of the types of classes available at most local shows.
If you have tips or questions you'd like to share with other local equestrians, please mail them to kristi@hiway16.com
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