How to Kill Ticks on Horses

No matter where you live, it is important to check your horse for ticks on a regular basis. Not only are ticks annoying, but they also carry a number of serious and potentially fatal equine diseases. Keeping your horse tick free is one way to keep him healthy and keep your vet bills low. Be sure to check your horse for ticks before and after every ride, especially if the trails you use go through heavily wooded areas.

Things You'll Need

  • Clean cloth
  • Baby oil
  • Rubbing alcohol
  • Tweezers
  • Antiseptic
  • Fly repellent
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Instructions

    • 1

      Rub your horse with your hands to locate any ticks that have attached to his body. It is not unusual for more than one tick to attach itself, so be sure you locate and remove each tick one at a time.

    • 2

      Dip a clean cloth in some baby oil or rubbing alcohol and carefully apply the cloth to both ends of the tick. This will suffocate the tick and make it easier to detach without the risk of biting the horse.

    • 3

      Grasp the tick firmly with a pair of tweezers and pull it straight up. Place the tick in an airtight container and fill it with rubbing alcohol. This will drown the tick if it has not already been killed.

    • 4

      Apply a quality fly repellent that is also effective against ticks. Spraying your horse with fly and tick repellent before every ride will help to deter ticks from attaching in the first place.