The 6 Best Fly Spray and Repellents for Horses, According to Experts

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The Spruce Pets / Amelia Manley

Part ofcaring for a horseis managing the pests that attack them, which include black flies, deer flies, ticks, mosquitoes, mites, gnats, and lice.

We spoke with several experts about managing pests, especially biting flies. But our experts also offered broader mitigation strategies, and recommended products that can take on multiple species of pests in a single bottle. “Around here, you need something that kills ticks as well,” Julie Schultz, a horse owner with a background in Equestrian Science from William Woods University, told The Spruce Pets. For more expert tips, check out the FAQ and “What To Look For” sections after our product recommendations.

Our favorite fly spray for horses is Absorbine UltraShield UX Insecticide Spray, which is not only weatherproof, but also repels more than 70 insect species. Plus, it’s effective for up to 17 days after application.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall

Absorbine UltraShield EX Insecticide & Repellent

Amazon Absorbine UltraShield EX Insecticide & Repellent

Amazon

What We Like
  • Effective against more than 70 species

  • Kills many pests on contact

  • Provides up to 17 days of protection

  • Also effective for dogs, ponies, and foals

  • Bottles come with vertical and horizontal spray settings

What We Don't Like
  • Can irritate animals with sensitive skin

  • Needs to be kept away from drains, gutters, and other waterways

Absorbine UltraShield EX Insecticide Spray kills or repels more than 70 pest species, including stable flies, house flies, horse flies, deer flies, mosquitos, gnats, midges, chiggers, ticks, fleas, and lice. Its water-based formula is non-oily, easy to apply, and is designed to endure for 17 days, including through rain and sweat. It even includes sunscreen and coat conditioners like aloe and lanolin in its comprehensive formula.

UltraShield EX can be sprayed directly on a horse’s skin, or can be used as an area spray, driving insects away from stable stalls, trash cans, and more. It’s safe for use on horses of all ages, and is also effective for use with dogs (but shouldn’t be used on foals or puppies younger than 12 weeks).

Absorbine’s Insecticide & Repellent is available in a 32-ounce spray bottle and a gallon refill size.

Price at time of publish:$25 for 32-ounce bottle

Active Ingredients:Permethrin, Pyrethrins, Piperonyl Butoxide |Volume:128 fl oz |Scent:Unscented

Best Scented

Pyranha Wipe N’ Spray Fly Spray for Horses

Chewy Pyranha Wipe N’ Spray Fly Spray for Horses

Chewy

What We Like
  • Kills and repels a wide range of flies, gnats, and mosquitoes

  • Contains coat-conditioning lanolin

  • 新鲜香茅油的气味

  • Water resistant

What We Don't Like
  • Can cause skin irritation in some horses

  • Only works on horses

  • Not effective in heavy rain

This repellent keeps your horse free of both biting and just annoying pests of numerous varieties. Water resistant and simple to use, it made its way into our Best Spray category. Superb for show horses, it contains lanolin which leaves a well-conditioned, shiny coat. Plus, its recipe includes pest-repellingandkilling ingredients for optimal effectiveness.

Depending upon what works best for your horse, you can choose from a 32 oz spray bottle or a gallon jug to apply the product as a mist or wipe it on with a cloth.

Price at time of publish:$23

Active Ingredients:除虫菊素、胡椒基丁醚butoxypolypropylene glocol |Volume: 32-ounce, gallon, or 4 ounce travel variety |Scent: Citronella

Best Roll-On

Farnam Endure Roll-On Fly Repellent for Horses

Amazon Farnam Endure Roll-On Fly Repellent for Horses

Amazon

What We Like
  • Easy-to-grasp container with large roll-on head for ample coverage

  • Protects against several types of flies as well as biting gnats

  • Stays on and effective for up to a week or longer

  • Useful for protecting a horse’s face

What We Don't Like
  • Only available in a single, 3-ounce size

This roll-on horse fly repellent is ideal for your horse’s face or other spots you don’t want to spray. Easy to glide over the area between the eyes and around the nose, this product is safe and gentle when used as directed. When properly integrated into your pest management system, this convenient product is highly effective.

It protects your horse from a myriad of pests including some that transmit harmful illnesses, and for the most part it stays on even when your horse gets wet or sweats. Best of all: It goes on without attracting a lot of dirt and debris to its sticky surface like some other repellents, and you won’t need to reapply for around a week.

Price at time of publish:$8

Active Ingredients:Cypermethrin, Pyrethrins, Piperonyl Butoxide, Butoxy Polypropylene Glycol |Volume:3 ounces |Scent:Unscented

Best Face Mask for Face Flies

Cashel Crusader Horse Fly Mask with Ears

Amazon Cashel Crusader Horse Fly Mask with Ears

Amazon

What We Like
  • Sizes are tailored according to breed

  • Company donates a percentage of profits to Wounded Warriors and breast cancer research

  • Easy to clasp with a single strap of velcro tape

What We Don't Like
  • Reduces a horse’s visibility

  • Thin fabric is vulnerable to tearing

As an alternative to chemical sprays and lower quality fly masks, this choice is perfect for places plagued with face flies. The Cashel Crusader protects eyes, ears, nose and mouth with its highly unique cap design and ear pieces which offer free movement and high quality sound conduction capability.

