Fly season is coming, and you’ll want to have one of the the best fly sprays for horses in your tack room ready to use and provide protection against biting bugs as part of your everyday horse care regime. A quick Google will tell you that there are plenty of fly repellents to choose from on the market, but the only way to really know which work well is by asking other horse owners.
Enter the Your Horse testing team! Independent horse owners and riders have put a selection of fly sprays to the test for at least two months, including during the summer when flies are at their worst. Each spray has been assessed for ease of use, effectiveness and value for money and given a score out of 5 for each. This gives an overall rating out of 15. This is an independent test; we are not paid to review them, so you can expect honest, accurate comments from our testers who are aiming to find out which are the best fly sprays for horses.
If the fly spray you are interested in is not listed here, let me know and we will add it to our testing process. There are a number of effective ingredients to look out for when choosing a fly spray. More on that, plus top tips for picking a fly repellent, further down the page.
Tried and tested: fly sprays and repellents
Eqyss Premier Marigold Spray
RRP £19.95 for 946ml (US$24.99 for 32oz)
Your Horse’s tester says…
Ease of use: “This product is quick and easy to apply and the spray in the bottle gives great coverage over the horse’s coat.” 5 stars
Effectiveness: “One of my horses is particularly sensitive and can get agitated when fly repellents are applied, but I didn’t have any issues with this one at all. It really keeps the flies away and I only needed to apply it once a day — maximum twice when it was really warm. Both of my horses appeared happy and relaxed when they had the spray on, with very little tail swishing going on. It smells of marigolds, which is pleasant and not at all overpowering.” 4.5 stars
Value for money: “I really like this fly spray and the results it gives. It is gentle yet effective and it smells amazing. The bottle lasts a while even when using it on two horses. I would definitely recommend it and have already bought more of the same.” 4.5 stars
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Buying in the USA? Purchase here
Mastacare Extra Strength Fly Repellent
RRP £10.95 for 500ml
Your Horse’s tester says...
Ease of use: “I found this fly repellent easy to spray straight onto the horse, or it can be applied with a sponge. The spraying mechanism is effective and the repellent has a very pleasant smell of subtle lemon that isn’t at all overpowering. The instructions are easy to follow, although quite vague when it comes to explaining how long it will actually last before it needs to be topped up.” 4 stars
Effectiveness: “This fly repellent has been very effective on my horses when applied twice a day. It doesn’t leave any marks or residue on the coat and after a few days of using it my horse’s coat felt conditioned and even had a healthy shine.” 5 stars
Value for money: “This is a great product and even though I applied it twice a day it is a reasonable price. Achieving an improved coat condition was an added perk which isn’t included in the description. I would definitely recommend it.” 4.5 stars
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Kilchurn Equestrian No Fly Zone
RRP £22 for 1 litre
Your Horse’s tester says…
Ease of use: “I was sent a 1 litre bottle for testing and I used it on two horses. It lasted a few weeks, which I was happy with. I did find the nozzle on the spray a little fiddly to adjust, but once I had it how I liked it the spray was good and it gave decent coverage over my horses’ coats in several squirts.” 4 stars
Effectiveness: “This fly spray has a particularly strong smell that made both of my horses sneeze when it was applied. However, it does seem to be effective and it only needs applying once each day. No Fly Zone is made from a blend of 100% natural ingredients, including neem oil, organic apple cider vinegar, lemon extract and tea. One of my horses is particularly sensitive and I try to use natural products on her wherever possible, so this was a real positive for me. She had no reaction when using this fly spray at all”. 5 stars
Value for money: “This is towards the higher end of price for a fly spray when compared to others I have bought over the years, but as it only needs applying once and 1 litre lasted several weeks, it is good value for money.” 4.5 stars
Cavalor Flyless
RRP £25.99 for 500ml (US$25.29)
Your Horse’s tester says…
Ease of use: “I like the spray mechanism on this fly spray as you get good coverage of your horse’s coat with just a few squeezes of the trigger.” 5 stars
Effectiveness: “I’ve found this to be a very effective fly repellent that seems to last longer than other sprays I have used. After five or six hours, neither of my horses appeared to be bothered by flies even during very hot and humid weather. It did a really good job of keeping away horseflies, which were particularly bad when I was testing this fly spray. I’ve used it on myself too, as it is safe for humans, which is a real plus point. The spray doesn’t leave any residue on the horse’s coat and it boasts a pleasant, clean smell.” 5 stars
