Fly Control: What You Need to Know

This time of year, horses and their owners are plagued by flies. Here is what you need to know about the many methods of reducing the pest population on your horse property and minimizing their effect on your horses.

Types of Flies

There are the pesky little flies that target the legs (stable flies), others that go for the eyes (face flies), still others that irritate horses' bellies (midges).  There are deer flies (larger than usual flies with a painful bite), horse flies (good grief! they're huge!), bot flies (which lay eggs on horses' legs which are then ingested by the horse and cause intestinal issues), as well as house flies, horn flies, and many more.
Mosquitoes feed most at dawn and dusk and gnats can cause sweet itch, where horses rub out their manes and tails due to irritation.

Fly sprays

The most common method of dealing with flies is to spray horses (and sometimes people) with a fly repellent spray. There are many different brands and formulas.  Some fly sprays are highly toxic and even kill flies, mosquitoes, & ticks and should be handled with care.  Those that are oil-based are better able to provide lasting coverage than those that are water-based, however they are often more toxic to people as well.  There are several all-natural or organic sprays now available, but even these can cause allergic or skin sensitivity reactions like with the recent essential oils issues of SmartPak's new OutSmart Fly Spray (*note: SmartPak pulled the product and is re-evaluating their formula).

My favorite fly spray is Pyranha Wipe & Spray which kills flies as well as repels them.  It also contains Lanolin and is Citronella scented.  However, it can cause flaky skin if applied too frequently or if not periodically rinsed off by rain or a bath.

Feed-through Supplements

Fly predators

Another angle horse owners try is to feed an oral supplement which deters flies like SmartPak's SmartBug-Off and SmartBug-Off Ultra, which contain garlic, apple cider vinegar, Omega 3 fatty acids, and diatomaceous earth to discourage insect breeding in manure. Another option is Simplifly which contains an insect growth regulator to prevent flies from reproducing in manure.  Owners of horse hobby farms and equestrian properties can purchase Fly Predators, bugs which eat fly larvae and do not bother people or horses.  Both Simplifly and Fly Predators work best in isolated situations without neighboring properties with horses or cattle, as in those situations flies can spawn on neighboring properties can fly over to pester your horses.

Fly Wear

My horses wearing sun visors, Cashel leg guards and fly sheets

Many horse owners use fly masks, which keep gnats out of horses' ears and face flies away from their eyes.  Fly masks also function as sunscreen for horses with white on their noses where hair coverage is thin. There are even fly visors, with a solid area over the forehead to provide additional sun protection.  
In addition, fly sheets protect the body of the horse from biting flies. Look for one with a bellyband if your horse is particularly sensitive to sweet itch, although be warned that geldings might pee on them! Especially small mesh, like these from Schneider's Tack, provides protection against mosquitoes.  

If you horse tolerates wraps around his or her legs, fly wraps can prevent stomping to shake off stable flies. My favorite is the Cashel leg guards, which actually stay up because they're well-contoured and come in sizes from pony to draft.

Cashel leg guards

Manure Management

One of the most tried and true methods of controlling the fly population at your hobby farm is to remove manure regularly from stalls and paddocks and if possible to move it off the property all-together. Flies breed in horse manure.  Similarly mosquitoes breed in standing water so you can reduce their population by directing waterflow and minimizing puddles.  Goldfish in water tanks can also limit your mosquito population on your property.

Conclusion

From the internal protection of feed-through supplements to the external protection of fly repellents and fly sheets and fly predators, there are many ways to reduce the fly population on your hobby farm or boarding stable.  

Do you want to buy your own horse property so you can manage your horse's exposure to pests?  Browse hobby farms for sale here.