How To Buy The Best Fly Spray For Your Horses

You might have a state-of-the-art barn and feed the healthiest food options for your horses, or you might have a centuries old barn and have horses that graze all day, regardless of these factors, you have to ask the question – are their coats well protected? Are your horses safe from disease-spreading flies and insects?

When you closely inspect a horse’s mane, you are bound to find tiny insects, gnats, mosquitoes, horse flies, and even ticks at times. These insects carry many diseases, including swamp fever which can be very dangerous for your horse if not checked and treated.

Why Fly Sprays

A fly spray contains ingredients that can either kill or ward off these insects. You can prevent the disease from reaching your horse or the insects from troubling your horse by regularly using such sprays as a precaution.

Choose The Best Fy Spray For Your Horses

Some of the factors you need to consider while selecting this spray are:

• Safety
The first and foremost factor to consider is the safety of the spray. Is it safe to use around humans and other animals? It is not always feasible to get your horse away and spray it. Other horses and animals are bound to be around, and you (human) will also be exposed to the spray.

• Suitability
Buy a spray that is specifically designed to combat the particular infestation you are dealing with. If your horse has ticks, choose a spray that’s designed for ticks. If you want to get rid of the horseflies, choose a spray designed for it.

Though one repellent may work for another insect, it may not be as effective as expected. Sometimes you might need to use some additional product or get professional help from your vet, to get the infestation under control.

• Water/Oil Based
Fly sprays come in both water-based as well as oil-based formats.

Water-based sprays, as the name suggests, are mixed with water and sprayed. These don’t leave an oily residue after your horse has been sprayed. Check the instructions and get the exact measurements to mix. Mixing it wrong might cause harm to your animals or not have any effect at all.

Oil-based sprays are thick and can stick to the horse’s coat longer. They might feel heavy and have a more pungent smell than water-based sprays. It might also be challenging to get it off the horse’s coat when used repeatedly.

• Smell
Many sprays have a powerful smell that might not go well with your horses or other animals. It can agitate or even irritate them. Many sprays have some soothing fragrance added to them, but these can contain many chemicals to reduce the smell of certain ingredients. Always check the scent and verify the ingredient used to make the spray smell nice/ subtle.

• Ingredients Used
Check the list of ingredients used. If your horse or other animals have had an adverse reaction to some ingredient or other sprays, you need to verify if this spray does not contain those ingredients. If you are not too sure, ask your vet for a list of ingredients you should avoid while choosing a fly spray for your horse.

• Coat Friendly
You will be using this spray on your horse’s coat directly. Ensure the spray is coat friendly and will not cause any adverse reactions when it comes in contact with your horse’s soft and shiny coat. Some sprays come with an additional conditioner added to the spray, which can help maintain the horse’s coat.

• Convenience
Opt for a spray bottle rather than a can. If the product comes only in big cans, the cans work out cheaper than individual spray bottles, but a separate spray bottle. Transfer the liquid, mix it as recommended, and then pour it into the spray bottle.

• Usage
Some fly sprays are not for direct use; you need to spray them around the stable or the barn. You can spray the floor, walls, doors, etc. If you want to keep the area clean of all insects, you can opt for such sprays that will protect the horses and other animals in the barn.

• Frequency
How frequently do you have to use the spray on your horse? Does it last as long as it promises to? If it is organic, you may not be harming your horse and other animals by using the spray regularly.

However, if it is chemical-based, your animals will get exposed to these chemicals regularly, which is not the best for their health. Choose a spray that doesn’t require as frequent usage but that also won’t expose your horse or family to potentially harmful chemicals.

Organic Vs. Chemical Fly Sprays

Chemical Sprays – Many of these fly sprays for horses contain chemicals in them to ward off and kill all those pesky flies and insects. While most of these chemicals may not harm your horse or other animals, some of them might. Not all chemicals have enough research and studies conducted on their usage and side effects in the long run.

If you are not sure about each ingredient used in that chemical-based spray that seems to be working like magic, it may not be very safe for your horse or even you, after all.

Organic Sprays – Organic sprays, on the other hand, use only naturally occurring ingredients and are chemical-free. Citronella is a famous ingredient used in both organic and chemical-based sprays for their citric scent. Some sprays use fatty acids that can deter the flies. These ingredients are not harmful to your horse, other animals, or even humans. You can use them safely, many times.

Which is better for your horse?

Organic or natural sprays are safer any day for both your animals and you. Naturally occurring ingredients may not last very long but do not have any major side effects either. What you use on your horse needs to be safe for other animals in the barn as well.

Chemical-based fly sprays may work faster and last longer than natural sprays due to the strong chemicals. They could also be impacting your animals and your health slowly. This is definitely a major concern!

How To Use A Fly Spray On Your Horse

The fly sprays come in two types – concentrate and ready-to-use.

When you buy ready-to-use, follow the instructions and use the spray right out of the bottle to ward off all those flies and insects.

When you opt for the concentrate, ensure you mix them in the same proportion as instructed. Using a solid spray bottle is both safe and long-lasting. Concentrates can work out to be cheaper than the ready-to-use versions; a perfect option if you have a big barn full of animals that need protection from such insects.

Conclusion
Choosing the right fly spray is as essential as following the given instructions. Take time, do your research, check with other barn owners for their review and choose the perfect fly spray for your horse – preferably organic as they do not cause any harm in the long run – You can check out our amazing organic fly spray here –