Summer bugs — no fun for your horse, and no fun for you.
How about some natural fly repellent? Here are three homemade fly repellents for your horse to give a try. Some contain essential oils, some contain dish-soap, some Avon’s Skin-So-Soft. Where you live and the kind of insects you have in your area. Horsemen in mosquito-prone areas often swear by Skin-So-Soft, while barns that only have a minor fly problem might get away with little more than soapy water.
Keep in mind that every horse (and person!) is different and be sure not to use any ingredients that have irritated your horse’s skin in the past. And we can’t make any scientific claims for the efficacy of these fly spray recipes — everyone seems to have their own secret formula!
Fly Spray Recipe #1: Soapy Goodness
You probably already have most of these ingredients in your tack room (or kitchen).
Take a 32 ounce spray bottle and add:
– 1 tablespoon of Ivory Soap
– 1 cup of white or apple cider vinegar
– 6 caps of Avon’s Skin-So-Soft
Top it off with water and give it a good shake.
Fly Spray Recipe #2: U.S. Forest Service Bug Spray
Does the United States Forest Service really endorse this homemade bug spray? The Internet sure thinks so–it shows up under this name on multiple websites.
Eucalyptus oil can be found at natural food stores. Pure Citronella oil is commonly carried at many tack stores now. This is not the Citronella oil found at hardware stores for garden torches–that contains petroleum.
Take a 32 ounce spray bottle and add:
– 1 cup Avon Skin-So-Soft
– 2 cups vinegar
– 1 tablespoon Eucalyptus Essential Oil
– 3 tablespoons Citronella Oil
-Shake well before using to mix the oil and vinegar as much as possible.
Fly Spray Recipe #3: Essential Oil Floral Fly Blend from Experience-Essential-Oils.com
This website offers a wealth of information on using essential oils. Here’s a fly spray recipe that should, at the very least, make your horse smell fantastic.
Take a 32 ounce spray bottle and add 5-10 drops of the following essential oils:
– Idaho Tansy
– Geranium
– Sandalwood
– Lavender
– Rosemary
– Lemon
Top it off with water and shake it up.
For more homemade fly spray recipes, visit:
Experience Essential Oils: http://www.experience-essential-oils.com/homemade-fly-spray.html
Moniteau Saddle Club: http://www.moniteausaddleclub.com/flyspray_recipes.htm
The Naturally Healthy Horse: http://thenaturallyhealthyhorse.com/homemade-fly-spray-recipes-horses/
How often do you spray the horse?
Usually, the recommended application for commercial fly sprays are 1-2 times a day. However, since homemade fly sprays do not contain harsh chemicals, you may be tempted to apply it more often. There is no official recommendation for applying homemade fly spray, but we advise testing it on a small patch of skin on your horse first and monitoring that there are no allergic reactions before reapplying.
Ran out of Skin So Soft. Can I sub baby oil?
Baby oil may not be as effective in repelling insects due to its different composition; it lacks the specific insect-repelling properties found in Skin-So-Soft, such as Citronellol and Limonene, which are commonly used in many insect repellents. As an alternative, you might consider using natural bug repellents/essential oils like citronella, eucalyptus, and lemongrass. Just be sure to follow the recommended dilution rates for any new product and test it on a small area of your horse’s skin to ensure it doesn’t cause irritation or an allergic reaction.