Fly sprays for horses. Please help! ?

Question

Okay, I am bothered by these flies here in canada (as many others) and I am sure most of us are wondering, what are REALLY good working fly sprays? I know we found one, it doesn't even work that well and it is $50.00. It is the stuff we had to use up fast. A lot of money eh? And for a small bottle!

Okay, my riding instructor has this powder. You mix it with water and it works pretty good. Also, what do you guys suggest about flies landing on them. Fly spray stops them from biting, but my horse tends to hate them landing on her as well.

What can we do?

Also (a side question) who likes the smell of horse fly spray? Like REALLY likes it? lol I do! Isn't it great?

By the way, you can give me a brand or something too. My as well add to the question, what are some good HUMAN fly sprays? I know my friend used like raid on the horses...I find it mean...I wouldn't do that. So, I knwo that's a lot, I will stop now. lol Thanks

Answer 1

here are some to look into : 5 stars = best  1 star = worst

Repel-X ***

Tri-sec 14****

Bronco Gold fly spray ***

Marigold fly spray ( for horses and humans) ***** (n smells great!!)

Dura Guard **** ( last for up to 2 weeks, but smells odd)

Answer 2

i suggest fly predators for next summer as they eat the fly larvae. very useful! unfortunately this year the flies were particularly bad and we did get some flies. instead of buying spray, i made my own which seems to be working fairly well. let me first say that not ALL the flies are gone, but greatly reduced. i mixed apple cider vinegar with water. 1 part acv w/ 1 part water. simple and easy. i used fred meyer brand (don't know if they have fred meyer in canada tho). spray or wipe on.

yeah i like the citronella smell!

i never tried the power stuff.

as for people, i think it would work also, but it might repel your friends too lol as it doesn't smell the greatest! off! brand works pretty well.  

Answer 3

I would not recommend bronco fly spray. It is inexpensive so I thought I'd give it a try. The other answerer's know what they are talking about and are correct. I would recommend marigold. Specifically marigolds eqyss summer defence spray. It is way better than traditional fly spray, will not poison you or your horse, no eye irritation, and it is cheap it has great reviews. It does work really well!http://www.doversaddlery.com/product.asp...

If the link does not work go to doversaddlery.com and type in fly spray and it will be the third one. And it smells great. No, it is not weird that you love the smell of fly spray!

Answer 4

I have tried all the fly sprays from natural stuff, to concentrated.  Least expensive to the most expensive.  I have tried making my own from recipes. I do alot of trail riding and camping.  The best is pryhana hands down.  It is moderatly priced.  It is a oil based, which attaches to the hair shaft.  It has moisturizers for their skin and gives  a nice sheen to their coats.  Most all of my friends use it, from trail riders to show people.   You can get a really good deal at www.horse.com, best price out on the web!  

Answer 5

For horses out to pasture, basic fly masks and fly sheets will help them stay comfortable in the pasture, but beware that may make the horses freak out when a fly lands on them when they are bare. Fly spraying them instead of fly sheets is also an alternative that i think is better because flys wills till land on them, just not as many so they can still feel how a fly feels and not freak out when one lands on them. As for good fly sprays, i use TriTech14 and Bronco Gold. Bug Block works well too. Bug Block has roll on stuff for the horses eyes(you know how flies love to go around there eyes) and muzzle and ears. It works really well. For humans, SkinSoSoft works excellently. My friends and i went on a trail ride and before we put SSS on we got eaten alive but after it was on we didnt get another bug bite the whole time. Also, companies have created fly masks that go on top of bridles to protect the horse's eyes. Those are good for fly populated areas. As for the powder I've never heard of it. And ya I LOVE the citronella smell in the sprays!!

Answer 6

I heard Listerine mouth wash works good to repel mosquitoes. You just put it in a spray bottle and spray it on your horse.

Answer 7

Oil based sprays work best....I use Endure by Farnam, and it works the best of any I've tried, and I've tried most.  It isn't cheap, but it works and I use less.  My horses wear fly masks all day, and at night I put roll on fly repellent under their eyes and by their ears, since they are out (with run-in).  I also have hanging fly traps to attract flies away from their shed, and it has worked well.  Last year we used fly predators too, but I see no difference in the number of flies this year when I didn't use them.  Anyway, the Endure is fantastic.

Answer 8

I live in Canada too and the mosquitos are HORRIBLE I think there is a fly spray from Show Sheen, not sure though..... I LOVE the smell of fly spray.

Answer 9

Bronco?  Junk.   Tri tech?  Good Stuff!  Here in the midwest Endure and Happy Horse are big sellers.  Home remedies?  Junk!

www.farnam.com

www.happyhorseflyspray.com

Answer 10

At my barn we use Bronco.. and i find it works well... the horse i ride HATES flies and they leave him alone if it's sprayed on him...

and yah it does smell awesome

Answer 11

hi!

i would suggest using Piranha fly spray. The stuff is rather potent and will definitely keep the flies away. Don't use bronco, its cheap, and its basically water.  

Answer 12

I actually use Pyranha Spray Master system, but the hand held Pyranha products work just as great. It's not as pricey as the one you are using right now, but it is more so than Bronco. It gets the job done I will tell you that.

EDIT- Everyone is making a big fuss about Listerine as if cures anything. Reminds me of the windex in Big Fat Greek Wedding.

Answer 13

I use one called Absorbine Ultrashield. It comes in a black bottle. I find it works pretty well, as well as fly spray can work...which is not 100%. Otherwise, I suggest fly masks, fly sheets and maybe trying to kill the flies (we use poison, sticky traps, etc). But for me, the Ultrashield is pretty good.  

Answer 14

I make a phone call to my local Avon lady and order Skin So Soft spray for the horse and me. It actually works and works great. It smells great also and makes the coat shine!