When the flies and bugs are out and about, they will likely be around horses. Flies love to take advantage of horses and live on them. Fly control helps prevent adverse health effects on a horse such as diseases transferred from flies, intestinal problems, skin allergic reactions, welts, and eye and nose problems.
Luckily there are many fly control products on the market to prevent fly bites such as fly spray, food additives, fly sheets, fly masks for horses, and topical creams.
Types of Flies That Bother Horses and Humans Alike
There is a variety of flies that can be found year round around horses anywhere in the world.
- House Flies: In the late summer and fall during early morning and late afternoon house flies are the most common, feeding on wet secretions on the horses face and on manure.
- Face Flies: Similar to house flies, these flies feed on horses and cattles wet secretions such as around their eyes and nose. Face flies transmit pink eye between livestock and can cause an overproduction of mucus in the horses eyes.
- Botflies: Botflies lay their larvae on horses to mature and grow. They look like small, white, sand particles and can be found anywhere on the horse. This fly can cause serious intestinal damage as larvae eventually go into the horse’s mouth and into their stomach. They live in the horse’s stomach and intestine feeding on the mucus lining before being pooped out after 8-10 months. They can cause ulcers, digestive problems, and colic.
- Stable Flies: These flies bite on the thin skin around horses legs. The bite is painful and inflicts the kicking and stomping reaction on horses.
- Horse/ Deer Flies: A large, loud buzzing fly that is most common in the Spring around water areas. Horse flies bite and it comes with a punch. If a horse has thin skin or is sensitive they can react to the pain of the bite itself with a jump or bolt forward and can also have a skin reaction swelling in the area of the bite.
- Horn Flies: Horn flies love to bite the horses back, shoulders, and sides.
- Black Flies: These flies will travel up to 10 miles in search of cattle and horses to live off of. Their bite has been known to cause allergic and fatal reactions in horses.
- Mosquitos: Mosquitos are blood sucking, painful biters that can create an itching sensation after a bite. They love to go after horses, especially horses with thin skin.
- Biting Midges: These tiny bugs are nicknamed ‘no see ums’ or ‘gnats’. Despite their size, they can be plentiful and cause lots of bite reactions.
Flies can be found anytime of the year, anywhere, and anytime of the day. Thinking ahead of the flies and preventing them from living off of your horse is important.
During the spring and summer flies are most prevalent reproducing and enjoying the warmer summer air. Knowing how your horse reacts to different flies is important to determine what fly control is best for your horse.
Why Horses Need Fly Control
Horse reactions vary from horse to horse due to differences in the horses skin and hair. Some breeds have thinner skin making them more susceptible to fly bites, such as thoroughbreds. Notice in the spring and summer when the bugs are out if your horse is a major target for bugs. Especially around their face, legs, and belly.
Horses that have a clipped thin coat, or a thinner summer coat of hair will likely have more flies attracted to them as well. The horses coat, mane, and tail all act as a shield and defence system from bugs. If a horse doesn’t have a long enough tail to swat away bugs they will likely get bit more often.
Horse reactions to flies include:
- Welts on the bite spot
- Hives across the horses body
- Diseases: Spread from flies between livestock, if a horse shows any signs of a disease immediately contact a vet. Eye problems such as pink eye can develop.
- Stomach and intestinal problems: Botflies lay larvae that can attach and feed on the horse’s intestine and stomach causing ulcers or colic.
- Overall irritation and anxiety in the horse: A horse can become irritated from flies and bug bites and start bucking, rearing, and kicking. This makes it dangerous to ride the horse or interact with the horse.
Using different methods of fly control to prevent these reactions will keep your horse healthy, calm, and happy. Luckily there are products that dramatically help reduce flies and stop them from biting horses. Fly spray, fly sheets and fly masks, food additives, and swat cream are the 5 forms of fly control.
Fly Spray For Horses
Fly spray is the most common form of fly control that can easily be applied daily or as often as needed. There is a large variety of brands and options on the market ranging from all natural to more heavy duty spray.
Here are our top choices for fly spray:
- Farnam Repel-XP Emulsifiable Fly Spray
Farnam Repel-Xp Emulsifiable Fly Spray is a powerful, effective fly spray that has been the horseman’s choice for more than 30 years. Available in an affordable concentrated liquid, dilute the concentration with water in a spray bottle and spray directly onto the horse. The spray kills on contact and provides protection from a large variety of flies and bugs. It is an oil-based concentration, which makes it effective for 3-4 days after application.
