The Battle of the Fly Mask

This year the flies are terrible. Initially it was the horse and deer flies but now it's the stable flies. The horses are coated in them unless they are dipped in fly spray.

So every morning I put on the fly masks and spray them.

Steele is fond of neither. Which would have useful info as I was plunking down good money on a lovely 'yearling' sized mask- complete with ears. The first time I put it on it lasted approximately 20 minutes. It would go on and I would spend lots of time wandering around the field looking for it. Steele would quite happily follow me around, looking interested. When I would find it, he would look at me and back away

'uh, no thank you. I don't like it. It itches. And interferes with my good looks'.

'But it will keep the flies out of your eyes'

Steele flips his forelock. 'I don't like flies but there must be a better way'.

'nope, sorry but technology has not improved on the fly mask to date'.

'Well I'm okay, I don't need it" and he trots off.

Being the intrepid horse trainer that I am I gave up.

Then the flies became really bad. Irish has completely figured out the mask thing. He puts his head in it in the morning. And if it comes off and go out to pick it up he comes trotting up to me: "put it on, put it on!!!".

I decided that Steele needed to wear the mask for his own good. The first day he came back with it on, I did a wee triumphal dance in the barn. I am hopeful that no one saw me.

Don't get me wrong, he still doesn't like it. But for a horse that does not like the mask or the spray, he does tolerate me putting both on him pretty well. Sometimes he comes in without it. Often there's one ear out. But for now I am hopeful that he'll figure out that I'm not trying to torture him.

See, doesn't he look impressed? And note the photo bomber in the background.