Horses and Bees

Spring is right around the corner and you know what that means: planting season, flowers, and a new fresh start at teaching my horse new things. Spring is my favorite time to hit the trails and ride the laneways for hours on end, enjoying my horse and the good land. Laneways and riding through fields are all fun and games until a turkey, deer, or bees cross your path.

Last summer, I rode on a farm that had over 60 beehives on the property. I had to pass them each time I wished to ride through the creak or in the wooded area. At first, I would take the long way around though the marsh areas. But after a couple long days of rain, I could no longer take this path. I was forced to walk past the bee hives.

Now, let me lay this out for you; on my right are 60+ active bee boxes full of honey bees hard at work. To my left is the thick marsh that would swallow my horse. If I walk past the marsh path entrance, there are large oak trees. At this point, I am pinned between trees, marsh, and bees. It's a sticky spot to be in, especially when the buzzing bees are making your horse nervous.

I remembered many times my horse doubling back as we neared the hives. Her tail would flag and she would prance under me as she snorted. She wasn’t scared of the bee boxes, but the sound of the buzz was connected to memories of being stung. My horse wasn’t being belligerent. She was just trying to protect herself.

The first time I came across bee boxes, I had to get off and hand walk my mare past the bees. My horse was nervous even with a thirty-foot gap between us. We walked slowly and left the bees to do their own thing. On the way back, she was still nervous and spooked off into the marsh area, sinking a bit before jumping back to good ground. After that, she realized the buzzing was less dangerous than walking off the path. My mare started to trust my judgement and we built up courage and understanding of how to act around the bees.

I could see these bees as they buzzed through the creek or fields, pollinating the pumpkins, squash, and wildflower. The bees were doing good for the crops and nature, but nothing good for my horse. Yes, they pollinates the flowers and plants she loved to snack on, but they were still dangerous to my horse and could hurt her. Not only could she be in pain, but she could potentially be allergic to the sting. One sting from a bee could send her shooting into a bucking fit. During her bucking fit, she could hurt herself or me if I were to fall off.

Bees are needed for survival, but as the horse’s owner, it is important to make sure bees are taken care of. It’s important especially on farms where bees are kept to keep on eye for bees swarming and breaking away from the hive. This new colony could come to settle in a tree, hole, or abandoned building that your horse might have access to.

So how can you help keep the bees and horses living peacefully together? Lock up sweet feed in a bin in order to keep the sweet smell contained. Be aware of the buildings and fields your horse is in and make sure to check that they are bee free. Walk the pasture and check the walls and nooks of the barn. When riding in areas where there are a large population of bees, make sure to not have highly scented products on your horse or your body. “ Look around your barn for overturned mangers or stacks of pallets. A rarely used horse trailer or the loft of a tack room or hay barn can also become a home to bees.

“Another favored site for a bee hive is the trunk of a large, mature tree. Such trees often have hollow spaces inside the nooks and crannies. Tens of thousands of bees can take up residence inside the trunk of an unassuming shade tree and become a bomb of bees just waiting to go off. Finally, be aware that bees need a water source. Water troughs and puddles attract bees. If your horse suddenly stops drinking from the trough in its pasture, investigate the site for bees.” (Cindy Hale)

Above all, make sure you have direct communication with the beekeeper whose hives are on the farm or neighboring farms where you ride. It’s important to have their number in case the hive swarms and splits to start a new hive. If a swarm were to come to settle in your horses’ pasture, it would have to be removed. Horses can be very nervous animals and a swarm near them could cause them to panic and cause potential injury to the horse.

What happens when a horse gets stung? Many times a bees will seek the most sensitive part of the horse such as its noise and eyes. They do this by locating the carbon dioxide of the horses’ breath. The stings will cause swelling and cut off the horse’s breathing. Many horses will panic, only worsening the situation. Yet, any sting will hurt and swell on the horse. I have heard local stories of horses being stung under the saddle pad while on a trail ride and the horse throwing the rider. A sting on the side won’t necessarily kill the horse, but it will leave the owner nursing the bee stings.

Bees are necessary to the environment especially with spring right around the corner. Not only do they pollinate alfalfa, which the horses eat, but they pollinate the flowers and fields. Horses and bees can live in peace if we understand how to properly act around the bees and respect them. Remember, most accidents with bees happen when the bees are startled or irritated and feel like they need to protect themselves. This spring, make sure to be ready for bees to be buzzing. Make sure you understand proper behavior around bees and understand what to do if your horse gets stung.

Sadly, I was unable to find my photos of my horse near the bee hives. Anyways, I made this video of my summer adventures from last year. Enjoy!

Resources:

https://equusmagazine.com/blog-equus/plan-bee-sting-africanized-bees-horses

https://thehorse.com/14937/bee-prepared/

http://www.horsechannel.com/horse-exclusives/barn-basics/beware-of-bees.aspx

http://www.infohorse.com/beesandhorses.asp