Passing this on because it has helped me immensely both physically AND mentally.
I suffer huge reactions to horse fly bites. So much so that I used to actually avoid riding during the months that they are at their worst. We're talking side-plate-sized hot, hard, red, itchy swellings on my legs.
Anyway, all that has changed because I have discovered "After Bite", which is a pen-shaped tube of an ammonia solution that you dab on and around the bites, preferably as soon as you know you've been got. I use it regularly during the day (and if woken with itching at night) and now my reactions have reduced to the size of 20p and 50p swellings, which only last about 24 hours anyway. When I did my all-day ride on Albi recently, I came home with 21 ( yes, TWENTY-ONE) bites.... something of a rite of passage.... and apart from a slightly uncomfortable night on the Saturday, I was able to keep itching and swellings minimal.
You can buy After Bite in most chemists - and Aldi at the moment! It's about £2.50 or so - I have two or three of them around the home and in the car.... It really has transformed my life as I now know that if I DO get bitten, I won't be in a lot of discomfort for days afterwards.
I read recently that horseflies don't have a sense of smell so fly repellents are inactive for them, they are attracted to dark colours and movement... don't know how true that is but I don find Superdrug's own strong aerosol fly repellent (black can, orange lid) seems to keep them at bay if I'm riding.... shame I didn't have any to hand on the aforementioned ride!!!
I suffer huge reactions to horse fly bites. So much so that I used to actually avoid riding during the months that they are at their worst. We're talking side-plate-sized hot, hard, red, itchy swellings on my legs.
Anyway, all that has changed because I have discovered "After Bite", which is a pen-shaped tube of an ammonia solution that you dab on and around the bites, preferably as soon as you know you've been got. I use it regularly during the day (and if woken with itching at night) and now my reactions have reduced to the size of 20p and 50p swellings, which only last about 24 hours anyway. When I did my all-day ride on Albi recently, I came home with 21 ( yes, TWENTY-ONE) bites.... something of a rite of passage.... and apart from a slightly uncomfortable night on the Saturday, I was able to keep itching and swellings minimal.
You can buy After Bite in most chemists - and Aldi at the moment! It's about £2.50 or so - I have two or three of them around the home and in the car.... It really has transformed my life as I now know that if I DO get bitten, I won't be in a lot of discomfort for days afterwards.
I read recently that horseflies don't have a sense of smell so fly repellents are inactive for them, they are attracted to dark colours and movement... don't know how true that is but I don find Superdrug's own strong aerosol fly repellent (black can, orange lid) seems to keep them at bay if I'm riding.... shame I didn't have any to hand on the aforementioned ride!!!
