The temperature warms and the season for biting flies and mosquitoes approaches. Humans are not the only ones annoyed by flies. Livestock suffer as well. Valuable livestock such as race horses may be sprayed daily with insect repellent to protect them from biting flies. Flies can cause an allergic reaction in sensitive horses and the transmit diseases.

German scientists have developed a new blanket that protects horses from biting flies. The blanket is made from a thin, light weight, spacer fabric. The blanket can be worn in the heat of summer and does not interfere with evaporative cooling when the horses sweat. The blanket can be laundered and is wash resistant and waterproof. The fabric can be treated with insect repellent. Blankets treated with repellent are not toxic to horses. Because the insect repellent embeds in the fabric less needs to be applied to the animal.

Several lines of human clothing are available with imbedded insect and tick repellent, primarily targeted at hunters and outdoorsmen. Horses will need to wait a little longer for relief. The blankets will not be available until next year.

Horse Fly, Tabanus spp.