A: I am very fortunate that on the farm where I do almost all my work, the owners use fly predators and they are absolutely amazing. There are almost no flies at all. If you can talk your farm owners into to buying them, I strongly recommend it.

— Conny Svensson, East Windsor, N.J.

A: There is something to be said about the disruptive nature of flies while shoeing/tending to horses. In some instances, flies can make your job dangerous and put the farrier’s as well as the horse’s safety in peril.

First, know your horse’s temperament — some horses freak out with the spray atomizing liquid, others don’t like the sound of the sprayer or some might have allergies to various chemical sprays. Once we know the parameters of the horse, we can apply fly spray directly to it. Stay away from the eyes and mouth, and hand-swab the ears. Reward their good behavior with a treat.

Use a two-speed industrial fan to slowly introduce it to the horse. Start the fan sideways so the horse can’t see the blades moving. Once at speed, place the fan directly facing the horse’s front.

Finally, if a horse is…