Fly protection for the rider
Insects are not only a real nuisance for our horses in summer. Riders are also a popular target for bloodsuckers of all kinds.
And this can also become a health hazard – they transmit diseases, cause inflammation on the skin and some people react strongly allergic to their stings. Since you spend a lot of time outside as a rider, good protective measures are necessary.
Long-term fly protection measures
| Vaccinations | Hyposensibilisation | |
|---|---|---|
| Possible with | Ticks are mainly known to transmit Lyme disease and TBE – a dangerous inflammation of the brain and meninges. While there is a vaccination against the Lyme disease pathogen in horses, humans can so far only be vaccinated against the TBE virus. | If there is a strong allergy to insect venom, hyposensitisation is an advisable measure. Besides bees and wasps, horsefly stings can also cause severe allergic reactions that can even trigger a life-threatening anaphylactic shock. If you belong to the risk group of severe insect venom allergy sufferers, you certainly always carry an emergency kit with you anyway. |
| Procedure | The vaccination is initially administered in three partial doses within one year, after which it is refreshed every 3 to 5 years | With hyposensitisation, the immune system is carefully accustomed to the allergenic toxin so that an allergic reaction no longer occurs or only occurs to a small extent. The allergenic substances are gradually injected into the skin and the dosage is gradually increased. |
| Recommended for | People who live in TBE risk areas and could potentially be exposed to ticks through occupation or recreation | Insecticide allergist |
In both cases, these are medical treatments that you should best discuss with your attending general practitioner or dermatologist. Only he or she can inform you about the procedure, possible risks and side effects and support you in the decision-making process.
Rules of conduct in summer
- Chance clothes after sports: Insects love the smell of sweat and can therefore locate their victims better. If you have sweated a lot after riding and are going to stay in the stable for a while, it is advisable to have a change of clothes with you.
- Avoid riding at dusk: insects and especially mosquitoes prefer to stay at dusk. Avoid being outside during the evening hours.
- Die Hot Spots meiden: Hot spots for biting insects include standing waters and forest edges.
- After the stable: Check your body at home for ticks. In some cases, they crawl around on your body for up to an hour until they find a suitable place to bite. Popular places are at the hairline, behind the ears, but also armpits, elbows, belly buttons, back of the knees and the genital area. If the tick has not yet bitten, additional showering can also be helpful to rinse it off. If a tick has bitten you, you can find out how to remove it here.
The attraction of humans
Scientists have found that some people are bitten more often by mosquitoes than others. Among other things, mosquitoes are attracted by the carbon dioxide we exhale. The lactic acid we secrete through our sweat is also particularly attractive to the bloodsuckers. The more we produce of these two substances, the more likely we are to be stung. Pregnant women, for example, are stung much more often because they exhale considerably more carbon dioxide. The composition of sweat is also different for each person, so people with a higher lactic acid content are also more likely to fall victim to mosquitoes. It is also interesting that people with blood group 0 are among the most popular targets.
Clothing
- Light-coloured clothing: Insects are more attracted to dark colours
- Tightly woven and loose-fitting clothing: Mosquitoes can bite through clothing with their thin proboscis. Dense fabrics and loose-fitting clothing can keep insects away from the body
- High-waisted clothing: If the weather permits, long sleeves and long trousers are beneficial
- „Seal“ clothing: riders already have their socks over their breeches anyway, tuck your top into your trousers in addition and insects have less opportunity to get under your clothing.
- A fly repellent bracelet is inconspicuous and protects against mosquitoes, flies and mosquitoes with the scent of citronella and lemongrass.
Repellents
In addition to the usual household insect repellent sprays from the pharmacy or drugstore, there are also repellents for riders that are suitable for both the rider and the horse.
Application tips
- Apply the insect repellent evenly to uncovered areas of the skin.
- On the face, avoid the areas around the eyes, nose and mouth and avoid contact with mucous membranes and wounds.
