By Jane & John Smart

When we purchased our Arab endurance mare, Tamsyn Pendragon, some six years ago now, we knew she suffered from Itching, but her tatty mane and tail didn't really worry us.

However, we tried very hard to find solutions to end her unhappy itchiness and she also used to develop "an itchy rash", which we had to declare on our endurance vetting forms.

We didn't like "chemical" products and when we won a nomination to Umm Qarn Farm's Sambist, we knew we really couldn't afford to use anything "unnatural" whilst she was pregnant. After all the rain in the Spring this year, we knew midges and flies would be at their worst. We thought seriously about buying her an all in one fly rug, but just before going to find one, John saw an article for Beelzebug.

After a long conversation with Taylors Hill, the company who supplies this product, we put in an order for one litre. It compared in price to buying two or three bottles of fly spray, but we were still both sceptical as to its effectiveness. However, it arrived very quickly and we followed the instructions to the letter.

Firstly, we did a test patch for any allergic reaction-- there was none. Then we washed off the other repellent we had been using and did an allover application to start with ie neck, body, legs etc. Then, for the next five days, we applied it to the affected areas ie her mane and tail. After this, we cut it down to once a week. We used no other products on her, so that we knew that any improvement would be down to the Beelzebug. It is made from the oil and sap of a species of African tree and we didn't find it unpleasant to apply by massaging in.

Although she looked a little like the "Bryl cream kid" to start with, as the weeks went by, this became less and less noticeable. It didn't interfere with us riding and was fine when it rained.

We have been using this natural, biodegradable product now since the beginning of May and we are both amazed and delighted with the results. As can be seen from the photograph, for the first time ever, Tamsyn has a complete mane and has only rubbed her tail very slightly. Her itchy rash has disappeared completely and our yard owner reports that she hardly seems bothered by flies. This is confirmed by a lack of watery eyes, which she used to get during the summer. We also apply it once a week to her daughter, Anastarsia and our gelding, Poldark, which has immediately alleviated their summer tail rubbing.

We are so impressed with Tamsyn's mane and tail, that we have entered her into an Arab Showing Class and we are sure that she is pleased to be itch free at last. So far, we think a litre will be sufficient to see us through a season and we will definitely be using it next year.