As soon as the weather starts getting better, you may notice more flies. 10 DIY fly spray recipes for horses should help you keep the flies and midges from irritating your horses.
Not only can flies irritate your horse, they can often carry diseases that can be transferred to your horse. Fly sprays are commercially available, but there are effective potions that you can make at home for a fraction of the cost. Using a fly spray alongside fly rugs, masks, and fly boots, will help keep your horse comfortable during fly season.
This article looks at 10 recipes that can easily be made at home and effective at repelling flies, midges, and other pests.
Home-made fly spray for horses
Below follows a list of 10 recipes that you can make at home to help keep flies away from your horse. Some are just two effective ingredients, whilst others are slightly more involved. Why not try one to find out how it works for your horse, you probably have many of the ingredients at home already!
- How to make home-made fly spray
- Equipment:
- Clean and empty spray bottle
- Funnel
- Bowl
- Saucepan
- Whisk
- Sieve
- Flannel
- Equipment:
You will not need all of these for all recipes but they’re handy to have available.
- Listerine & Baby oil: Not only will this combination keep flies at bay, but is said to be great at resolving dandruff issues and itchiness. As Listerine (or similar) contains quite potent ingredients you may wish to check with your vet prior to use, and do a patch test to ensure that your horse does not suffer an adverse reaction.
- Pour baby oil into a bowl (enough to fill ¾ of the spray bottle) and mix in a capful of listerine. Whisk to mix thoroughly and replace the cap on the spray bottle
- Shake before use and spray into your horses tail and mane at the root and massage down to the ends
- Remember that this is not a mixture to use on your horses head or body, or in very high temperatures
- Tea tree oil: Tea tree oil from the leaves of the plant has been used for centuries for it’s antiseptic and antibacterial benefits. It’s fresh scent also appears to make flies reluctant to be around your horse.
- Fill your spray bottle with warm water almost to the brim
- Add up to 10 drops of tea tree oil
- Shake thoroughly
- Spray onto your horse avoiding the head
- Spray onto your clean flannel and gently rub onto head making sure to avoid the eye and mouth area
- Citronella oil & vinegar: Combining citronella oil and vinegar has also been said to control and/or reduce the number of flies around your horse. Citronella is often used in candles around patios so that we can enjoy and evening meal in peace, so it’s quite reasonable to extend this oil to use on horses.
White vinegar is added as it is poisonous to flies owing to its high acid content. The combination should work well together.
- Mix the following, shake vigorously, and spray, avoiding the face area:
- Citronella oil – 5 drops
- Water – 2/3 fill the spray bottle
- White vinegar – 5tbsp
- Washing up liquid – 1tbsp
- Lemongrass essential oil – 5 drops
- Apple cider vinegar: If you don’t have essential oils handy, then using a combination of apple cider vinegar and baby shampoo (or another very very gentle formula) will also work well.
- Using the funnel pour one cupful of apple cider vinegar into your spray bottle
- Squeeze in a good dollop of gentle shampoo
- Fill up with warm water
- Shake, shake, and shake some more
- Spray onto your horse’s body, mane, and tail
- Pour onto a flannel to cover the face but make sure you avoid the eyes and mouth
- Dettol & water: This is probably the simplest recipe for fly spray ever. If you like the smell of dettol that’s another positive!
- Pour dettol into your spray bottle to fill about 1/3 full
- Add warm water
- Shake and apply – avoiding the eye and mouth area
- Avon Skin So Soft: This smells gorgeous and can help make your horse’s coat look fantastic. It has an added bonus of reducing flies around your horse, simply spray it on your horse’s body, step back, and see your horse relax. It’s not exactly a DIY recipe, but as it’s not specifically formulated for horses I thought I’d add it here.
Just don’t use it over your horse when it’s exceptionally hot as the base is oil which could burn
- Eucalyptus oil: Eucalyptus, in the same way as Tea tree oil, has been used for many years to combat respiratory complaints, infections, and seasonal allergies.
- 1tbsp eucalyptus oil
- 2 cups of apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup of water
- Mix all together and spray over body, mane, and tail
- Cold tea: Mix the following and spray liberally over your horse. However, it is probably best if you only use this on dark coloured horses as the tannins in tea could stain and become very difficult to remove:
- Pour 4 cupfuls of strong warm tea into a bowl
- Add 4 tbsp vinegar
- Add 4tbs dettol or equivalent
- A few drops of an essential oil of your choice – lavender or citronella work well
- Whisk gently and use funnel to pour into spray bottle
- Shake before use and spray, avoiding the eye and mouth area
- Methylated spirit: This is another quite strong recipe which should be used with caution.
- Fill your spray bottle a 1/3 full with methylated spirit, dettol, and baby oil
- Shake well and apply carefully avoiding sensitive areas
This recipe doesn’t smell very pleasant but it is apparently effective. If your horse suffers from mites/lice or other insect nasties, this may also prove a successful treatment to this problem too.
As there is quite a bit of oil, don’t use it in high heat/sunshine
- Cinnamon water: Cinnamon is another natural fly repellent that you may find useful and only takes a few minutes to prepare. Use on any darker equine as any colour leech from the cinnamon may affect the coat of light coloured horses
- Put 5 sticks of cinnamon into a saucepan and fill with boiling water
- Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes
- Allow the liquid to cool and strain using the sieve into the spray bottle
- Spray onto your horse
Always check with your vet if you are using new products on your horse.
When using essential oils never increase the amounts, make it exactly as the recipe recommends. Essential oils are wonderful in small doses, but can become very harmful very quickly if not used correctly.
What are the ingredients in home-made horse fly spray?
There are often several ingredients in home-made fly repellent for horses. Many contain essential oils or vinegar to ward of flying insects. The idea is that flies seek out their meals by scent, and if the essential oil scent, or the scent of vinegar is strong enough, the insect will be confused and not land.
If you are making your own fly spray you can put whatever ingredients you find work best for your horse and choose the strength of the potion.
Fly spray caution
Whichever recipe you choose to make at home, and even whichever brand you buy at a store, remember to do a patch test on your horse first. Spray a little on his rump and leave for 24 hours. If no reaction has occurred then it should be ok to use the spray normally. Obviously, if your horse shows a reaction the changing the fly spray or the ingredients you are using is recommended.
Horse feed to repel flies
Horse fly repellent recipes are used externally to ward of flies and midges. However, there is anecdotal evidence that some foods have a similar effect. This works as the food the horse has ingested leaches scent and taste through the horses pores whilst sweating.
The most common ingredients to add to your horses feed to fend off flies are:
- Garlic
- Brewer’s yeast
- Apple cider vinegar
How to keep flies away from horses
Using the recipes above will help keep irritating flies away from your horse. Keeping your yard tidy and your muck heap neat will also reduce the number of flies you have to put up with.
Try not to leave food out as that will simply encourage flies and larger pests.
If you can put planters safely around the yard containing basil or lavender, these plants will deter flies. Whilst not harmful (actually beneficial) to horses in small amounts, putting these within full time reach of the horses should be avoided.
Conclusion
DIY fly spray for horses can be easily made at home with little effort and even fewer ingredients for some recipes! It may take a little trial and error to find the right combination for your horse and the easiest successful recipe for you to make. The money you save over shop bought products can then be used to buy treats for you and your horse…