What we love:
- Repels ticks, horn flies, house flies, stable flies, horse flies, gnats, and mosquitoes
- Lasts for 3-4 days
- Cost Effective: Concentrated solution lasts for a while and is available in multiple sizes
- Equicare Flysect Citronella Spray with Lanolin
Equicare Flysect Citronella Spray with Lanolin combines all natural ingredients such as citronella and lanolin to provide fly and bug protection and a sheen on the horses coat. A water-based
What we love:
- Smells good!
- Creates a sheen on the horses coat
- Kills and repels stable flies, horn flies, house flies, face flies, horse flies, mosquitoes, and gnats
- Water based so can easily be washed out
- Good for sensitive skinned horses
Fly Sheets
A fly sheet is a thin blanket that covers the horse’s neck, back, sides, and rump preventing flies from biting the horse. A fly sheet is thin enough that a horse can wear it during hot summer days and protects the horse’s coat from sun damage.
Here is our top choice for the best fly sheet: TuffRider Sport Mesh Combo Neck Fly Sheet
TuffRider Sport Mesh Combo Neck Fly Sheet is a lightweight, mesh fly sheet that keeps the bugs and flies off of the horse’s skins. The fly sheet includes shoulder pads to prevent rubbing, a neck cover, and a tail flap providing full body protection. The sheet also includes a UV reflective fabric helping protect the horse’s coat from UV rays.
What we love:
- Full body coverage from head to tail
- Breathable, strong, soft
- Shoulder lining to prevent rubbing
- UV protection
- Adjustability for any horse size
Fly Masks
A fly mask is made of the same material as a fly sheet and prevents flies from landing on the horse’s eyes and also shades horses with light sensitive eyes.
Top Fly Mask Choices:
- Cashel Crusader Long Nose Fly Mask with Ears
Cashel Crusader Long Nose Fly Mask with Ears is a top rated fly mask providing full eyes, nose, and ear protection from biting flies and gnats. Made from soft nylon micromesh material, the mask won’t rub the horse raw. The mask also provides UV protection and moisture wicking material.
What we love:
- Full eyes, ears, and nose protection
- 70% UV ray protection
- Breathable, moisture wicking material
- Plush fabric on edges and seams to prevent rubbing
- Cashel Quiet-Ride Extended Nose Fly Mask With Ears
Cashel Quiet-Ride Extended Nose Fly Mask With Ears is a sheer, translucent mask providing the horse with full protection on their eyes, ears, and nose while not impeding their vision on the trail or in the shade.
What we love:
- Light design
- Easy to ride with
- Easy to put on over a bridle or halter when working a horse
- Doesn’t impede the horses vision when riding
Fly Repellent Swat Cream
Swat cream can be applied on the horse’s belly where fly spots develop on the thin underbelly skin of a horse. Fly spots are created from flies landing on the horse’s belly constantly on the same spot. Swat is a thick cream that can be applied around wounds, cuts, irritated skin, and sensitive areas such as the horse’s eyes, ears, or nose to repel flies and bugs from biting.
What we love:
- Stays effective for hours
- Able to use on sensitive areas of the horse
- Protects wounds, cuts, and irritated skin from flies and bugs
- Repels house flies, stable flies, face flies, and horn flies
Food Additives
Adding a supplement to a horse’s food can help prevent flies from laying their larvae in the horse’s manure, breaking the lifecycle of the fly’s breeding. Administering a food additive during fly season can help reduce overall flies in the horses living area and is safe to give to horses.
Our choice for a fly preventive food additive: Farnam SimpliFly With LarvaStop
Farnam SimpliFly With LarvaStop is a tasty pellet that is applied on top of grain or the horse’s food and prevents fly larva from forming in the horse’s manure.
What we love:
- Highly palatable for picky eaters
- Reduces fly population by 97-100%
- Easy to add to the horses diet
Finding What Works Best For Your Horse
Each horse will require something different depending on their skin, coat, time of year, where they are kept, and where in the world they are.
Horses that are kept out in pasture typically do best wearing a fly sheet and fly mask so you don’t have to constantly spray them. Horses that are being worked and ridden often it will be easiest to fly spray them a couple times a week. Food additives work great for horses kept in barns, paddocks, or stalls where the manure concentration is highest for flies to lay larvae in.
Next time spring rolls around and you notice the flies and bugs starting to come out, be prepared to see how your horse reacts to them and have a plan to help protect your horse from these pesky bugs.