Fly Sprays – What’s all the buzz about?
Every summer, flies become the bane of every horse owner’s life. It’s even worse if your horse is dramatic about flies, accident-prone (so often covered in cuts), and it’s near impossible to manage if your horse suffers severe sweet itch. Save wrapping their stables in mosquito netting, we do all we can to keep our horses comfortable as possible as fly season descends.
We feel your pain.
Top-of-the-range fly rugs and sheets that cost as much as our rent, and fly masks that make our horses look like aliens, are easily damaged or discarded by our – often ungrateful – steeds. Leaving fly spray our last defence against our buzzing, biting, generally irritating enemies.
This inevitably leads to questions like:
Does fly spray actually work? Is it worth my hard-earned money?
Which of our huge range of fly sprays should I choose? And, which fly spray is safest?
Never fear, Discount Equestrian are here! As cheesy as that line is, we are genuinely here to help. We deal with the fly-offensive with our own horses too. Using our collective experiences and expertise, we’re going to help you make the right choice of weapon against the flies this summer season.
So, first thing’s first, you need to know what types of products are available, along with their pros and cons…
* Sprays. Really quick to apply, convenient, and time-tested for effectiveness. Companies wouldn’t keep concocting new, more powerful fly sprays if they didn’t do the job of repelling flies. However, if your horse detests spray bottles – as one of our colleagues knows all too well with her own horse – no amount of desensitisation will persuade a strong-willed horse otherwise. If, like our colleague, you’re the proud owner of such a headstrong character, you’ll be on the lookout for alternative fly repelling products.
* Cream. Fly repellent creams have grown in popularity in recent years. With a cream you can target areas your horse is most affected by flies. Since they can also be soothing, fly repellent creams can be ideal for horses with sweet itch. Creams tend to be absorbed into the skin, which improves the longevity of their fly-repelling service; but, creams can also get greasy, which can cause the residue to build-up on your horse’s coat if not cleaned before applying more.
- Equine America Fly Repel Gel
* Gel. Fly repellent gels usually offer a gentler application; gels can be applied around open cuts to repel flies, for example (although it is always advisable you check with a vet before putting anything anywhere near a wound!). Whilst they’re not as greasy as creams, gels can be difficult to get off your hands – think petroleum jelly consistency. If you decide to use a fly repellent gel, we suggest keeping wet wipes handy in the tack room.
- Barrier Super Power Plus Fly Gel
* Lotion. Great for relieving itchiness, lotions are light and easily absorbed by your horse’s skin. Lotion is watery though, so we advise applying with a cloth instead of your hand to avoid wasting any.
- Dermoline Sweet Itch Lotion
* Roll-on. You read correctly, roll-on fly repellent is a thing now (definitely doesn’t act as a deodorant though!). A quick and easy solution to keeping flies at bay in a targeted way. Roll-on fly repellents are very handy whilst you’re out and about at a competition or on a long ride; that horse-fly winding up your noble steed until they’re in a manic rage can be banished with a swift swipe of roll-on fly repellent. May not be as time-effective if you try using roll-on fly repellent on your horse’s entire body, however.
- Fly Away Citronella Free Fly & Insect Repellent Roll-On
* Wipes. Fly repelling wipes are another competition essential! Your horse stays shiny at a show whilst fighting off the flies; win win.
- IV Horse The Fly App Fly Repellent Heavy Duty Wipes
* Shampoos and soaps. Washing your horse using fly repelling shampoo or soap offers a build-up of fantastic fly-repelling capability, particularly if they suffer sweet itch or another complaint worsened by flies. However, to arm your horse with the strongest shield in the battle against summer swarms, we advise using fly-repelling shampoos and soaps in conjunction with fly spray.
- Lincoln Fly Repellent Shampoo
- Kevin Bacon's Active Soap
* Tags. Designed to fit onto bridles and headcollars, fly repellent tags can also live on rugs or in stables, lorries and trailers. They’re waterproof (yay!) and durable; with the added bonus that you can now purchase wrist band versions for yourself. Tags do offer fly repelling properties targeted to one specific area though, so we advise if you use tags to also use a fly spray or other fly repelling products.
- NAF Off Citronella Tag
- NAF Off Citronella Wristband
Once you’ve decided upon the right product for you and your horse, second decision involves ingredients. Fly problems vary by locality, for example, the issues with midges a horse living near water experiences differ greatly to the flies pestering a horse living near cattle. Here’s just a few fly repelling ingredients, and examples of fly repellents containing them…
* Citronella. We’ve all heard of citronella’s fly fighting abilities. A plant-based insect repellent, we as horse owners have used citronella in fly repellent products for decades. It is effective for repelling mosquitos, midges and run-of-the-mill flies. Whatever you do, don’t get it anywhere near broken skin or eyes – it stings!
- Fly Away Citronella Free Fly & Insect Repellent
* DEET (a.k.a. diethyltoluamide). Of manmade origins, DEET (just to let you know, we’re not being shouty about the ingredient, that’s how it’s written) is one of the most common active ingredients in fly repellents. It is especially effective against biting insects such as midges, mosquitos and horseflies. Though be careful, as DEET can stain clothing and must not be used on or near broken skin.
* Icaridin (a.k.a. picaridin). An odourless alternative to DEET, icaridin is gentler on skin yet just as effective.
- Cavalor Flyless
* Permethrin. A derivative of the chrysanthemum flower, permethrin is fatal to biting flies as well as ticks and lice. Some horses can be sensitive to it though, so if you notice sensitivity occurring after using a spray containing permethrin, you need to shampoo your horse’s coat straight away.
- Absorbine UltraShield UK
* Neem. Derived from an evergreen plant indigenous to India, it is an alternative to manmade chemical ingredients. Neem relieves itchy skin, so is particularly helpful for horses suffering sweet itch.
- Carr & Day & Martin Insect Repellent Gel (Citronella Free)
Please let us know which products work best for you and your horse! You can view our range of Fly Sprays and Sweet Itch products here: https://www.discount-equestrian.co.uk/horse/horse-care/fly-sprays.html
