You are here: Home / Articles / Horse care

Home-made fly spray recipes

10 September, 2007

Horse & Hound has not tested any of the following fly spray recipes and strongly recommends that you do a small patch test on your horse with any home-made fly spray. Readers use these recipes at their own risk. Horse & Hound cannot be held responsible for any allergic or other reactions that result from using these recipes.

Alison Elverson from Nottingham suggests:

• 300ml citronella (available from most pharmacies)

• 25ml lavender oil (also available from most pharmacies)

• 4tbsp vinegar

• 6tbsp Dettol

• 2 cups of cold strong tea

Pour into a 2litre plastic pop bottle and top up with water, then decant what you need into a spray bottle when needed.

Adrienne Stewart from East Sussex suggests:

• 15ml citronella

• 2tbsp methylated spirit

• 1tbsp washing up liquid

• 4tbsp vinegar

• 1/2 pint strong tea

Mix together and make up to 2litres with tap water.

Beth Barnett from Hereford suggests:

• 3tbsp citronella

• 4tbsp methylated spirit

• 2tbsp washing up liquid

• 8tbsp malt vinegar

• 2 mugs of strong tea

• 2 litres of water (approx)

Theresa Fryer, by email, suggests:

• 250 ml of Avon Skin So Soft and Fresh bath oil (can be halved if midges are not bad, or your horse does not react to midges)

• 5 caps of dettol

• 1 teaspoon each of lavender, tea tree, citronella, cedar wood and eucalyptus.

• Top up to one litre with either water or cold tea

Spray twice a day and keep shaking regularly to keep the oils mixed.

Do you have a home-made fly spray recipe that you swear by? Share your fly spray recipes in the H&H forum

Protecting your horse from flies

Related articles:

• 'Beautiful bottomed' horsefly named after singer Beyonce
• 'Fly grazing' horses cause £12,000 of damage
• More foxes being killed in Scotland than before the ban
• Case of low-flying planes over racehorses is now closed
• Low-flying aircraft still causing problems to riders
• Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum retires Shutterfly at Aachen
• Good news for riders as low-flying aircraft numbers decrease
• German riders dominate first round of World Cup final
• Donate a fly fringe to help horses in Honduras
• Three winners for Ruby Walsh at the Cheltenham Festival

Printer friendly version