It’s equally effective regardless of your horse’s location (stall or pasture) and features innovative moisture-wicking technology to keep their face dry. Its fabric blocks 70 percent of the sun’s harmful UV rays, and its plush edges and seams fend off irritation. Known for its durability, the Cashel brand is high quality and offers thorough protection of the face and ears from biting flies.

Price at time of publish:$30

Material:Nylon micromesh |Weight:0.45 lbs |Scent:N/A

Best Fly Leggings

SHOOFLY Horse Leggins

Amazon SHOOFLY Horse Leggins

Amazon

What We Like
  • Helps keep flies off horse’s legs to minimize stomping

  • Made of breathable fabric

  • 容易应用和保持place with heavy duty Velcro

What We Don't Like
  • Leggings can slip during vigorous activity

Since stomping leads to stressed horses with damaged hooves and tired leg muscles, a good fly repelling product is always a bonus for the equestrian population. Enter Shoofly Leggins, a favorite of horse owners everywhere. Available in four sizes, these work to repel flies on horses from yearling to mature adult stages. They’re also suitable for donkeys.

Great for reducing inflammation, these leggings provide pest-free protection all season long. Comprised of a flexible mesh fabric, they’re designed to hold in place and eliminate sagging while being worn. Highly durable, they’re made of sturdy fabric that is also breathable and breaks away when needed.

Price at time of publish:$50

Material:Plastic mesh

Best Feed-Through

Farnam SimpliFy Feed-Thru Fly Control

Amazon Farnam SimpliFy Feed-Thru Fly Control

Amazon

What We Like
  • Disrupts the fly life cycle through manure

  • Very palatable to most horses as a feed additive

  • Decreases fly populations by 97-100%

What We Don't Like
  • Doesn’t work on adult flies

  • Must be fed to each horse individually to ensure they ingest the proper amount

  • May be avoided by finicky horses

An innovative way to disrupt the life cycle of horse flies and other pests, this product uses an insect growth regulator which is ingested by horses and excreted in their manure. A tasty addition to nearly any animal’s horse feed, it works throughout the warm season to help make your horse more comfortable and free of pests.

Fed to horses in early spring so it can start working before flies begin activity, this feed through product is ideally used throughout the summer and warmer fall months. In order to control flies optimally, this should be utilized in conjunction with other products. Compared to other comparable products, this brand was noticeably more effective at reducing fly populations when fed to horses as instructed.

Price at time of publish$19

Active Ingredients:Diflubenzuron |Volume:Smart Paks (28-day supply), 3.75 lb bucket, 10 lb bucket, 20 lb bucket |Scent:Unscented

Final Verdict

Our favorite horse fly spray isAbsorbine UltraShield EX Insecticide & Repellent, because of its 17-day effectiveness, multiple uses, and the wide range of insect species it kills or repels. If you’d prefer a non-spray alternative, which can be particularly useful for repelling flies from around eyes, mouths, and other senstive areas, we recommend Farnam Endure Roll-On, which is weatherproof, effective for seven days, and useful against a wide range of flying, biting bugs.

What to Look for in a Horse Fly Spray or Repellent

Application

Before applying any product to your horse, it’s important to read the label thoroughly, as the chemicals in fly spray often have limitations, with instructions that will tell you how to avoid irritating sensitive skin or contaminating water and food.

While the method of application will vary, most spray or topical pest management solutions are best applied after bathing and brushing the horse, so the product can be applied to a clean, dry coat for maximum efficacy.

When using a product for the first time, begin by applying to a small patch of your horse’s skin to test if they demonstrate skin irritation or other reactions.

Depending on the product’s instructions, you’ll probably need to spray it on, towel it on, or massage it in like shampoo, then rinse. Shake the bottle well before use. Place an emphasis on the head, neck, back, chest, legs, and withers when applying to your horse, as these areas are most pests’ favorite biting regions. Some prefer to start with the legs and spray up from there, so as to minimize the chance of startling your horse. Allow your horse to move as needed to feel comfortable while being sprayed. When using on the face, remember to apply the product to a cloth and rub it in to avoid getting in their eyes. Never apply to the animal before tacking in order to avoid irritation in the saddle area.

When using a spray, adjust the nozzle to a stream and apply gently. Some sprays direct you to brush the product into the coat after spraying on. Roll-on products, creams, and other forms of pest repellent should be used as directed. Reapply at the interval instructed on the label.

