I opened my practice in rural California in 1958, hoping to establish a group practice.  By the end of the first decade I had two practice partners, Dr. Bob Kind and Dr. Larry Dresher, both Kansas State University graduates.

It was July, and I was on a call to Bell Canyon Stables, a large and impressive facility at the Northeastern corner of our practice territory.

I was examining the left hind foot of a mare.  It was noon and the temperature was 105 degrees, Fahrenheit, when I suddenly realized that there were no flies around, annoying my patient or me.

It was so unusual during the summer heat that I decided to ask the stable manager, a young woman named Jennifer, what kind of chemical spray they were using to obtain such impressive results.

I will never forget her answer:

“No spray!  No chemicals!  We have been using Spalding Fly Predators since last summer and we are getting fantastic results.  There are only a couple of homes in this canyon and we have the only animals here at our stable, so we are getting excellent results with the Fly Predators.”

When I returned to our veterinary hospital at the end of the day, Dr. Dresher came in shortly after I did and I told him what I had learned.  I had seen ads for Spalding’s Fly Predators, but because we vets are deluged with advertising, I had not been convinced of their efficacy.

My practice partner said, “Bob, I live in the Santa Rosa Valley, surrounded by small horse properties.  I’ve been using Fly Predators since last year, and I see a noticeable reduction in our fly problem.”

The next day I placed my first order for Fly Predators.  That was half a century ago, and I am still using them.  I also convinced my neighbors, who had horses, cattle, goats, emus and, of course, dogs, to become Fly Predator customers.

We still use insect repellents on our horses, because the results, although very significant, are not 100 percent.

Before I bought my little horse farm in 1978, I remember it because the owner was a client with a couple of horses.  When I got a call from him during the summer, I remember having to spray myself with insect repellent, the fly population was so severe.  His horses were covered with thousands of flies, to the point where fighting them was of no avail.  They just stood there, heads down, no tail switching, no foot stomping, just surrendered to the bugs.

I hope this explains my allegiance to Spalding Labs, and why I advocate their products.