Value for money: “The downside of this fly spray is that it is on the pricey side and you can buy repellents that are considerably cheaper. However, you get what you pay for and this is an effective and long-lasting fly spray, so I would buy it again.” 4 stars
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Buying in the USA? Purchase here
Lincoln Power Repel
RRP £22.50 for 500ml (US$20.82)
Your Horse’s tester says…
Ease of use: “This fly spray is easy to use and it covers the horse with a mist of repellent which gives good coverage. I think it has a strong smell — a sharp odour with a hint of lemongrass — which is powerful but not unpleasant. Once applied, the product didn’t leave any residue on my horse’s coat.” 5 stars
Effectiveness: “This repellent works well in normal conditions, but I did have to reapply it on hot and humid days to ensure my horses stayed protected. I normally found myself topping it up in the afternoon when the flies were at their worst, because I could see that my horses were getting irritated. I have to admit that I didn’t find that it offered effective protection for up to 12 hours, which is what the manufacturer claims, but it does a good job when topped up regularly.” 4.5 stars
Value for money: “I like this fly repellent and it works well. It does work out to be on the expensive side when you need to reapply it frequently, but needs must when you want to keep your horses comfortable.” 4 stars
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Buying in the USA? Purchase here
NAF Naffoff Deet Power Performance
RRP from £19.99 for 750ml
Your Horse’s tester says…
Effectiveness: “I have been using this spray regularly and I’ve found it to be really effective. It seems to repel all annoying insects and helps keep my horse happy and comfortable.” 5 stars
Ease of use: “It sprays on to my horse’s coat easily enough. I think the repellent itself is quite thick and I found that it left a white residue on darker coloured horses. I also found it sticky, which attracts dust and meant that it wasn’t ideal for using on my horses when we were competing.” 4 stars
Value for money: “This fly spray is at the higher end of the price spectrum for a fly spray, but it is very effective and so is worth investing in for use on horses who are turned out in fly season.” 4 stars
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Shires Ezi-Groom Citronella Spray
RRP £8.99 for 400ml (US$13.99)
Your Horse’s tester says…
Ease of use: “I didn’t find the spray nozzle particularly powerful on this bottle, and although the spray has a fresh smell to it, it was also quite watery so I needed to apply a lot to get good coverage.” 4 stars
Effectiveness: “The citronella smell did help to keep the flies away, but I didn’t find it quite as effective as some of the other brands I’ve used in the past. It is a nice-smelling fly spray with a blend of natural oils, which I really like. I find it a pleasant fly spray to use, unlike others I have tried in the past.” 4 stars
Value for money: “I think this fly spray is good value for money. It’s at the cheaper end of the market and worth having in your tack room or on the lorry.” 4.5 stars
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Buying in the USA? Purchase here
Leovet Power Phaser
RRP £19.95 for 550ml (US$23)
Your Horse’s tester says…
Ease of use: “I find this fly spray quick and easy to apply. It comes out in a good spray that offers excellent coverage of my horse’s coat in just a few squirts.” 5 stars
Effectiveness: “This repellent has a strong smell which bugs definitely don’t like and it makes them stay away. I found that is is particularly good at keeping horse flies at bay. Once I have applied this fly spray, I found that it has an affect for hours too, which is a positive, as it means I don’t have to top up too regularly and my horses are happy. 5 stars
Value for money: “This fly spray has been so effective that I think it is good value. I like all the active plant ingredients and natural oils that it includes, such as cade oil and pennyroyal oil, which are known to be insect repellents.” 4.5 stars
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Buying in the USA? Purchase here
Carr & Day & Martin Flygard
£13.70 for 500ml
Your Horse’s tester says…
Ease of use: “I love the spray on this product. It is easy to use and big enough to produce a fine mist that covers my horse’s coat quickly and easily.” 5 stars
Effectiveness: “I think this repellent works well; both of my horses seemed less bothered by flies after I had applied it. On hot days I did reapply it in the afternoon to make sure they stayed protected. This fly spray doesn’t have a strong smell and my horses’ coats look amazing thanks to the conditioner it contains.” 4.5 stars
Value for money: “I think this is very good value for an effective fly repellent.” 4.5 stars
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Barrier Super Plus Fly Repellent
RRP £12.62 for 500ml
Your Horse’s tester says…
Ease of use: “I find that the spray on this fly repellent covers the coat well, so you don’t need to use too much in one go. One of its ingredients is avocado oil, which leaves a nice shine to the coat, but no residue, which I really like.” 5 stars
Effectiveness: “This fly repellent has quite a strong smell of cloves, but I like it. I’m pretty impressed by how well this product works, although I did reapply it in the afternoon on warmer days. It also contains only natural ingredients, which is plus.” 4.5 stars
