Fly Season

Equipment to protect against flies, Shield your horse from swarms of flies, by using:

Fly spray

Selecting the right fly spray for your horse is important, because some horses are sensitive to certain ingredients. If your horse dislikes the smell, sensation, or sounds of fly spray, there’s a large selection of alternative products to choose from: Fly repellent gel. I personally find Phazer effective with the sponge application.

• Fly repellent cream.
• Fly repellent lotion.
• Fly repellent wipes.

  All equine fly sprays and repellents are regulated in the UK, so they should have an approval number displayed on the packaging. The approval number (which will begin with ‘HSE’ or ‘UK’ followed by a series of numbers) this will let you know whether a fly spray or fly repelling product is safe for use on horses. Ingredients:- commonly found in fly sprays for horses: DEET – also known as ‘Di-ethyl-m-toluamide’, DEET is believed to mask your horse’s natural scent to repel flies; never use human DEET repellents on your horse, though!

Citronella

Due to a lack of scientific research into the effects of citronella as a fly repellent, it can’t be marketed as a fly repellent product; however, many fly sprays that are safe for horses do contain citronella.

Eucalyptus citriodora oil

Is a natural oil that has proven to be effective at repelling flies. Remember: Homemade fly sprays and repellents can be effective, though they can also contain harmful ingredients. If you’d like to make your own fly spray or repellent, it’s worth speaking to your vet about safe ingredients first. Always ask your vet for advice if you aren’t sure which fly spray suits your horse’s situation best!

Fly masks

Whether you prefer fly masks or fly fringes, there’s an amazing amount of choice:  

• Fly fringes for the browband of your bridle.
• Fly fringes for headcollars.
• Nose nets for bridles.
• Fly masks covering only your horse’s eyes.
• Fly masks for use with a bridle.
• Fly masks with fly fringe muzzles.
• Fly masks with ear protection.
• Fly masks with nose protection.
• Fly masks offering protection for your
• horse’s eyes, ears, and nose.
• Plus, most fly masks act like sunglasses too, by providing UV protection for your horse’s eyes!