20 Best Homemade Fly Spray For Horses (2023 Updated)

I’ve been switching my household products to safer, non-toxic ones so I decided to do the same for the horses. I’m the one applying the product and it worries me that I was exposing myself and my horses to toxic chemicals found in other fly repellents.

So far, I’m impressed. It keeps the flies off, it smells great and I feel good about using a safer product. I do need to reapply at times when there are a lot of flies, but I had to do the same with the other products too.

If you are looking for a safer alternative, then I would definitely give this one a try.

Most fly sprays don’t work for more than 10 minutes. I find Espree works for up to an hour. And even when it stops working, it seems to shine the horses coats. The large concentrate is inexpensive when compared to other sprays.

It is also safer for the environment than the other fly sprays.

This is economical for a natural ingredient spray. If it doesn’t last as long as some chemical sprays, you don’t feel bad spraying more often because of the ingredients. In my case I usually give a light spray in the morning and see if another one is needed that evening when they come off pasture.

The smell is very nice and you’re not sent running to wash it off your skin if you get some on your hands or face like you should with chemical insecticides.

This is a really good product. Under normal conditions it lasts at least a day, and in winter, for mosquitoes and such, a couple of days. My horses who are more sensitive to some products handle this one fine.

Pricing is good, too! Regarding packaging, it would help if tape was placed around the cap. The product leaked in the box. The box itself had a lot of packing material in it but being a liquid, the product leaked.

No one likes to lose expensive product. Thanks!.

Horses tolerate this spray better than others, but it doesn’t last. Often must spray next day on feet areas. I use an area fly control product, but by PM, horses are bothered by feet or belly flies & looking to me to spray for relief.

July is notorius for flies, but product does not last. Tried this product as per a friend’s advice, but after 2 bottles lasting for 3 weeks, this is too pricey. I have to search elsewhere. Wish I could get a refund.

I was somewhat reluctant to purchase product because of the cost, but because of a $10. 00 manufacturers coupon that was available I thought I would give it a try. The product is excellent and stays on much longer than the lesser expensive brands.

I found myself using less of a much better product that will stay on after a gentle rain. Very good product, I will continue to use.

I always use herbal sprays on my goats, since learning about the extreme toxicity (to cats, which are often in my barns and paddocks) of pyrethrin/permethrin. After trying two of the Ultrashield Green quart size, I bought the gallon for cost-effectiveness.

PRO: The smell is not as pungent as some. It keeps mosquitoes and deerflies away for a while after applying, IF rubbed into the coat with my hand after spraying. The sprayer on the quart bottles is excellent – covers a wide band with each spray.

I’ll keep refilling the quart sprayers from the gallon jug. CONS: If just sprayed and not rubbed into hair, I don’t think it had any effect on insects. And even when rubbed in, it seems to repel insects for only 2-4 hours.

This might be enough for some people/situations but I’ve got biting bugs here 24/7. Still, some relief is better than none! Also, it makes the coat feel a bit gummy, and attracts and holds dust onto the coat, esp if using daily.

I’ve got white animals that are now blotched with brown, and the dirt doesn’t brush out. Maybe not an issue if you’re washing horses frequently, but if I have to bathe a herd of goats in the Autumn, it will be no picnic.

BOTTOM LINE: I’ll continue to use this product to give the animals at least SOME safe relief from the biting insects every day, while still hoping to find something better.

I’ve tried several types of fly spray, and honestly none work as well or as long as you’d like them to. But considering this is an all-natural formulation, it works surprisingly well. It definitely gets us through an hour-long lesson or hack without the constant head shaking, foot stamping, and tail swishing during fly season.

She is noticeably more calm/less agitated after I spray her down with this, and it has a very pleasant smell, plus it is all-natural, which is reassuring. I even use it on myself when working at the barn on hot fly-ridden days, and it really does help a LOT.

This fly spray smells better than many and seems to repel the flies (at least while it’s freshly applied). I’ve tried others, but always come back to this one because it just seems to work best for us.

4 stars are due to the spray bottle breaking for no apparent reason, every single time.

Along with my mare lives her two other pasture buddies, one of which has very sensitive skin. So I’ve found water/oil based/organic repellents to be the best considering his issues. This fly spray never irritated their skin, but it did make them incredibly greasy to the touch.

