Those mesh eye coverings to keep bugs out of your horses eyes are a fine invention for when the animal is grazing but not so good when out for a ride. A horse bridle with an outer covering of that sticky gel, found inside your computer mouse pad wrist rest, would help the horse defend against unwanted eye flies by adhering the little beggars like fly paper. A quick rinse with soapy water and it's sticky again for the next ride. Thin, removable plastic strips keep it dust free when not in use.-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, May 03 2007 Not exactly related... Fly_20harnesses [AbsintheWithoutLeave, May 03 2007] I didn't know you rode, [twofries] ! I could not bun this enough. Granted, I'm not sure about the actual mechanics, but when it comes to me and horseflies, it's PERSONAL... I have some epoxied onto quarters.-- normzone, May 03 2007 Thus far, only in my dreams normzone. Someday though.-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, May 03 2007 What if several thousand horseflies team up, and use this as a means of making off with the whole horse?-- MaxwellBuchanan, May 03 2007 //I have some epoxied onto quarters//pardon?-- po, May 03 2007 He said he has some epoxied onto quarters. He does tend to type quietly, doesn't he?-- MaxwellBuchanan, May 03 2007 Grab a horsefly off of your horses neck, about 3/4 of an inch in size, and plunge it about twenty inches deep in the horses water bucket. Watch in amazement as it flys through the water to the surface and away.
Next time you grab one, take it into the house, put it in a ziplock bag, and place it into the freezer. A couple of days later, take it out, set it on a quarter (.25 of a USD), and paint it in place with clear epoxy. Repeat as needed.-- normzone, May 03 2007 [normzone] isn't that sort of thing illegal under currency defacement laws?-- coprocephalous, May 03 2007 Probably under animal cruelty laws as well.-- normzone, May 03 2007 Horseflies are cruel to animals.
And to me--when I pole my canoe upstream, they hang out at the fast water, and bite me while I'm doing the difficult bits and can't protect myself. So the time I saw a dragonfly grab a horsefly and rip its head clean off, I was cheering for the dragonfly.
Put some dragonflies on the bridle, too. [+]-- baconbrain, May 03 2007 Reminds me of hitchhiking with Terri Fennelly (gratuitous first love reference) under a street light after dark in Rifle, Colorado, being eaten alive by mosquitos, cheering for the bats that showed up to feast.-- normzone, May 03 2007 To beat the mosquitos, 1. wash well, 2. grow your body hair long, 3. don't eat bananas, 4. keep goldfish. All hard things to do while hitch-hiking, with the possible exception of 2. I haven't tried keeping bats yet, but it's an idea.-- pertinax, May 04 2007 random, halfbakery