Flies can make turnout time miserable for your horse — and they can be annoying for us too. To help ease the irritation you’re likely to use a fly repellent, but with so many available, which one do you spend your money on?
To help you find an effective one our testers have tried out eight over the past few months. Read on to find out how they rated each of them and which one is highly recommended.
Each fly repellent is marked out of five for ease of use, effectiveness, and value for money. This gives an overall rating out of 15.
Our winner is…
1. LEOVET POWER PHASER
RRP £20 for 550ml
Ease of use: Quick and easy to apply. A very good spray that offers excellent coverage 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. It’s particularly good at keeping horse flies at bay. The effect seems to last for hours too, which is a positive. 5 stars
Value for money: A little more expensive but it’s effective, so good value. 4.5 stars
Total score: 14.5
2. CARR & DAY & MARTIN FLYGARD
RRP £12.49 for 500ml
Ease of use: Love the spray on this one — it produces a fine mist that covers the coat quickly and easily. 5 stars
Effectiveness: This repellent works well — both of my horses seemed less bothered by flies. On hot days I did reapply it in the afternoon. It doesn’t have a strong smell and their coats look amazing thanks to the conditioner it contains. 4.5 stars
Value for money: Very good value for an effective fly repellent. 4.5 stars
Total score: 14
3. BARRIER SUPER PLUS FLY REPELLENT
RRP £13.42 for 500ml
Ease of use: The spray covers the coat well so you don’t need to use too much. It contains avocado oil which leaves a nice shine, not residue. 5 stars
Effectiveness: This fly repellent has quite a strong smell of cloves but I like it. I’m pretty impressed at 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: Very good value — works with no need to coat your horse in it. 4.5 stars
Total score: 14
4. NAF DEET POWER
RRP £17.99 for 750ml
Ease of use: A big bottle that’s easy to hold. Initially it didn’t spray very evenly but this has improved as the amount of liquid in the bottle has gone down. 4 stars
Effectiveness: This fly repellent is excellent. I only had to apply it once a day — the effects really last. The smell is a little chemically, but the flies don’t like it. 5 stars
Value for money: Very good value for an effective fly repellent. 5 stars
Total score: 14
5. EQUIMINS FLY REPELLENT EXTRA STRENGTH
RRP £15.73 for 500ml
Ease of use: This one recommends you apply using a sponge, and to rub onto the coat. This takes a little longer than spraying but a little goes a long way. 4 stars
Effectiveness: This works well and keeps the bugs at bay for some time. It works really well on mosquitos which irritate my horse on our evening hacks, but no a problem if I apply this before we go. 5 stars
Value for money: Very good value for an effective repellent. 4.5 stars
Total score: 13.5
6. EQUINE AMERICA STINGER FLY AND INSECT REPELLENT
RRP £16.99 for 750ml
Ease of use: Simple to apply. The spray is not as fine as some others tested so I did find I applied more to get the coverage on my horse’s coat. 4 stars
Effectiveness: This repellent is very good. It has a pleasant smell to it and the flies stay away, there is definitely less tail swishing and head shaking when my horses are wearing this repellent. On warm sunny days I did reapply in the afternoon. 5 stars
Value for money: Good value for an effective fly repellent. 4.5 stars
Total score: 13.5
7. ABSORBINE ULTRASHIELD GREEN
RRP £25.03 for 946ml
Ease of use: Love the spray on this one; the fan covers a large area. It also sprays upside down — great for under your 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 is not as effective as some others in this test. I reapplied it halfway through the day. 4 stars
Value for money: One of the pricier ones, but you won’t waste any thanks to the clever spray. 4 stars
Total score: 13
8. NETTEX ADVANCED FLY REPELLENT
RRP £18.10 for 500ml
Ease of use: A good spray giving good coverage, but I did find it left the coat a bit greasy. 4 stars
Effectiveness: A DEET-based repellent that works well — both horses seemed much less bothered by flies. On warmer, sunny days it did need reapplying. 4.5 stars
Value for money: Fair price — just be prepared to reapply during the day. 4 stars
Total score: 12.5