What is the best fly spray for horses? This guide explores the most effective and popular options, carefully selected by our VioVet equine experts, to help you choose the right product to protect your horse from flies, midges, and biting insects throughout the season.

Key Takeaways

  • Stronger sprays are best for high fly pressure or exposed turnout.

  • Natural options suit sensitive horses but may need more frequent application.

  • Fly protection is often most effective when using a combination of approaches.

  • Combining sprays with rugs and masks can help provide more consistent coverage throughout the season.

Explore our full range of fly control products for horses to keep your horse comfortable this season.

Why Fly Protection is Important

Flies, midges and biting insects are more than just a seasonal nuisance. They can cause significant discomfort for horses, including:

  • Constant irritation

  • Head shaking

  • Stamping

  • In more severe cases, skin damage or allergic reactions such as sweet itch

  • The common equine skin tumour, Sarcoids, are thought to be spread by flies

“Some flies can also transmit diseases” - VioVet vet Dr Sophie Meers BVetMed MRCVS states. “Blood borne diseases are less of an issue in the UK but eye infections such as conjunctivitis are often caused and spread by flies”.

Effective fly protection helps reduce stress, and improve comfort for your horse throughout the warmer months.

The Best Fly Sprays for Horses

The best fly spray for your horse will depend on the level of protection required and how your horse responds to application.

1. Heavy-Duty Fly Sprays

Heavy-duty fly sprays are best suited to horses that are exposed to high levels of flies, such as those in open turnout, near water, woodland, or in peak summer conditions.

They are also ideal for horses that react strongly to bites or show signs of irritation, stamping, or head shaking.

These sprays typically contain stronger active ingredients and are designed to offer longer-lasting protection, even in hot weather or when horses are sweating.

Product recommendations

  • Leovet Power Phaser Fly Protection - A high-performance fly spray offering up to 7 hours of protection, designed to stay effective even when horses sweat. Ideal for turnout or ridden work in high fly-pressure conditions.

  • NAF Off DEET Power for Horses - A powerful, high-strength repellent designed to provide strong, year-round protection against a wide range of biting insects. Particularly effective during peak summer months.

  • Carr & Day & Martin Flygard Extra Strength - A powerful spray designed to deliver fast-acting, long-lasting protection against midges and biting insects. Twice-daily application recommended for maximum effectiveness.

2. Natural & Sensitive Skin Fly Sprays

Natural fly sprays are best suited to horses with sensitive skin, those prone to irritation, or owners looking for a gentler, plant-based alternative.

While they may require more frequent application, they can be very effective when used consistently or combined with fly rugs and masks.

Product recommendations

horse with flies on their face

Other Ways to Protect Your Horse from Flies

Fly sprays are often an important part of fly control, particularly during peak insect season. Many owners also choose to support protection by combining topical products with physical barriers and good environmental management for more consistent coverage.

  • Gels - Fly gels are ideal for targeted protection, particularly around the face, muzzle, legs and other sensitive areas where sprays may be difficult to apply or wear off more quickly. NAF Off Citronella Gel is a particularly popular option.

  • Rugs - Fly rugs provide a physical barrier that helps prevent insects from landing on the horse’s body, making them one of the most effective long-term fly control solutions.

  • Masks, Veils & Nets - Fly masks protect one of the most sensitive areas of the horse - the face - helping reduce irritation, head shaking and eye discomfort caused by flies and midges.

Ways to Control Flies in the Environment

Alongside topical protection and physical barriers, stable and yard management plays an important role in reducing fly populations and improving overall fly control.

Effective methods include:

  • Regular removal of manure from stables and turnout areas

  • Avoiding stagnant water sources where possible

  • Using stable screens or mesh door covers

  • Stabling horses during peak fly activity (dawn and dusk)

  • Improving ventilation with fans in stables

  • Keeping feed areas clean and dry

These measures help reduce overall fly pressure and make sprays and physical barriers more effective.

Stay Ahead of Fly Season

Fly control is most effective when different approaches are used together, combining fly sprays, gels, rugs, masks and good yard management practices to help keep horses comfortable throughout the season.

Explore our full range of fly control products to help keep your horse comfortable during fly season.

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Written by: VioVet