I saw this graph one year, so I tried Ecovet and Outsmart. Ecovet makes me sick, it is so disgusting. It may work, but not enough to endure spraying it. LOL So, I use OutSmart. It is nontoxic and plant based. It smells nice, and it is safe to apply to myself as well. It works very well here in South Georgia where the gnats are horrible, the mosquitos can carry you away, and the flies are abundant.
We like Flicks. My guy is super sensitive to fly spray and this is the only one that doesn’t make his skin peel. https://www.pbsanimalhealth.com/products/flicks-all-natural-essential-oil-horse-spray
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Current BO does not allow “chemical” fly sprays. For some reason, EcoVet is in that category to her; otherwise that would be my choice. Fly Bye Plus may meet with her approval. I use Freedom 45 every 10 days year round, but it’s better against ticks than flies. I tried the Equiderma spray but it really only worked in the exact areas on the horse where it was sprayed.
What helped a lot was fly masks, a fly sheet if it was not too hot (I got a Turtleneck that is awesome, but mare has sweating issues so she could not wear it in the daytime if it got really hot), and fly boots. I used Shoo-fly boots but their quality has declined. Somewhere in the forum, there is a suggestion for another brand, but I can’t find it right now. We also used a lot of Zephyr’s Garden solid fly repellent on areas that flies were especially attracted to, like midlines on the belly and the chest.
Horses are out 24/7 but have nice big sheds with solar powered fans in them. That helps. And when flies are really bad, my mare has a Cashel Fly-Ride getup for her walks. I don’t ride her, so use a surcingle and tie it to the rings.
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Technically speaking, that combination of oxygen and 2 hydrogen molecules could be considered a “chemical”!
Ain’t faulty logic the best?
Add me to the ecovet crowd, and the newer version isn’t as bad as the old version but nobody wants a snootful of it. I hold my breath as I spray each side. I do keep endure or pyranha on hand for after baths because they are still wet when I kick them back out
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They don’t even have to be sweaty.
@hemitheconyxcaudicinctus I can’t see how the spay is gong to go from your horse into the underground water supply or make it to the ocean, honestly.
I have tried the make it yourself versions but went back to Gordons oil based spray and use it only as needed. it works.
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Stomp stoppers.
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I had almost no flys last year using fly predators, between fly sheets, masks, fly boots there isn’t much horse left to land on.
In stalls they have fans.
B52’s and Bot flys are still an issue but not much stops them.
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Thank you!
The new “odor” is much better, less irritating, than the original formula.
I agree, but I think it’s a bit less effective than the older smellier version.
What are these solar powered fans you speak of?
I’ve had good luck with this. It’s probably my favorite “natural” fly spray.
I try to use “green” fly sprays when I can, but not exclusively. Almost none of them help with ticks. Most of them have limited effectiveness. So I keep the regular stuff on hand as well.
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I’ll ask my BO for info.
I agree! I honestly want the old one back. It’s easy enough to avoid the irritation by making sure you’re in an open space and not downwind. And going quick then get out of there lol.
Honestly it was never about the smell for me, it’s just a bit irritating for a second if you inhale it, which I still find to be true even though they added a different scent.
Bought from a place called Western Harmonics. They are also working on a solar-powered bucket heater. The fans are not super high powered, but enough to cool the air a bit and discourage bugs.
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The last time the topic of fly sprays came up, it turned out that other than Ecovet and the “essential oil natural” ones, all equine fly sprays use pyrethrins that break down very fast in sunlight. Hence the importance of the carrier. I don’t think pyrethrins are particularly toxic to the environment because they break down in a couple of hours. Hence why most fly sprays are disappointing.
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Nope, a significant number use permethrins, which are synthetic pyrethrins, and persist beyond pyrethrins.
Ok, thanks for the correction! Interesting! Don’t take your flysprayed horse swimming in the lake!
Thank you!
There seems to be a lot of confusion on what a “watershed“ is. It’s not just the water. It’s the land region that drains into a large body of water. Concern for the watershed is concern for both the water and the surrounding land.
Sorry for directly quoting you, @Scribbler. Lots of people upthread were hyper-focused on the “water” part of the word “watershed.”
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