What should I do if my horse's fly bites become infected?

Read time: 3 minutes

Overview

If fly bites look infected, the safest first step is to clean the area gently, keep an eye on how it changes, and avoid anything that could irritate the skin further. What looks like infection can sometimes be an angry reaction to bites, so it helps to check carefully for discharge, heat, swelling or broken skin before deciding what to do next.

Things To Check

1. Check whether the area is just itchy and irritated, or whether there is obvious broken skin, discharge, a smell, or increasing heat.

2. Look at how large the affected area is and whether the redness or swelling is spreading.

3. See if your horse is rubbing, stamping, tail swishing, or reacting when the area is touched.

4. Check whether there are multiple bites in the same place, especially along the mane, belly, legs, or under the tail.

5. Notice whether the skin is crusting, scabbing, wet, or weeping, as that can change what care is sensible.

6. Review turnout, grooming, sweat, mud, or fly pressure that may be making the area harder to settle.

7. Keep track of whether your horse is bright and comfortable overall, or whether they seem dull, sore, or unusually sensitive.

Common Causes

The most common cause is simple bite irritation that has become inflamed from scratching, rubbing or repeated fly exposure. Minor skin damage can then make the area look more serious than it started.

Another common reason is a secondary skin infection after the bites have been opened up by rubbing or bites from multiple flies. Warm, moist, dirty or sweaty areas can make this more likely.

Sometimes the problem is a stronger allergic-type reaction to fly bites, where the skin becomes very red, raised or crusty without a true infection being present.

Less commonly, an underlying skin issue or a bite-related complication may be involved, especially if the area keeps returning or is slow to settle.

What To Do

Gently clean the area if it’s dirty, using a calm, low-stress approach that doesn’t further rub the skin. Pat it dry rather than scrubbing.

Reduce fly pressure as much as you can by changing turnout timing, improving stable hygiene if needed, and checking whether sweat, mud or bedding are making things worse.

Keep the area under observation for 24 to 48 hours if your horse is otherwise well and the skin looks only mildly irritated. Take a photo so you can compare any changes.

Try to stop rubbing or scratching where possible, because repeated trauma often makes the skin angrier and can delay settling.

If the skin is not improving, or you’re unsure whether it’s just irritation or something more, it’s sensible to get veterinary advice rather than trying to guess.

Products That May Help

During fly season, it can be useful to support your normal routine with products chosen for summer fly management and general skin comfort around bites and irritation.

Horse Fly Sprays & Summer Care

Item added to your cart