- Repeat the application regularly, as the effect wears off after a certain time and is worn off more quickly by sweating or contact with water or high humidity.
- If you want to use sunscreen, pay attention to the order. Always apply the sunscreen first and let it soak in for about 20 minutes. Only then use the insect repellent.
- When you are back home and no longer need insect repellent, wash the areas off with soap and water.
- For children: Do not let your child apply the repellent themselves. Spray the product on your hand and then spread it on the uncovered parts of your child’s body. Especially with younger children, make sure that they are never left unattended with the product. Children under 2 years of age should always be protected from insect bites only with the help of textile protection.
Use biocidal products carefully. Always read the label and product information before use!
…if it does happen
If an insect has bitten or stung you, the sting usually causes swelling and redness, which is accompanied by itching. If you are not allergic, it is usually enough to use home remedies to relieve the itch:
- Cooling: moist compresses, cooling compresses etc. help to suppress the inflammatory reaction.
- Onion: a sliced onion has an antibacterial effect and soothes the skin.
- Vinegar: a compress made of vinegar water cools the skin, relieves itching and has an anti-inflammatory effect.
- Antihistamines from the pharmacy: these are usually available in the form of gels and relieve itching.
- Heat: a hot spoon or special heat pens from the pharmacy reduce the itching and swelling. The heat kills the proteins from the insects‘ venom or saliva that are responsible for the reactions.
The situation is different with a tick bite. Here, everyone should exercise caution due to the possible transmission of disease and adhere to the following recommendations:
- Remove the tick promptly: Use a tick card, tweezer or special tick tweezer (more suitable for use on animals) to grasp the tick as close to the body surface as possible and slowly pull it out.
Tick under stress
Twisting the tick or dripping oil or alcohol on it, as often advised by laypersons, is not recommended as it unnecessarily irritates the tick and is more likely to release saliva containing potential pathogens.
The head is stuck
Strictly speaking, it is not the head of the tick that is stuck, but the teeth that are still in the body. Here you should first remain calm. The body is usually able to excrete the stuck parts quite well itself, this happens through a slight inflammatory reaction. Just observe the spot more intensively, in case of doubt consult the doctor.
- Disinfect: Disinfect the area with disinfectant.
- Observe: Symptoms of Lyme disease and TBE can still appear for the first time several weeks after the tick bite. Therefore, you should always be alert to any abnormalities and consider the tick bite as a potential cause. If there are signs of a possible disease, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.
The procedure for removing a tick is the same for humans and animals. Only the removal tool used should be tested to see what works best. Tick tweezers are usually best for animals because of the fur. For humans, the tool should have somewhat finer handles. A preventive measure to protect against the sometimes life-threatening diseases that ticks can transmit is a vaccination for humans and horses. There is a catch: while humans can only be vaccinated against TBE, horses can only be vaccinated against Lyme disease. If you live in a TBE risk area, you should definitely look into the subject.
The symptoms of the diseases differ in humans and animals:
| Human | Horse | |
|---|---|---|
| Lyme disease | Symptoms several days to several weeks after the sting: – ring-shaped reddening of the skin around the sting | – also redness, but often remains undetected due to fur furthermore: – fever – no appetite – fatigue – skin inflammations – Impairments of the musculoskeletal system – Neurological symptoms |
| TBE | Symptoms within two weeks after the sting: – Flu-like symptoms (fever, fatigue, headache and pain in the limbs) | – Fever – no appetite – fatigue – neurological symptoms (teeth grinding, gait problems, tremors, seizures) |
In horses, diseases transmitted by tick bites are often not recognised early enough, as the symptoms are often not clear and can also indicate other diseases. Therefore, horse owners should be particularly vigilant and always inform the veterinarian about the tick bite if there are any signs. Infection with the TBE pathogen is much more common in humans than in horses. With Borrelia, on the other hand, it is the other way round. Horses are more frequently affected than humans.