Homemade Fly Spray for Horses

Whether you have experience working on a farm or in a rural setting or not, chances are you have heard of the painful bites caused by horse flies. But did you also know that horse fly bites can lead to rashes and itchiness in humans as well as transmitting diseases?

That is why it is crucial for horse owners and non-horse owners alike to have a favorite homemade fly spray recipe to keep for themselves. With your own homemade fly spray for horses, you will be able to keep these pests at bay.

Summer is horse fly season, so you want to make sure you have your homemade fly repellents ready to go ahead of time. The most important thing when making a fly repellent is to make sure that your horse is comfortable with it.

Simple But Effective Natural Fly Spray Tips and Recipes

Using natural ingredients will help your horse feel more comfortable than a commercial fly spray would, so with these various natural sprays and low-ingredient recipes, you are sure to find something that works for your horse care routine and stable.

Vinegar Spray – A Basic Homemade Fly Spray for Horses

This vinegar spray is a rather simple homemade fly spray for horses that you can make with ingredients found around the home.

The key ingredients are white vinegar and water. Fly repellents work by masking the animal’s smell, and vinegar does a great job of that. Pour ingredients into a spray bottle, shake, and spray on your horse.

Before you spray your entire horse, do a patch test to ensure your horse will not have an allergic reaction. If you use eucalyptus oil, make sure you use a carrier oil to dilute because essential oils can irritate humans and animals.

Essential Oils Spray – An Aromatic Natural Horse Fly Spray

If you are wonderingwhat repels flies, keep in mind that the more aromatic something is, the more a fly might be confused and go away and look for something that smells more familiar.

The essential oils in this homemade fly spray for horses create aromatic confusion, especially peppermint and lavender oils.

First, make sure that your horse is comfortable with the scents and does not have any reaction by conducting a patch test either with the fly spray or with diluted essential oils.

To make this natural fly killer spray, combine the ingredients in a 32 oz. spray bottle. This natural horse fly spray will help mask your animal’s scent and keep the flies away.

You’ll want to give the spray bottle a quick shake each time you use it. Refrain from adding tea tree oil to a fly repellent.

Many animals are allergic to or have reactions to tea tree oil. While tea tree oil can be beneficial, especially in a medicinal capacity, make sure you talk with your vet before adding tea tree oil to any fly spray.

Mineral Oil Spray – An Easy DIY Horse Fly Spray

Use a combination of some of the ingredients listed above to create a relatively natural horse fly spray.

Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle that holds at least 24 ounces. Shake the bottle before each use to re-mix the ingredients. Like before, do a patch test to see how your horse reacts. If your horse doesn’t like the smell of ACV, use ½ a cup less.

Pine-Sol Spray

You may see articles and posts claiming that Pine-Sol is an excellent key ingredient in a homemade fly spray for horses, but this is not the case. Pine-Sol irritates the horse’s skin and respiratory tract if sprayed directly on them.

However, if you are looking to get rid of flies around the house, or even elsewhere in the stable, this Pine-Sol spray can still be useful.

Add the ingredients to a spray bottle and then spritz the outside walls of the stable, around your windows, and anywhere that flies congregate. Don’t spray anywhere that your pets can reach.

Another easy outdoor fly remedy is made up of two parts white vinegar, one part water, and a small amount of dish soap. Pour the ingredients into a spray bottle and shake to combine.

Whenever you see a swarm of horse flies on a stable wall, spray them with this homemade fly spray and the dish soap works to kill them quickly.

Be Careful with Citronella Oil

Many online homemade remedies for flies contain citronella oil. Horses tend to have a painful reaction to citronella essential oils, including swelling and blisters, and will often get sunburns because the oil reacts to the sunlight. Talk to your vet before using this oil on your horse.

Even if you keep your horse meticulously groomed and muck out their stable every day, relentless horse flies will still torment your poor pet. Hopefully, the various easy and natural fly repellent recipes listed in this article gave you some ideas on how to help maintain a healthy stable.

No matter which one you pick, make sure you talk with your vet before using a homemade fly spray. The last thing you want to do is cause your horse any pain or discomfort.

Recipe for Homemade Fly Spray for Horses

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