Fly Spray for Horses: Types, Application and How to Choose the Right One

Fly spray for horses is the bottle almost every South African yard reaches for as the weather warms up. From spring onwards, house flies, stable flies, mosquitoes and midges arrive in force, and a horse that spends the day stamping, swishing and shaking its head is not resting, grazing or working properly. A fly mask looks after the face, but the rest of the body needs a repellent. We have been making saddlery in South Africa for 35 years and our team rides through every summer, so here is our practical guide to the main types of horse fly spray, how to apply it properly and how to choose the right one for your horse.

Why Your Horse Needs Fly Spray in Summer

Flies are more than an irritation. Constant landing and biting leaves horses restless and fidgety, and a horse that stamps all day is hard on its hooves and shoes. Small cuts, scrapes and the corners of the eyes attract flies, so a minor nick can quickly turn into a sore that will not settle. Keep wounds clean and dressed with products from our veterinary range, and use a repellent on the rest of the horse.

In South Africa there is a more serious reason to manage biting insects. African horse sickness is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa and is spread mainly by Culicoides midges, as the Wikipedia entry on African horse sickness explains. Fly spray on its own will not protect your horse from it. Vaccination and your vet's advice come first, but cutting down on bites is a sensible part of the wider plan, and some repellents list midges on the label.

The Main Types of Fly Spray for Horses

Walk along the shelf in our fly repellents range and the bottles can look interchangeable, but they fall into three broad groups. The active ingredient is printed on the label, and it tells you far more than the picture on the front.

Natural and Plant-Based Fly Sprays

These use citronella, essential oils and plant extracts to make your horse less appealing to insects. Our Fly Away Solo Spray is built on essential oil blends and organic extracts with added neem oil. It is non-toxic, eco-safe and biodegradable, safe to use around hay and water, and its label says it lasts up to 6 hours. Our Citronella Spray Solo is a plant-based citronella formula for house and stable flies that can be sprayed or wiped on.

Natural sprays suit horses with sensitive skin, owners who would rather avoid synthetic chemicals, and stables where spray may drift onto hay or into water buckets. The trade-off is staying power. As the Wikipedia overview of insect repellents notes, synthetic repellents tend to last longer than natural ones, so expect to reapply more often on hot days when the flies are bad.

Cypermethrin Fly Sprays

Cypermethrin is a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide, also used on farms to control external parasites on cattle and sheep. Our Equiline Fly Repellant contains cypermethrin with piperonyl butoxide, protects against house flies and stable flies, and can be wiped or sprayed on. Horses can be ridden or worked immediately after application. Buzz Off Fly Repel Spray combines cypermethrin with citronella oil and herbal extracts, and comes in a trigger bottle you can hold in one hand or a 5 litre container for bigger yards.

Both are registered products, and the label carries a registration number under Act 36 of 1947. Treat them with respect. Follow the label exactly, keep the spray away from the eyes, nostrils and mouth, and remember that cypermethrin is highly toxic to fish, bees and cats. Never rinse sponges or buckets into dams, streams or fish ponds, and keep the yard cats out of the way while you spray.

DEET-Based Repellents

DEET is one of the most common and effective insect repellents in use. Tabard Equine Lotion is a DEET-based lotion registered as a stock remedy for horses, and its label covers mosquitoes, midges, stable flies and house flies. If mosquitoes and midges are your main concern rather than daytime flies, this is the type to look at.

Sprays, Gels, Lotions or Wipes?

The same active ingredient often comes in several forms, and most yards end up keeping more than one.

• Trigger sprays are the quickest way to cover the body, legs and belly before turnout or a ride.
• Gels and lotions are wiped on by hand or with a cloth, which gives you control around the face, ears and anywhere you would rather not spray. Citronella Gel Solo, for example, is applied with a cloth or sponge for targeted coverage.
• Wipes are the easiest option for shows, outrides and travelling. Fly Away Solo Wipes come 80 to a pack, so there is no bottle or sponge to carry.
• 5 litre refills make sense for busy yards. Decant into a trigger bottle and store the bulk container as the label directs.

How to Apply Fly Spray for Horses Properly

Even the best horse fly spray will disappoint if it goes on badly. This is the routine we follow:

1. Read the label first. Every product has its own directions, precautions and reapplication guidance, and registered remedies must be used exactly as labelled.
2. Groom before you spray. A quick once-over with a body brush from your grooming kit lifts dust and loose hair, so the repellent reaches the coat instead of sitting on top of the dirt.
3. Patch test anything new. Apply a little to a small area and check the skin the next day before you treat the whole horse, especially if your horse has sensitive skin.
4. Spray with the lay of the hair. Work from the neck backwards, covering the shoulders, belly, flanks and legs, which is where flies tend to gather.
5. Never spray straight at the face. Put a little product on a cloth or sponge and wipe it on, staying well clear of the eyes, nostrils and mouth. Check the label first, as not every product is meant for the face.
6. Reapply as the label directs. Sweat, rain, a hose-down and a long hack all wear repellent off, so a horse covered in the morning may need a top-up by the afternoon.

Getting a Spray-Shy Horse Used to Fly Spray

Plenty of horses object to the hiss of a trigger bottle far more than to the spray itself. Start with a bottle of plain water in a quiet spot, spray the shoulder first from a little distance, and reward calm behaviour. Keep the nozzle pointing away from the head and build up over a few sessions. If a horse simply will not tolerate a spray, a gel, lotion or wipe lets you protect it without the noise, and you can go back to the bottle once it has settled.

Fly Spray Is One Layer, Not the Whole Plan

The horses that get through summer most comfortably usually have physical barriers and a repellent working together. A fly mask or fringe protects the eyes and face, a mesh fly sheet covers the body and fly boots protect the lower legs, and you will find all of them in our fly protection range. Our guide to fly masks for horses covers choosing and fitting a mask in detail.

Good yard management matters just as much. Pick up manure regularly, keep water troughs clean, do not let standing water collect around the stables, and follow your vet's guidance on vaccination and stabling during the African horse sickness risk season. Daily grooming is also your chance to spot bites, lumps and sores early, as our horse grooming kit guide explains.

How to Choose the Right Fly Spray for Your Horse

• Sensitive skin, or you prefer natural products: start with a citronella or essential oil spray, and be ready to reapply more often.
• Heavy pressure from house and stable flies: a registered cypermethrin spray such as Equiline or Buzz Off.
• Mosquitoes and midges: choose a product that lists them on the label, such as a DEET-based lotion.
• Shows, outrides and travel: wipes, or a small trigger bottle in the kit bag.
• A big yard or several horses: 5 litre refills and a couple of trigger bottles to decant into.

Many owners keep a natural spray for everyday use and a stronger registered product for the height of summer. Whatever you choose, the label is the final word on how to use it.

Shop Fly Spray for Horses at Solo Saddlers

Solo Saddlers has been making saddlery for 35 years, and our staff ride through South African summers themselves, so we know what a long fly season asks of a horse. Browse the full fly repellents range for natural sprays, registered fly sprays, gels, lotions and wipes, and if you are not sure which one suits your horse, get in touch and we will help you choose.