I understand it has oils in it so that’s probably why, but it was very unpleasant. It also wasn’t the most effective repellent either, the bugs would go away for 10-12 minutes and then be right back.

Not my favorite.

It works! And the scent is pleasing. At first I wasn’t sure if it was making a difference, but it does. It took maybe a week? (to be sure) And then it seemed like the flies just went away. I do a light spray once/day.

Now I can sometimes do every other day.

This is the best natural flyspray I have found. It is great for horses with sensitive skin that can’t handle other natural spray options (I have one that can’t handle oily fly sprays). I like the concentrate because I can mix it a little stronger if needed.

I also really like the smell – it isn’t chemically or too potent. Perhaps, it isn’t quite as effective as some of the really hardcore sprays on the market, but I cannot use those sprays on my horses and I do not really think they are good for me to be breathing them.

It really is quite effective though. And, best of all – this fly spray is actually affordable! Highly recommend.

I purchased this product as the PH is perfect for dogs with the type of hair Maltese has. It stops breakage and snapping of the hair. The Shampoo is gentle on the skin but brings the coat to a brilliant snow white from tiny paws to the face.

Thee dogs tear but the shampoo letting it sit while bathing the rest takes the tearing to a white color. O f course I place 1 drop of mineral oil in each eye so not to get the soap in them but the dogs never act like they have ever had a drop of soap irritate then in any way on any part of the body.

When I sell my pups I always give them the samples of the shampoo and conditioner and tel them DO Not use anything else and you do Not need to take them to a professional groomer who has harsh chemical when you have the best right here.

It will keep your dog clean , happy and destressed. It makes combing grooming easier, less matting and works well when sleeping on silk pillow cases. Thank you for your products. Lora Booth.

I’m hoping this works on my two horses, today I was impressed- very hot and humid evening and I hosed down my guys before turnout. The horse flies were all over them as I knew would be the case. I took my bottle of ultra Cruz and sprayed each one real good all over and under.

The horseflies left. I checked on my way out and saw them eating in the pasture with only an occasional tail swishing and no stomping or head throwing from the flies. They were not being bothered by the horseflies and they were still damp from the hosing.

This is great if it works this well as I like to rinse them in the evening after a hot sweaty day!.

I have a grey show horse and with grey comes manure stains, ALWAYS the morning of a show. I’ve used other green spot remover sprays over the years with previous grey horses ive had and they were better than nothing.

I used the UltraCruz at a show last weekend for the first time and WOW was I impressed! It doesn’t just move the discoloration around on the hair, it really and truly CLEANS away the spot. I was telling everyone at the show that the UltraCruz green stain remover was legit and needs to be a staple for anyone with a grey, roan or paint horse!.

I wanted to try using natural sprays this year. Since I LOVE the Pyranha blue-bottle spray, I decided to try their brand. I really like it. It needs a good sturdy spray bottle with a nozzle that can handle it (it clogged two of mine when I initially tried it) because it’s a tad “thicker” and comes out sudsy and leaves a million bubbles on your horse at first, but I think that’s great because you can see how much coverage you get from it.

It also seems to leave all three of my horses coats nice and soft and shiny. It doesn’t attract dust, dirt or get grimy either. I will say it’s not quite as effective or last as long as the chemical spray, but I like the scent and that it’s natural.

I definitely recommend trying this if you’re thinking about switching to natural spray.

I was running low on my Espree Aloe Herbal fly spray while trimming horses, and an owner brought out this fly spray. Maybe it was better than nothing at all, but it got all over my clothes and skin. Hours later and even after taking a shower, I can still smell this fly spray.

The smell is becoming sickening. I prefer the Espree Aloe Herbal fly spray. It has a much more pleasant scent (a little like flowers), and it seems to work better. I even think citronella fly sprays like Bronco smell better and work better than this one.

Do your farrier a favor and pick a different fly spray.

The scent of this is really good. Fresh and like wintergreen. When I spray it someone says, that smells good. I use natural sprays because permethins and pyrethins can cause nerve damage. I think it’s worth it that you have to put on more often.

But that you do. It works great initially but isn’t as long lasting. And with any natural spray one of my horses gets flaky skin after being in the sun with the spray from the oil base. This works as good as the other natural sprays for a much better price.

