Which is fly sprays are the best for protecting horses against pesky flies and other bugs? It’s a commonly asked question and there are plenty on the market claiming to do a good job.
To find out which really work, Your Horse’s team of independent owners and riders used a selection of fly sprays as part of their horse care routine 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.
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 choosing a fly repellent, further down the page.
The Your Horse test: fly sprays and repellents
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.
Fly Free Equine Fly Spray
Your Horse’s tester Rachael Turner says…
“I’ve been applying this spray on to my hairy cob in the mornings when the weather is due to be warm and it seems to be very effective. I’ve noticed a visible reduction in the number of flies on my horse and as a result haven’t been using his fly mask very often. It seems to have good staying power too so I don’t feel the need to re apply. This is ideal as I am always short on time, so a quick spray when he has his morning feed is all that is needed.
“He seems very content without being plagued by flies and doesn’t rub his face shake his head as he has on previous years when there are lots of bugs landing on him. I’ve also not been feeding any fly-deterring supplements as in previous seasons, so I can’t help thinking the spray has played a big part in this.
“I think this represents good value for money. The cheaper popular brands are around the same price point, with many more expensive products on the market, so I think you would struggle to find a more affordable fly spray.”
Read the full review of this fly spray
RRP £12.95 for 750ml
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Eqyss Premier Marigold Spray
Your Horse’s tester says…
“This product is quick and easy to apply and the spray in the bottle gives great coverage over the horse’s coat.
“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.
“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.”
RRP £22.95 for 946ml (US$24.99 for 32oz)
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Buying in the USA? Purchase here
Mastacare Extra Strength Fly Repellent
Your Horse’s tester says...
“I found this fly repellent easy to spray straight onto my 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.
“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.
“I think 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.”
RRP £18.59 for 500ml (offer price)
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Kilchurn Equestrian No Fly Zone
Your Horse’s tester says…
“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.
“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.
“Although this is towards the higher end of price for a fly spray when compared to others I have bought over the years, as it only needs applying once and 1 litre lasted several weeks, I think it is good value for money.”
RRP £22 for 1 litre
Cavalor Flyless
Your Horse’s tester says…
“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. I’ve found it 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 horse flies, 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.
“The slight downside of this fly spray is that it is on the pricey side and you can buy repellents that are cheaper. However, you get what you pay for and this is an effective and long-lasting fly spray, so I would buy it again.”
RRP £25.99 for 500ml (US$25.29)
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Buying in the USA? Purchase here
Lincoln Power Repel
Your Horse’s tester says…
“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.
“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.
“Overall 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.”
RRP £22.50 for 500ml (US$21.27)
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Buying in the USA? Purchase here
NAF Naffoff Deet Power Performance
Your Horse’s tester says…
“I have been using this fly spray regularly and I’ve found it to be really effective for my horses. It seems to repel all annoying insects and helps keep them happy and comfortable.
“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.
“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.”
RRP from £19.99 (US$40) for 750ml
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Buying in the USA? Purchase here
Shires Ezi-Groom Citronella Spray
Your Horse’s tester says…
“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. 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.
“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.”
RRP £8.99 for 400ml (US$13.29)
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Buying in the USA? Purchase here
Leovet Power Phaser
Your Horse’s tester says…
“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.
“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 is effective for hours too, which is a positive, as it means I don’t have to top up too regularly and my horses are happy.
“This fly spray has been so effective while I have been using it 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.”
RRP £19.75 for 550ml (US$9 for 75ml roll on)
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Buying in the USA? Purchase here
Carr & Day & Martin Flygard
Your Horse’s tester says…
“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. I think it works well as a fly repellent. 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. I think this is very good value for an effective fly repellent.”
RRP £13.70 for 500ml
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Barrier Super Plus Fly Repellent
Your Horse’s tester says…
“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.
“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.
“Overall I think this fly repellent is very good value. It works well with no need to coat your horse in it.”
RRP £12.99 for 500ml
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Equimins Fly Repellent Extra Strength
Your Horse’s tester says…
“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.
“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.
“I think this is very good value for an effective repellent and I would buy it again.”
RRP £19.92 for 500ml (US$28.86 for 750ml)
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Buying in the USA? Purchase here
Equine America Stinger Fly Spray
Your Horse’s tester says…
“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.
“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.
“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.”
RRP £19.50 for 750ml (US$14.64)
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Buying in the USA? Purchase here
Absorbine Ultrashield Green
Your Horse’s tester says…
“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.
“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.
“This is one of the pricier fly sprays I have seen, but you won’t waste any thanks to the clever spray.”
RRP £26.50 for 946ml (US$29.69)
Buying in the UK? Purchase here
Buying in the USA? Purchase here
Nettex Fly Repellent Advanced
Your Horse’s tester says…
“I’ve found that this is a really good fly spray that gives good coverage for horses. My only complaint is that I did find it left the coat a bit greasy with regular use.
“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.
“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.”
RRP £16.98 for 500ml (US$22.19)
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)
This 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.
