OK to use Deet (Off!) short term on horses?

[Calvincrowe]

We have had a sudden onset of mosquitoes here in my area (PNW)…as in, boom! one day none, last night, thousands of little, tiny, biting annoyances. I couldn’t get from the house to the barn (about 75 feet) without a slap fest on my arms and face.

I put the horses in their stalls with fans on high, and gave the a heavy spray of Mosquito Halt horse spray around 7:00pm. By 9pm, their was squealing, kicking and spinning going on as they boys were surrounded by a virtual cloud of mosquitoes!! I grabbed a can of Off! and liberally sprayed both geldings. Ahh… no more mosquitoes bugging them.

So…did I just poison them? Can I squirt them again if I need to? Thoughts welcome!

[Jarpur]

According to this fact sheet, yes:

fs_PC-080301_1-Apr-98.pdf

I’ve used it a couple of times on my horses, when hauling out to trail ride in an area known for horseflies (which we fortunately don’t have at home). Seemed to work fine, and there were no noticeable ill effects.

[Texarkana]

I used to use it sparingly on my horses when they lived somewhere with a terrible tick problem.

[LCDR]

Of course you can. Most of us use carcinogenic chemicals on our horses that would not pass muster if used on humans. The relatively short lifespan of a horse just means that very few will have enough cumulative exposure to result in cancer or other complications before they die of natural causes.

[NancyM]

I buy it when Costco puts it on sale, for use on horses. Works better than anything else.

[PaddockWood]

I’ve been using it lately too - sparingly. On their neck and chest. Wipe it on my hands and apply to face. Not seeing any ill effects.