This is NOT your average a pesticide based fly spray. This is nature based fly repellent. The ingredients in this product are probably some you have never read before on a bottle of fly spray. Instead of using pesticides, this product uses naturally occurring fatty acids made by animals and humans that messes with flies chemical cues to locate us.

To flies it makes your horse appear to have an invisibility cloak. This stuff is extremely effective and lasts way longer than a traditional water/pesticide based fly spray and it even beats out oil/pesticide based fly sprays.

Now that being said overall – 5 stars. In the pleasant smelling category more like a 1. 5 stars. Once you get used to it it’s not so bad; but get a good blast of this in your face and you’re gona be hacking for a minute.

It’s not that it smells “bad” (like garbage or sewage) but it’s good at taking your breath away and blocking out you sense of smell for a bit. Once you try it you’ll understand the sensation and you can understand why it’s so good and messing with flies chemical cues! I recommend this for its duration of effectiveness, overall effectiveness and the fact that it’s not a pesticide.

A great addition to a more natural horse care routine.

I moved from AZ to IL this year and encountered flies like never before, including the large black biting flies referred to as “B-52’s”. I’ve used ecovet before and had good results but would switch back and forth between this and a natural spray.

However the B-52’s are vicious and relentless and nothing worked against them except ecovet. When I want to clear the barn of flies, I spritz in front of the aisle fan and the flies disappear. I wish Ecovet would make a barn spritzer! Long story, I’m not crazy about the ingredients in this, but my horses have to come first.

I use fly sheets, but here they just get too hot to keep them on all day, sweating profusely. So I have to rely on spray more than I’d like. This works–not as well as they claim. I have to reapply daily, and in the evening, when B-52s are particularly bad, I spritz again.

Still it’s better than constantly applying pesticides. But, you do have to follow directions. Start with a CLEAN horse. I bathe my horses every 1-2 weeks to start fresh again, depending how much rolling etc they’ve done.

If you put this on over other products, it’s effectiveness is diminished. Same thing if you use other products in addition. It takes a little extra effort, but it’s worth it.

Sadly, I have to leave a negative review. I was thinking this would be a great option, despite the price, because my wonderful vet recommended it. Now, I’m in a city with few boarding options. The best place for my horse has very poor manure management, which means many flies.

I keep trying different sprays and had high hopes, but EcoVet didn’t last for 30 minutes. It has such an offensive smell, it makes my horse snort (and I hold my breath). It attracts a lot of dust. My next purchase at the local TSC was for Bronco(e).

Seems to be a much better option.

This flyspray smells like cinnamon and cloves. My horse lives outside 24/7 and I found that this spray significantly decreased the scabby fly bites on her stomach. I also have not found a tick on her since I began using it.

Definitely the most effective natural spray I have tried. Other fly sprays say not to get it on your skin and to wash immediately if it does. if chemical based sprays are that toxic to humans why would you put it on your horse every day?.

I bought his after a friend recommended it but unfortunately it gave both of my horses terrible hives. Not wanting to waste it, I use it on the walls of the stalls to keep the flies out of the stalls.

The smell is overpowering and it works well for this purpose. It smells so strongly of cloves that I believe that is the oil that is causing the allergic reaction. I use Equisect on both of them with no problem, and that has clove oil in it as well.

I think the Nature’s Force has overdone it. After my guys got hives I read the whole bottle and I noticed that there is a warning about hives on the bottle.

I usually use Ultra Shield, but worry about all the chemicals in fly spray. I use this for when I am handling my mare and riding her. She has skin sensitivities and has not reacted at all to this. People constantly tell me how great she smells as she passes them by when I work her it’s got a great smell, people say she smells like cake(like due to the vanilin) it’s a nice change from the usual citronella smells out there and it works! It works really well I have used alot of other fly sprays and this easily holds up even when she is sweaty.

My new favorite product!.

I board horses and we feed Simplifly for fly control which works great and is worth purchasing. Unfortunately it does not kill gnats. I have used several different sprays which say they kill or repel gnats to no avail.

I saw a can of Endure in my tack room and decided to see what it would do and I was amazed!!! It not only killed the gnats that were bothering my horse it repelled them too!!! I can’t say it worked for 14 days as advertised but the relief it gave my horses makes me not care.

