What is a Natural Fly Repellent for Horses?

Fly sprays are often the first line of defense for keeping flies, midges, and other biting insects from your horse during the summer months. But fly spray ingredients can be deceiving. Some brands might claim their product is an all-natural fly spray for horses but, in reality, those "natural ingredients" are derived from or combined with harsh chemicals that can be potentially dangerous for your horse’s health. The active ingredients used for repelling flies may also result in some uncomfortable side effects that can affect humans, horses, and the environment.

Some horse owners may create their own natural fly spray using essential oils and other ingredients, but unless the portions are exact the end result may not be so effective. A DIY fly spray can get messy and require multiple applications leaving your horse's coat wet, sticky, and uncomfortable.

Conventional Fly Sprays

Most fly spray brands offer two options - chemical fly sprays and natural fly sprays. The former rely on harsh chemicals and pesticides to keep flies from irritating your horse's skin. When flies bite, they can cause skin irritation through their saliva. A rash develops that can be itchy and even lead to hair loss. Horses that are exposed to insects and sustain their bites can also start presenting behavioral issues as the distress of the situation becomes traumatic for them.

So it's no wonder that horse owners want to use the most effective options to protect their horses. But, unfortunately, most fly sprays contain some strong chemicals to ward off flies, mosquitoes, and other common pests, so the solution to the problem may be just as harmful as the problem itself.

The following are some of the common active ingredients in conventional fly spray products:

Permethrins

Permethrins are insecticides made from pyrethroids, which are synthetic products designed to mimic the natural extracts derived from chrysanthemums. These are synthetic chemicals that are potent for killing insects, particularly mosquitoes. However, permethrins have been determined to have a high toxicity on freshwater and estuarine life by the Environmental Protection Agency. These chemicals can also have mild to moderate effects on humans, with sensitive individuals prone to symptoms such as eye irritation, nasal irritation, skin irritation, and respiratory problems, and severe exposure can lead to headaches, vomiting, fatigue, and seizures.

Pyrethrins

Pyrethrins are another insecticide that can be found naturally in chrysanthemums but is made from a series of chemicals that are toxic to most biting insects, as well as fish and other aquatic life in freshwater and estuarine environments. They can also be toxic to honey bees and potentially toxic to felines. Exposure in humans can have similar side effects to permethrins in sensitive individuals through inhalation or direct contact with the skin or eyes.

DEET

This is a chemical compound that has been developed for use by humans and horses as a means for repelling flies, mosquitoes, and biting insects. But like the above chemical fly spray ingredients, DEET (short for diethyltoluamide) presents potentially toxic effects on fish and other waterborne organisms. Since DEET has been designed for use by humans, there are fewer potential side effects that have been found from exposure through consumer products containing this compound.

Natural Fly Repellents

Horse owners have been using natural fly sprays, homemade spray formulas, and other natural options to keep flies and pests away from their horses. Purchasing a store-bought product requires reading the label on the bottle carefully. Many natural fly spray products make strong claims but don't always provide what they offer.

As for natural products that actually deliver on what they promise, not all natural sprays are created the same. Most natural fly sprays on the market contain a mixture of herbal oils, essential oils, and a conditioner that is meant to prevent dry skin and promote a shiny coat. But these products can have an extremely harsh aroma, overpowering to horses and horse owners alike. Some of the products contain such concentrated formulas of these oils that horses attempt to avoid having the spray applied to their bodies. In some instances, the conditioner used in the formula isn't strong enough to keep the coat from drying out and looking dull, and skin irritation is also common in these products.

Another factor to consider is reapplication of the repellent. When you are forced to apply and reapply the formula to your horse multiple times a day, that means it's not as effective as it should be. If your horse doesn't like the smell, each of those application sessions can be a real challenge.

Alternatives to Commercial Fly Sprays

For some horse owners a homemade fly spray is one option. For others, fly traps placed in and around the barn is an option. Both of these are time-consuming and there's no guarantee either one will make a difference. There's also the common sense solution of practicing routine maintenance of stalls and paddocks which means cleaning them regularly and removing anything that creates a strong, foul odor to attract flies and biting insects.

The last solution is certainly a positive step in the right direction and, flies or not, it's extremely important to make sure your horse is living in a clean and safe environment.

BioPower Pet Fly and Pest Prevention for Horses

No strong chemicals. No toxic insecticides. No overwhelming essential oils or citronella oil ingredients. The BioPower Pet Horse Shield Tag and Stall Tag are both completely natural fly repellents that use our proprietary bioresonance energy technology to repel flies, mosquitoes, and all common insects that pose a threat to the health and comfort of your horse.

The Horse Shield Tag

Made from carbon, the Horse Shield Tag has been energetically infused with bioenergetic frequencies that emanate from the Tag to repel pests for one full year. Those bioresonance frequencies are a constant energetic barrier that irritates the nervous systems of insects, driving them away from your horse. Simply attach the Tag directly to the harness of your horse or weave it into your horse's mane to ensure 24 hour protection. Please note: in order for the Tag to be effective, it must be on your horse at all times. The bioresonance energy only protects the wearer of the Tag, it will not extend its benefits to anyone or anything else in the vicinity.

The Horse Stall Tag

Similar to the Shield Tag, the Stall Tag is designed to hang inside your horse's stall to ward off stable flies and insects that are commonly found in and around barnyard areas. The Stall Tag can be hung from anywhere within the Stall as it emits the same bioresonance frequencies that are found in the Shield Tag for 24 hour prevention. Please note: allow three to four weeks for the tags to reach full efficacy in warding off insects.

No Chemical Based Products with the BioPower Horse Shield Bundle

Every horse owner wants what's best for their horse and the BioPower Horse Shield Bundle brings double the protection for keeping your horse safe from the irritation and discomfort of flies and their bites. The Bundle offers a full year of natural fly repellent that doesn't need to be recharged, doesn't contain harsh odors, and doesn't need to be applied multiple times a day. Just attach the Shield Tag to your horse and the Stall Tag inside the horse's stall for maximum protection for 12 months.

Try them today. We're sure you and your horse will love both products. Forget those chemical based repellents and synthetic products. The BioPower Pet Horse Shield is the best and most effective solution.