Value for money: “Overall I think this fly repellent is very good value. It works well with no need to coat your horse in it.” 4.5 stars
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Equimins Fly Repellent Extra Strength
RRP £19.92 for 500ml (US$28.86 for 750ml)
Your Horse’s tester says…
Ease of use: “The directions for use of this fly repellent is to apply it using a sponge and then rub onto the horse’s coat, so that is what I did. Obviously, it takes me longer to do this compared to being able to spray it on, but a little of this fly repellent really goes a long way. Directions on the bottle are to apply 15g of repellent over square metre of your horse’s body.” 4 stars
Effectiveness: “I have found that this product works well. It keeps files and bugs at bay for some time. It works really well on mosquitos and midges, which usually irritate my horse on our evening hacks. We don’t have any issues when I apply this fly repellent before we go.” 5 stars
Value for money: “Very good value for an effective repellent and I would buy it again.” 4.5 stars
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Buying in the USA? Purchase here
Equine America Stinger Fly Spray
RRP £19.50 for 750ml (US$14.64)
Your Horse’s tester says…
Ease of use: “This fly spray is simple to apply. The spray is not as fine as some others on the market and I did find that I needed to apply more of it in one go in order to get full coverage of my horse’s coat.” 4 stars
Effectiveness: “This repellent is very good at protecting against flies. I think it has a pleasant smell and the flies seemed to stay away. There has definitely been less tail swishing and head shaking when my horses are wearing this fly repellent. On warm sunny days I did reapply in the afternoon so that it continued to be effective.” 5 stars
Value for money: “There is slightly more product inside this bottle compared to other fly sprays I’ve used, so I think it is good value for an effective fly repellent.” 4.5 stars
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Buying in the USA? Purchase here
Absorbine Ultrashield Green
RRP £25.99 for 946ml (US$29.69)
Your Horse’s tester says…
Ease of use: “I love the spray on this product, because the fan covers a large area of my horse’s coat at a time. It also sprays when you turn it upside down, which is great for applying underneath a horse’s belly.” 5 stars
Effectiveness: “This product has a pleasant fresh smell and it contains all natural ingredients, which I like. It works well enough but it is not as effective as some other fly sprays I have used. I reapplied it halfway through the day and topping it up regularly helped to give my horse some protection from flies. 4 stars
Value for money: “This is one of the pricier fly sprays I have seen, but you won’t waste any thanks to the clever spray.” 4 stars
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Buying in the USA? Purchase here
Nettex Fly Repellent Advanced
RRP £16.98 for 500ml (US$22.19)
Your Horse’s tester says…
Ease of use: “I’ve found that this is a really good spray that gives good coverage. My only complaint is that I did find it left the coat a bit greasy with regular use.” 4 stars
Effectiveness: “This is a DEET-based repellent it has worked well on my horses. Both of them seemed to be much less bothered by flies after I sprayed them. On warmer, sunny days I found that it did need reapplying during the day so that it continued to be effective, otherwise the flies started to bug my horses again.” 4.5 stars
Value for money: “This is a fair price for an effective fly spray. Just be prepared to reapply it during the day, which isn’t always easy for working riders to do as you’re not at the yard all day long. It’s worth having a bottle of this in your tack room to use for riding at the very least.” 4 stars
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Buying in the USA? Purchase here
Best fly sprays for horses: key ingredients
Well-known and effective ingredients used in fly sprays and repellents for horses include:
- Deet. This is a popular choice and is considered to be one of the best fly repellents (and sprays) for horses. Higher percentages will be more effective and last longer.
- Neem. An all-purpose Ayurvedic remedy, neem oil us derived from the seeds of the neem fruit. It provides a non-toxic, environmentally friendly fly repellent that’s also effective for relieving itchy skin.
- PMD. A natural chemical from lemon eucalyptus leaves means PMD smells lovely. Go for a product with high concentration for it to be a long-lasting repellent.
- Permethrin (and cypermethrin) is an example of a ‘pyrethroid’ insecticide. This term refers to a class of synthetic insecticides with a chemical structure tear us similar to natural pyrethrum. Pyrethrum is a natural insecticide produced by the flowers of certain species of chrysanthemum.
Three tips for picking a fly repellent
- Firstly, know your ingredients: insecticides kill, while repellents repel.
- Secondly, look at the percentages on the ingredients list. The higher the concentration of ingredients, the more effective the product is likely to be. It will also make them more expensive, but they should last longer.
- Thirdly, do a patch test on your horse with the fly repellent before you start using it in full. Leave the patch test on for 24 hours to check if your horse has a reaction.
Main image (top): copyright Shutterstock