I highly recommend this product if you need gnat control!.

My mare Hana gets blocked tear ducts. After cleaning up her eyes with wipes and applying the white paste repellant, she would end up with a dirty mess on her face hours later. But now I used the roll and it does not leave a sticky mess to attract dirt.

I sometimes apply it with my hand and she lets me get it all around her eyes and down her face to where she tears. No flies in the corners of her eyes or on her face. Would give it a five, but sometimes the ball doesn’t roll real well, though I can work around that.

This is the only product my thin skinned Cremello BLM Mustang can tolerate. It works very well on repelling the flies for long periods of time. I apply in the morning and afternoon. Excellent for trail rides.

I generously apply it to the ear part of my quiet ride mask and lightly spray the rest of it before I put it on my horse before we ride. I spray the leg wraps also on turnout. During August the flies are relentless.

It has a nice scent. I find fly sprays/repellents to be a personal/horse choice, some work for some horses and others don’t. I highly recommend trying this product. I put in a garden sprayer (the kind you pump for pressure) then when applying it like spray painting a car.

You get better coverage. ?? I also highly recommend Farnam’s Mosquito Halt. It works very well and kills everything. use that on my other horses. My Mustang can’t tolerate that.

My unscientific riding group of 5 women compared our working sweaty horses for flies after a hard mountain ride, and only the Equicare 7 had lasting results! Stock up, It’s hard to find. May not be environmentally sensitive as is currently popular, but oh works so much better! And who cares about a few drops on the ground? Not the end of the world.

My horse is happier longer!!.

Reviews, especially this one, are subjective and I know that just because I can’t stand the smell of this fly spray that there aren’t others out there who love it. There are and they’ve reviewed it and raved about the smell.

I bought this when the price of Endure and Pyranha started creeping up and up. Horses are expensive so I thought I’d save a few bucks. Never again. I’ll pay the premium price for a spray that I can stand the smell.

Again, subjective. You may adore the smell, but to me is smells like baby powder and cheap perfume. I used it today because I have it and it’s unseasonably warm and the flies are out and I rode for thirty five minutes.

My mare was sweaty when I finished (full winter coat) and her sweat seems to intensify the smell. It’s stuck in the back of my throat and I want to take a bath and gargle with Endure, or Repel X or UltraShield or Wipe.

Something that smells like a fly spray should. I just ordered Pyranha to be sent with my next SmartPak shipment. This stuff is going to be donated to a local college’s equestrian program or to someone I hate and not at my barn.

My advice is to find someone using it and ask for a whiff. If you love it, buy it. It does keep the flies off.

Have used this for years on my horses. Best flyspray I have found. Protects their coats, does not dry hair, and has sun block. No chemical smell, just a nice citronella fragrance. None of my girls has objected to it.

Best of all it knocks flies down!.

We learned about this product from our farrier. A few quick sprays and the horses were not bothered by flies ALL day. It is a nice hair conditioner, but citronella will cause skin irritation (raises in spots so hair looks thicker/standing out) on our horses if sprayed too heavily.

There is no problem wiping a saturated cloth on the face. We take a spray bottle in the trailer as well. Best product ever tried, well in the last sixty years. Good deal with the larger quantity and saves so much from the feed store price.

I confess to using Equicare as a stall spray until the Fly Predators get the larva/flies under control. Smells nice, too.

Not sure why some people are saying it smells great. it smells like a pest killer. but I didn’t buy it for its smell. I read the reviews so I thought I’d use it. I’ve had to apply daily so far as it supplies only temporary relief.

My horses have flies bugging them during the day and mosquito swarms by night. Even after application one of my mares was still getting bitten. The next night I used more than the recommended amount and they seemed better after that.

Mosquitos seemed to be bothered by it at least. I basically have to use more than instructed and rubbing it on them did nothing, so I use the mist to spray them directly and then brush. First fly spray I’ve used in a long time so I can’t compare.

This is a mostly natural, water-based, alcohol-free fly spray. I chose it originally because I have a number of chemical sensitivities and most oil-based fly sprays give me migraine headaches. I have not found cause to quit using it.