Most Common Pests

Pests most commonly attracted to horses include black flies, horse flies, deer flies, mosquitoes, gnats, and face flies. Stable and house flies are also frequently found in horse facilities, irritating to horses as well as other livestock. Although some pests share commonalities, each type has its own unique characteristics. Here is a bit about the most common horse pests:

  • Face flies:Feed with spongy mouth-parts only around the animals’ face, particularly the nose and eyes; capable of transmitting eye-worms. This fly requires fresh cow manure for egg-laying and larval development.
  • Black flies:Lay eggs in or near clean water; attack horses around the face—primarily focusing on the ears. Their bites are very painful.
  • Horse flies:Known for their remarkably large eyes, these big biters are able to fly very fast. Their mouth parts are scissor-like and cut holes in the tissue they bite. They prefer to grow their larvae in aquatic settings, and as such are more often encountered near a water source.
  • Deer flies:Deer flies are smaller than horse flies, with dark stripes. However, their bloodsucking bite is similar, and typically both types of fly can be addressed with the same repellent.
  • Gnats (also called biting midges):Also called no-see-ums, these tiny creatures also prefer breeding areas near water. Can cause irritation, allergic reactions, and swelling where they bite.
  • Mosquitoes:Larvae develop in standing water or partially aquatic areas; can transmit several strains of encephalitis, West Nile Virus, and Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) which causes serious neurological disruption in horses; most often (but not always) active and feed at night.
  • 稳定,房子飞:both prefer moist, decaying organic matter for laying their eggs. Both fly varieties can transmit harmful nematode parasites to horses.

Oil or Water Base

Generally speaking, oil-based products tend to contain more chemicals but also remain effective longer than water-based ones. This is usually because water-based products rinse off more easily in water and sweat than oil-based ones do.

The downsides of oil-based products are the unpleasant oily residue they leave behind, the way they can dry out horses’ skin and lead to burning (similar to humans with suntan oil on) as well as their tendency to collect dust and dirt. Some horses experience irritation of the nose, throat and/or lungs from oil-based repellents too.

Duration

Fly spray products vary in duration of effectiveness for several reasons. For starters, the environment and activity level of your horse can play a role. Humidity, rain, and sweat all impact duration, while moisture and heat are often attractive to egg-laying insects making them prone to return quickly. Product constitution is also a factor, with some sprays only working for a few hours before requiring re-application and others remaining effective for up to two weeks or longer.

Products with an oil foundation generally last longer than water-based ones. Those with essential oils or other natural ingredients may not have a clear duration listed on the label (for example, some may have vague instructions like “apply liberally” and “reapply as needed”), so you’ll need to play it more by ear with those.

Part of this variation is due to the way the products break down when exposed to UV light and oxygen. Chemical or synthetic ingredients take longer to break down, making them last longer than natural options that require more frequent application. Efficacy and duration can also vary depending upon whether the product simply repels pests or both killsandrepels them.

FAQ
  • How can I keep horse flies away?

    To control pests near your horses, a multi-pronged approach with an emphasis on debris management works best.

    “I would approach all pest issues with an integrated pest management approach. (1) Properly identify the pest/fly, (2) understand the pest/fly life cycle, (3) monitor populations, (4) determine tolerance thresholds, (5) implement management strategies for control, (6) evaluate. A spray should always be a later resort,”Sarah Farley, an educator at the University of Illinois’ Local Food Systems and Small Farms Extension told The Spruce Pets. “Flies are a part of any livestock operation. However, I cannot emphasize enough that management is important… dirty stalls, lingering open manure piles, waste hay, moist areas/mats, spilled feed are something to notice and manage to prevent pest issues.”

    Paula Hitzler, Manager of Michigan State University’s Horse Teaching and Research Center, emphasized a similar approach in advice provided to The Spruce Pets. “We export all our manure off of the farm and that has significantly reduced our fly problem.”

    Some helpful strategies for fly prevention include:

    • Keep trash bins tightly closed and empty trash regularly
    • Apply fly masks, leggings/boots, and other protective barriers to your horse
    • Use fans for air circulation and to prevent stagnation
    • Dry out or remove water sources from the area
    • Implement different methods of spreading/treating manure to create a less bug/nest-friendly environment
    • Use fly traps and sticky cards to help control pest populations
    • Strategize ways to attract fly predators, i.e. parasitic wasps that lay eggs in fly pupae, destroying them
    • Rinse off horses when they get sweaty and wash their stalls of urine in addition to removing manure

Why Trust The Spruce Pets

This article was researched and written byKJ Callihan, a writer for The Spruce, who has worked in animal shelters, where she helped socialize animals for adoption, and fostered animals of various kinds. She also writes for CNET, AAA Northeast magazine, and more,

To direct our research for this story, we consultedSarah Farley伊利诺伊大学的本地食物系统和年代mall Farms Extension Educator. Farley provides expert assistance to small farmers regularly through her degrees in Animal Sciences and Agribusiness Management in addition to her experience in livestock and crop production and agricultural entrepreneurship. We also spoke withPaula Hitzler,Michigan State University’s Horse and Teaching Research Manager,Tracy Roweof Rowe Stables, LLC, in Okemos, Michigan, as well as Julie Schultz, a horse owner with a background inEquestrian Sciencefrom William Woods University.