Nose Flies! Only Not
For those people who aren’t lucky enough to live where there are nose flies, I wanted to share our lovely experience today.
I turned Rusty out to graze in the yard for awhile. I was going to get some non-horsey stuff done and let him take the edge off a bit, fill up on some grass. He walked straight to the place we worked yesterday and started calling me.
How can I resist that?
I got my things and went to work with him.
I asked for a lay down. He said, you know I’d like to. But there’s this bug?!
I assured him it was just a bot fly. NOT a nose fly. He would be ok. If I can find them I’m happy to do my best to kill a bot fly too. Sometimes I even manage. Today I couldn’t even see it, just had his word that it was there.
I thought maybe we could work on something different?
He took a few steps and said no. It was a nose fly. It was going to eat him. In just a few more seconds he was screaming SAVE ME!
Yes, I DO know that that was what he was saying. Look at him. How could you not hear it loud and clear?
He was running to me begging me to take care of it. I was searching frantically for the culprit while also trying to avoid being smashed. If you listen carefully you can hear me trying to reassure him that I am trying!
Finally I got his nose and covered it for him. Nose flies do, I think? fly up their noses. This is exactly the response horses have. Although this was fairly mild. Now imagine trying to ride a horse doing this? Having the horse on a leadrope and not being able to let him flee?
This is why we live in fear and dread of nose flies.
This was NOT a nose fly. They only come out for about a week in the first half of June. Fortunately or we all would have given up horses by now. This was a bot fly. Also evil. Not to the extent of nose flies though. The are about the same size, color and shape of a nose fly and hoover around the horses in the same manner. After an exceptionally bad nose fly season this year the horses are apparently traumatized and not willing to take a chance. When in doubt run!
The horses had all been hiding in the shed when I called Rusty. After he took off I found him waiting at the gate wanting back to the shed. Poor guy. Guess he can go hide in the shed instead of playing today.