Because it is water-based, I have no qualms about spraying it on my clothes, especially my ball cap and the lower legs of my breeches. Believe me, when the flies are really bad, they bite everything, including me if I do not spray my clothes.

Occasionally I mess up and spray my horse where I will shortly be placing her saddle. Some fly sprays can cause skin irritation if you do this. The Equisect has never bothered her under her saddle. Also, when the flies are really bad, I will spray her bedding near the walls of her stall and also the walls themselves.

This works great to help keep the flies down in her stall. It doens’t last as long as oil-based fly sprays, but if you apply it to a clean, dry coat and brush it in lightly after application, it will last longer.

I’ve had a lot of different fly sprays recommended to me by a lot of different people and I just keep using Equisect. I really do love this stuff.

This year the weather went right from later winter into late summer temps and humidity. The flies and mosquitoes are awful and my usual spring fly sprays didn’t work at all; they seemed to attract flies! EquiSect is the only one that seems to deter flies and mosquitos for several hours from my girls.

One of my horses is very sensitive to smells and she doesn’t fuss about this fly repellent at all, with its tangy smell.

This product does not hold up to the SoCAL fly season. I was hoping to find a more cost effective solution in keeping flies off my 3 horses and bought a gallon of this product. It simply doesn’t keep the flies away like other products.

It seems like the flies had built up a tolerance to this product. I would spray it on the horses and a few minutes later, flies would land right where I sprayed.

I really like the fly spray it lasts all day and have had no issues at all. We plan to purchase in bulk and keep using it. BUT, need to work on the sprayers. The straw in the large spray is to long so when you get half way down it stops working, we cut it off to be just about a 1/2″ from the bottom and we were back in business.

I bought the small sprayer for trips but the sprayer is not durable and broke in the first five minutes. I poured it into the large sprayer so we didn’t loose any product but disappointed that it can not be used for its purchase.

I have a mare that has terrible fly allergies. With the recent increase in fly population she rubbing her hair off itching on every stationery object. Started this twice a day and there noticeable reduction in her scratching… she grows hair fast so it’s easy to tell when she’s not itchy.

Tried the sample going for the volume but now. My mare thanks you!!.

I bought this fly spray on a whim as an alternative to some of the chemical fly sprays that I use more regularly and I’m so happy that I did! While I wasn’t certain at first about the more foamy consistency, I actually really like that I can see exactly where I’ve sprayed and wipe/brush the areas.

Even for a quick once over without wiping or brushing, the foam dissolves quickly. It also seems to work as effectively as both other natural and chemically based fly sprays for ticks and smaller biting flies.

I purchased this fly spray due to it being water based. I used an oil based fly spray last year that ended up burning some of my more sensitive horses in the hot summer months because of the oil base and the sun.

This fly spray was definitely better to use on my thin skinned Thoroughbreds as far as sunburns/skin reactions go, they all responded well to my using it. The only downside being, that it didn’t seem to last very long.

It works long enough for a short ride/work session, but after about 30 minutes it seems like the bugs are back on them again. I do like the smell of this fly spray, it doesn’t smell “chemically” like some can and has a pleasant fragrance, I just wish it lasted longer.

We’ve been using this for the past five years and live in an area with a ridiculous mosquito hatch every year that lasts what seems like forever. This spray is the only one that works for us. It doesn’t last long but gives our horses a little break.

It works well for trail rides. We’ve tried others that are stronger and the strong ones make us sick. like Mosquito Halt. Equisect is also the most affordable for its quality, we feel.

After trying several other brands, we find that our adopted mustangs tolerate Farnam’s Equisect Fly Repellent the best. They don’t care much for any sprays, but when that is combined with an undesirable smell, they wouldn’t stand still.

They seem to know that Equisect works and put up with the spraying sound. Of course, it’s not effective all by itself; hence the four-not-five rating. We use a feed-through fly control as well. But it’s not perfect, either.

So for flies that aren’t controlled by the feed-through, we product our seven horses (five of which are mustangs) and two wild burros with Equisect.

Been using flyspray 44 for years. Totally does the job, if I can’t find this cheap enough I use mosquito halt. Both do really good at keeping everything at bay. My horse gets sweet itch really really bad an 44 works, evan when it’s raining under her belly an places it doesn’t get wet♥️.

