Horses in the moonlight; or, night turnout

What a pretty picture! Horses in and out of shadows, as the moon hides and reappears behind the clouds. Grazing peacefully.
What's missing? Foot stomping, agitated tails swishing, sweating while just standing around. Ah yes, the joys of night turnout.
Night turnout is one of my favorite ways to bring added comfort to my horses during the hot, humid days of summer. The benefits include relief from flies and heat, easier access to your horses during the day when you want to ride, but for me, it has been the best way I have found to get rid of horse flies and deer flies, those fierce little bloodsuckers that are active only during the day. I have repeatedly found that just a few days of night turnout is enough to confuse the flies, and send them off to easier feeding grounds. To which I say, good riddance!
It typically take my horses no more than a day to get used to the idea of night turnout, so I switch their schedule around on a day when they won't be working.
As a massage practitioner, there are benefits too. That foot stomping leads to tighter shoulders, along with the possibility of hoof and leg concussion injuries. The tail wringing leads to tighter, fatigued muscles in the hindquarters, and if the horses are stressed by being hassled by flies all day, they will be tighter all over. Night turnout can be an easy thing to do to give your horses a higher level of comfort.
Do yourself and your horses a favor. Try night turnout when the biting flies get bad!

The joy of fly sheets.

Fly sheets! Possibly the number-one thing you can do to protect your horse from the nasty biting flies--deer flies, horse flies, and big ol' green-headed flies. And you don't have to spend a ton of money on them! Last year, I bought 3 new, soft and silky fly sheets for my guys, and spent less than $100--TOTAL! Now, you do have to watch for the deals, and try to buy in the off-season when possible, but good deals come up from the major suppliers all the time. (Think Dover Saddlery, State Line Tack, and TackoftheDay.com.)
You want soft fabric, not the stuff that feels like lawn chair fabric, so that it doesn't chafe your sensitive pony. A belly wrap style is great, and that way, you won't have to fly-spray your horse's belly. Neck covers are great too--as long as your horse has some shade to get into, as even the lightest fabric can cause your pony to be uncomfortably warm on those hot, steamy summer days.
For my money, NOTHING beats looking out at my horses on a hot summer day, and knowing that they are totally unconcerned with the flies buzzing around.
Next week: Night turn-out.