~Shadepups Horse Enquires for the Horse owners~

[Oddly Shaded]

Oh yer. Hey you know anything about sand flies and how they bit horses legs?

[Shin Kuroi]

hey shadepup plz dont think about leaving, rember WWW?

[~Helix~]

Oh yer. Hey you know anything about sand flies and how they bit horses legs?

*raises hand* I know a bit...

Sand Flies (Psychodidae)

Sand Fly larvae can be found in moss, mud, water, or any sort of matter that is moist and decaying. The larvae are worm-like and small, like most other flies. The adults have very long legs that are around 1/8th inch long, and hairy gray to brown wings that form some sort of a 'V' shape when the flies are at rest. They kind of bear resemblance to a mosquitoes. :3

Sand flies typically feed on the blood of animals, such as reptiles, amphibians, and mammals during the nighttime. In many parts of the world, including southern Texas in the United States, certain sand fly species (Lutzomyia) are suspected of transmitting cutaneous leischmaniasis, a disfiguring protozoan disease of humans. (Which isn't good. owo)

The "Sweet Itch"

Sweet Itch is the common name for and allergic reaction found in horses caused by the bites or saliva of sand flies. (And in many cases other insects belonging to the same class od sand flies, such as gnats, biting midges, and mosquitoes.) Symptoms of the Sweet Itch include: Severe itching, hair loss, skin thickening and flaky dandruff; Sores that are caused by the constant rubbing and biting to relieve the itch and don't heal until the insects stop biting, and sometimes not for months after insect season is over; Weeping sores, sometimes with a yellowy crust of dried serum.

I don't know how to cure it though, I just know about the Sweet Itch and its causers. >_< D:

[Oddly Shaded]

Bummer, thats what my mare has. But she has all of the symtoms.
((wolf45. That died ages ago. Remember?))

[~Helix~]

Bummer, thats what my mare has. But she has all of the symtoms.
((wolf45. That died ages ago. Remember?))

D: Hm, I could look it up. Hold on a sec...

Okay, here's what eHow says:

Step 1: Massage a cream with benzyl benzoate into the affected areas, as long as the skin isn't broken. This will help ease the uncomfortable itch.

Step 2: Spray fly repellent onto the horse's skin, preferably one that contains diethyl toluamide (DEET). This will diminish the discomfort and keep midges away.

Step 3: If the skin is broken, or hair loss has occurred, apply a coat of calamine lotion or castor oil, both which will bring relief to the pain but will not prevent further attacks.

Step 4: Cover the horse with a summer sheet and hood that acts as a barrier to midges. This sheet is light enough to use in the summer, and is the best way to manage sweet itch, according to localriding.com.

Step 5: For serious cases, give the horse a high dose of an antihistamine, which will give the horse temporary relief but may cause it to become very drowsy.

Step 6: A tablet or injection of a corticosteroid is the most powerful medication that will bring temporary relief and reduce inflammation, but this drug contains numerous side effects and can lose effectiveness over time.

[MoonfallTheFox]

hmm, I don't know about the flies. We've not had them here. We do have other pesties tho.

[Oddly Shaded]

My mare, she gets eaten by them. Her legs look so bad at the moment. We are going to go and get a vet to look at her. Her name is Samantha, she's a black Miniture Horse and my family think she was abused or has brain damage. She is so quiet and has a funny leg movement. But the midges get to her legs and she scratches and scratches. Her wounds are all opened and we are spraying a mixture of antiseptic liquid and baby oil. The antiseptic liquid heals it (Slowly) and the baby oil keeps it on her skin. My family recon she is getting better, but they hardly ever come down into the paddock and look at her. On her left rear leg, her skin is peeling the whole way from her hoof to her leg and stomache joint. I just hope it isn't too survear that the Vet can't help. .

[Shin Kuroi]

sandfly the horse had that problem

[Oddly Shaded]

ok. tip time!

When drawing horses Try drawing 2 circles as the body and drawing a line in a curve. At the end draw a circle with a smaller one infront of it. Draw lines as legs and small circles as the joints. Happy drawing!

When riding, keep your heels down and toes close to your horses side. When jumping keep your arms close to your side to increase the control of your horse.

When mounting you should start next to your horse then hop around pulling yourself to the saddle. When in the saddle keep your back straight and legs held close to the saddle and the following steps on how to hold your reins properly.

step 1. Hold your hand infront of you with fingers pointing to the other hand.

step 2. lay the reins over the start of your fingers (Where your fingers are at your palm.). Your hands should be a little bit away from the horses neck.

step 3. clenching the reins slightly your thumb should lay on the rein one side and your hand the other. Your fingers will curl around the rein to lay next to your thumbs.

step 4. Give your horse a slight kick in the side to get him going and there you are.

[Shin Kuroi]

i dont do horses i only came here to talk to you i'l pass the info in to dani