Good product. Flies are bad this year and nothing works well for very long. I like drive up pickup options at Fleet Farm.

Works great for my horses! Had a big problem with horse flies and gnats and this, so far, has taken care of them! It’s even helped keep the pests alway from our dog!

I diluted it in vinegar/water mixture I use, works great. The flies fall right off the horse, and avoid the sprayed areas for maybe a few hours. I mostly use it for my mare’s belly and shoulder where she was getting hives from biting flies, and her skin is doing great now.

I spray her morning/night and it does the trick. The smell is nice if a bit strong, but that’s probably why it works lol. My horse and I don’t mind it, and I often get a face full of it thanks to the strong winds out here.

It doesn’t leave any strange residue or feeling either. Will buy again when mine runs out.

I love love LOVE this product! It has a very pleasant smell and the sprayer works very well. I’ve used some products that have a very faulty sprayer that breaks, but this one doesn’t and it’s sprays just the right amount of product to do the job.

Not only this, but it doesn’t give my horse hives like some other products do! My horse has very sensitive skin, and most sprays make his skin break out into hives and dry out his coat. This one doesn’t cause hives or a dry coat.

I love this stuff and will continue to use it.

I purchased a bottle of this fly spray from my local farm store and used it all up, it worked very well. It was separated and had to be shaken. I purchased a bottle from SmartPak and the bottle wasn’t separated and very whitish.

It causes severe irritation and swelling especially on his neck, jaw and chest. I thought he had a reaction to insects, then realized it was from the fly spray. I have not been able to use it on him since.

I’m not sure if they changed the formulation, but I will not touch it again unfortunately.

During fly season, I use this product before I ride and again after a hose off( not on the same day) While there is some fly activity, it is greatly reduced when using ezall fly spray. I have not found a product that is 100% effective and if Idid, it would probably be toxic.

I would and have recommended this product to many friends. This is an exceptional product, as is the body wash and the mane and tail detangler. Have not tried sheath cleaner, that’s up next at spring bath.

Keeping flies away is one issue. Killing them, another. This product actually does both! It repels the nasty pests but also kills them on contact as it “guarantees” on the label. So, it has proven to be very helpful in my nursery and barns.

Anyone who works with animals knows fly control is a WAR – and with eZall in my arsenal I’m winning a few more battles. Just discovered it this year. A bit pricy but I have wasted MUCH more on products that were not effective, not natural, nor useful.

(I now buy it by the gallon for a better price per ounce. ).

I board my horse, so I have to trust that he’s sprayed before he goes out in late morning. After I ride in the afternoon he’s showered and I walk him around the property to dry. During the walk the bugs (gnats, flys, mosquitoes) obviously bother him.

When he’s dry I finish grooming and put the fly spray on. When I turn him out again he doesn’t seem bothered by bugs through sunset. I don’t see him in the morning to tell you about staying power.

I live in SW France and you have not seen flies in the UK the like we have here. In 4 years I have not found a product here that does the job. I was recommended Net-Tex Advanced by a friend in the UK and cannot stress enough how totally impressed I am with it.

The 72 hour aspect is not feasible here, but I spray my three in the early morning, lightly, and they remain almost completely fly free until the next morning. It is not really effective on the crabflies, but for the massive general fly infestation they suffer it is remarkable.

I am 100% satisfied with this Net-Tex Advanced.

Probably the most useless ‘flyspray’ I’ve tried. As you sprayed it on, the flies carried on landing! The liquid leaked down your hands in use, and down the bottle when not in use. I wasted an entire bottle either trying to get some protection or from it leaking everywhere.

If there was a 0 that would be its score.

Brilliant and effective product. Worth every penny.

I have a huge allergy to mosquitos, and when I diligently use my Faark Off spray before I set foot in my garden I do not get bitten. At all. I use this on my face by spraying into my hands and patting it on.

Works great, smells much better than the alternatives and I’m happy with the ingredients. Won’t be buying anything else.

Wow i was blown away as well as all mosquitoes and other bugs. Amazing brilliant product. the only product that works for my little man who reacts to bites very badly. Will be the o ly product I buy now!!!!.

Works as it should even the tiny midgys we have rurally. Gave a bottle as a gift to a serial bug attractor. He probably will use it more due to its name. Was an outdoor table conversation piece