4 Easy Ways to Get Rid of Horse Fleas

Nobody likes fleas and they almost become the unexpected guests everywhere, including in the horse barns. Spend time reading these ways to get rid and prevent fleas on your pets.

They are easy and good to follow. Not only pets, such as cats and dogs who can get fleas, horses can also get fleas, ticks or mites. Fleas are dangerous as they carry diseases that will infect the horses. Fleas get nutrition by sucking the blood of their hosts, in this case, the horse.

There are different kinds of fleas, just like the dog fleas and cat fleas who have different characteristics. Horses do not have a specialized kind of fleas. Instead, the fleas can accidentally parasitize horses and the horses become “accidental hosts”.

There are several ways how fleas can accidentally parasitize horses, such as the unhealthy horses, the not-properly-groomed horses and when the horse enters an old flea-infested barn.

Moreover, cats or dogs which enter the horse barn can also increase the chance of the horse being parasitized by fleas. Do you know that fleas are included in the group of insects with complete metamorphosis?

There are some symptoms of fleas on horses we can notice. First, the horses may lose their hair. Then, because of the flea bite, the skin of the horse may get irritated as well.

The itchiness caused by the flea bites may also cause the horses to keep scratching the coat regularly. As a result, there may be some secondary infections especially if the horse keeps scratching.

The question is how to get rid of fleas from horse. Every horse owner must want their horses to be free of fleas. Fleas might be small, but their effects are great and dangerous as they suck blood from the horses. Here are some ways of how to get rid of fleas from horse.

• Consult with Your Vet

Having a discussion with your vet about fleas is important as your vet knows the best about the best treatment of it. Do not try to solve the flea problems by yourselves without consulting with your vet. There might be some ways to get rid of fleas on horses, but it is better to ask for assurance from the professionals to make sure all the ways are safe.

• Medications

There are several types of medications specifically for horses. The medications are made to alter the horse’s body chemistry so that it will be less attractive or even harmful to the blood-sucking parasites like fleas.

These medications can be in the form of pills or they can be mixed into the horse’s food. Please note that any medications given to your horse must be prescribed by the vet. Do not rely on any information on the internet.

• Apple Cider Vinegar

Vinegar is also useful to keep fleas off from the horse. However, before trying this remedy, make sure to consult again with your vet. Apple cider vinegar is believed to be able to repel fleas as they don’t like its taste and smell.

Using apple cider vinegar is considered as one of the safest and simplest ways. To make flea repellent for the horse, you can simply dilute 3 cups of apple cider vinegar to 2 cups of water. Then, add a teaspoon or two of sea salt.

Then, spray the solution on your horse’s coat. Apple cider vinegar is also perfect for treating dog ear infection. See the complete steps to treat dog ear infection with apple cider vinegar.

Apple cider vinegar can also be added to the horse’s water. Add 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to the horse’s water per gallon of water used. This amount of apple cider vinegar will be typically to little for the horse to notice. This way is believed to be effective as the vinegar will go into the horse’s bloodstream to repel fleas.

• Bathe the Horse

There are some solutions that can be used to bathe the horse. First, soak sliced lemon in boiled water overnight. Then, brush the horse’s coat with the water. Another way to bathe the horse is using dish soap. Fill a bucket with 1 gallon of water and ¼ cup of dish soap.

Mix the ingredients by hands to dissolve the soap. Then, brush the horse with a large flea comb as this will ensure a thorough cleaning of the horse. Dip the brush into the bucket of soapy water when you collect the fleas as the soap will trap and smother the fleas instantly.

The next question may be how to prevent fleas from infesting the horse again. There are some ways that can be done to prevent fleas from coming to the horses again. First, make sure to keep the horses healthy by feeding a balanced and wholesome diet.

Some supplements can be added to boost the horse’s immune system as well. Then, keep other animals on the property free from fleas. If there’s a cat or dog, make sure they are free of fleas so they won’t infect the horse.

Last but not the least, make sure the horse is groomed every day and if it is needed, apply some fly spray. Once more, everytime you use a product which contains chemical, consult with your vet first.

Speaking of horsing, read more information about horsing in these following articles useful tips to make sure you ride a horse properl and new horse species from horse breeding progress so you have better knowledge about it.