ridecamp@endurance.net: Re: [endurance] fireants

Re: [endurance] fireants

Truman Prevatt (prevatt@lds.loral.com)
Tue, 19 Mar 1996 15:13:15 -0400

You are correct. They are fire ants. Every once in a while a horse will
roll in fire ants. It is, however, usually humans that have the misfortune
of meeting fire ants. They are a pain (in all meanings of the word), but
aren't usually serious. They itch like hell for the first few days, then
they form something that looks like a blackhead. They pop and leave a hole
and then heal. This usually takes from two to three weeks. There is not
much to help heal them, but antihistamines tend to help at first. When
they head up, then you are pretty much over the hump.

The bad news is they have spread as far North as Tenn with no known natural
predator. They weren't my ants - my herd is back home in Sarasota. Most
of us Southerners take a good look where we set up camp to make sure we
don't have fire ants. So we take up the good places and leave the fire
ants to the Yanks. (hee hee).

>has anyone out there had experience with fire ant bites on horses.
>Came back from florida and poor Khasun has over 100 holes in him.
>they were red and scabby for about a week, now just hair holes. but I
>am picking off small scabs where he was not clipped, they seem tender
>and could be bites or fungus, I'm not sure. Heard that there was
>something that would help them heal but Vermont vets are clueless.
>Hey, Truman, they were your ants, wanna comment?

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The race is not always to the swift, but to those that keep running.

Truman and Mystic "The Horse from HELL" Storm
and Danson "The Demon in Training" Flame

prevatt@lds.loral.com - Sarasota, Florida
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