# whats the best thing to get rid of ticks on horses



## SKY (14 October 2010)

i use a cattle pour on have been for 16 years its great, but this year i have been renting new summer grazing and horses have gotten covered with them.  used pour on didnt work best.  but was told to put 10mls of it in 500mls of water and sponge or spray where ticks is and all over.  it works but just wondering what if it happened and it was too cold to sponge or nervous young horses.  touch wood i am ok my horses dont mind.  but just wondering what do you all use if you get ticks or lice or mites.  i know pour on can burn horse but i have used it 16 years and my horses dont have side effects.  also heard frontline dog spray is good.  but is there any other products or injections or home remedys, just wondering.

thanks


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## Woodykat (14 October 2010)

I'm afraid I can't really suggest what to do, but I can suggest what not to do! :

Horse on previous yard came in with tic on his neck - cue most of the liveries gathered round making suggestion on how to get it off. Someone suggested they'd heard paraffin was a good method. Ok, so paraffin poured over the horses neck - nothing happened.
Second suggestion - light a match, blow the flame out and put the red hot end of the match where the tic was attached to the skin....

Very luckily, just as the match was near touching the horse someone screamed No Stop! Matches and paraffin together - doesn't bear thinking about really....


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## SKY (14 October 2010)

omg that was a close one.  you can get a product in pet shops to take them of i do that, but for ones you might miss or just in general wondering what everyone else uses.


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## HBBambee (14 October 2010)

We've not had them on the horses before but if they are on the cats or dogs we put hoof oil (the solid type) all over the tick and it falls off in a few hours.
think it suffocates the tick and the legs dont stay in the skin either by doing this.

but then i guess if yours are as you say covered...this could be quite time consuming..


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## hayinamanger (14 October 2010)

Cooper's Spot On, 10ml dose for horses and 5ml for ponies, dribbled along the spine from withers to tail, it's systemic and the ticks drop off in a couple of days, it also helps keep flies away, brilliant.
Not licenced for horses only cattle and sheep but you can get an individual dose from your vet or buy from an agricultural store.


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## Cedars (14 October 2010)

We just use a tick remover to yank them off, but have heard that vaseline, nail polish are good. xxxx


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## Emily91 (14 October 2010)

I dont trust tick removers as they always seem to leave bits of the tick in.

I use vaseline over the tick, the vaseline means they cant breathe and they have to let go.

Has worked every time for me.


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## MissMoo (14 October 2010)

I've found smothering the little blighters in vaseline quite effective!


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## SKY (15 October 2010)

i use the cattle pour on estopec same method as Cooper's Spot On.  which you think would be best.  estopec always worked but this year as i said it didnt do all as i had to then mix with water and sponge it on then they all came off.  was just worried and wondering if was in really cold weather or neverous horse what was easy and best.  thanks all great answers


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## cyberhorse (15 October 2010)

Vaseline works. Frontline spray could be another option for topical treatment.


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## Gingersmum (15 October 2010)

Grab the tick with a pair of tweesers and twist it off. Just twist and twist slowly, it will come off, legs and all and alive (you can then squesh it!) I've done this on dogs, horses and the cat.

I have also used cattle 'spot on' on horses for lice with no ill effects.


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## LouandBee (15 October 2010)

I had big probs with ticks and my mare this summer when she was in just one certain field. She was coming in with 20-30 on her muzzle and front legs!!

The vet says to get them off as soon as poss to limit the bacteria and disease they could be spreading and advices using a tick pick (avalable from any pet shop) i.e. don't suffocate them with vaseline etc as they can empty all the nasties from their stomach into the horse. However I just use my fingers which is so gross.

Also to keep them off, the vet recommended front line spray but she was reluctant to recommend it for my horses face i.e. its fine for legs etc.
I found a tick spray from 'Barrier' (who make fly spray etc) really good.


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## olop (15 October 2010)

Spot on for dogs is very good, we used on our mare that was prone to ticks & lice every winter, used the large dog variety, used 1 pippet once a week for 3 weeks & the blighters were gone!


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## Taffyhorse (15 October 2010)

Never had a problem with them on horses but our dog gets covered in them as we live in a woodland. I've got a 'Tom o tick' twister which is great at removing them. 

Vaseline as a previous poster said means the tic can regurgitate nasties and cause possible infection. 

A good place to look for info (or to a tick twister where I got mine from) is the Lymes disease website. Contains lots of info and do' and don'ts of how to get rid.


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## SKY (16 October 2010)

louandbee have you a link to barrier website cant find it online.  interested in tick spray for horses.  frontline for dogs does sound a option.  thanks to all for advice.


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## Santa Clause (16 October 2010)

I use vinegar, dab a little over the tick then about 10 minutes later i pull it out using a tick pick, always gets the whole little bast*rd out 

vinegar makes their coat beautifuly shine & soft too


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## SKY (17 October 2010)

is this the one you used.  how much did you need to cover horse.  whole bottle.  what size, was very bad year for ticks.  at least we are coming into frost that will kill them now.
http://www.medipetcare.com/barrier-natural-flea-tick-trigger-spray-400ml-p-126.html
also would this be better than frontline because you can use on face or would you use both. just want all information for next year.  although i am giving up the field i took for this summer as horses got destroyed in them everytime.  so not worth the hassle or chacne of them getting something bad.  the pour on i use usually does the trick but had to mix with water this year and dont want to have to do that to foals ect.  wonder why they just dont make a tick soloution or spray for horses.


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## LouandBee (17 October 2010)

Just googled the Barrier stuff I use and this is the link - I just bought it in my local tack shop.

http://www.barrier-biotech.com/product.php?pid=TC2


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