May Be Bugs

Tucker Bumpy Too

Well, Tucker had bump tonight at late night snack, so I am now thinking it may be bug bites.

Since both he and Chance are the two who lie down, it may also be low level bugs. Something that lives near the ground. I don't see any mosquitos yet, so it may be some kind of midges. Tucker's bumps are not as bad as Chance's but I find it hard to believe both horses would be allergic to the same thing. So far Toby looks OK.

Chance's bumps were better this morning, but tonight, there were new ones--not quite as bad, but definitely new.

So, I put fly sheets on everyone and used fly repellent on the two youngsters. I also put the hay in the stalls. Toby was already hanging out inside, to that so suggests there are some kinds of biting insects out there at night.

I just lunged Tucker for a short session and while he was working his tail was swishing with that tell-tale bug reaction. He was a good boy, nevertheless, so the work exercise was worthwhile.

Now, if it is bugs, why was Chance's reaction so extreme? Well, for one, he is a chestnut and often they are more sensitive to skin things. Second, he is young which means his system has not built up much resistance to things. And third, he is new to New Jersey summers so we may have some kind of pest here not native to his Virginia area home. I will keep an eye on him and probably call the vet tomorrow to ask if there is something I can do to make both him and Tucker feel better.

In the meantime, I am going to investigate the Internet to see if there are any good ideas out there.

Ah, the coming of summer brings its own rewards....on the wing.