10 of the best fly sprays we’ve put to the test and found to really work

The best fly sprays for horses are an absolute lifesaver – they are highly effective and long-lasting, which negates the need for constant reapplication. As a horse owner, I know how exciting the warmer weather can be, especially after a long wet winter – but this also means flies. You might have already noticed a few flies and midges flitting around, making a nuisance of themselves.

Flies aren’t just a general nuisance either, as for some horses their bites can lead to reactions, persistent itching and discomfort. With a wide range of flying insects across the country, from midges to horse flies, protecting your horse from flies can present a challenge – so we’ve been searching for the best fly sprays to keep the pests away.

Best fly sprays: H&H’s quick guide

Best overall fly spray: Leovet Power Phaser

Longest lasting and best for midges: Farnam Tri Tec 14

Best natural fly spray: Barrier Super Plus

Best for quiet spray: Equine America Forget Flies

Best fly sprays for horses and their premises

Leovet Power Phaser

Active ingredients: Cade oil/juniper, citriodora oil, geranium oil and pennyroyal oil, DEET and icaridin
Sizes: 550ml, 2.5l
H&H Rating: 10/10, H&H Approved

Reasons to buy

• Long lasting results
• Super effective at keeping flies at bay

Reasons to avoid

• Strong smelling formula might not suit everyone

This blend of effective ingredients provides a long-lasting stay-off effect from all insects, even when your horse sweats. Correctly applied, this product can last up to seven hours. It works against horseflies, ticks and all biting and non-biting flies. Also available in a convenient roll-on form for a stress-free and targeted application.

H&H’s Alex Robinson tested this fly spray and found it was really effective at deterring flies in hot weather. She also said Leovet Power Phaser was probably one of the best fly sprays she’s ever used. It has a strong smell so it isn’t for everyone, but it really works.

This was one of the most effective fly sprays on the market which lives up to its good reputation. Read the full Leovet Power Phaser review – we awarded it H&H Approved status.

Farnam Tri-Tec 14

Active ingredients: Cypermethrin and pyrethrins
Sizes: 600ml, 946ml, 3.8l
H&H Rating: 9/10, H&H Approved

Reasons to buy

• Powerful formula

Reasons to avoid

• Contains strong chemicals that are not licensed for use in the UK on horses

This spray is the leading insecticide in the US. It kills horse flies, mosquitoes, Scottish midges, mites, stable flies, crab flies, deer flies and ticks. The water-based formula can stay in place for up to 14 days, assuming it doesn’t rain or you wash your horse.

While it is widely used on horses in the US, but in the UK it is only approved for premise use around horses. When testing this product, we found it was powerful and effective at repelling flies.

When testing this fly spray Alex found it had long lasting effects and a little goes a long way. While it has a higher price point than any others in this guide, it does offer value for money as it lasts so long.

Read the full Tri-Tec 14 review – we awarded it H&H Approved status.

Barrier Super Plus Fly Repellent

Active ingredients: Eucalyptus citriodora oil
Sizes: 500ml, 1l, 5l
H&H Rating: 9/10, H&H Approved

Reasons to buy

• Suitable for sensitive skin
• Good value
• Nice smell

Reasons to avoid

• Bottle was less durable than others tested

Trusted by many horse owners, this fly repellent deters all flying insects and calms the effects of midge bites. In 2024, they rolled out refreshed labels, bottles and rebranding, but it is the same much-loved product inside. The pleasant-smelling formula contains a blend of concentrated herbal oils, volatile essential oils and pure avocado oil, which is a skin and coat conditioner. The trigger spray has a quiet, fine action, and the formula is also available in a refill bottle.

When testing this fly spray, Alex found it conditioned her horse’s coat a lot more than other fly sprays she tested. While some repellents can be effective, they can dry the coat out and make it tacky on the touch, but this spray would be ideal for using when going to competitions, as it boosted shine on the hair and conditioned the coat, all while repelling flies.

Read her full Barrier Super Plus fly spray review – we awarded it H&H Approved status.

Equine America Forget Flies Silent Spray

Sizes: 750ml, 5l

Reasons to buy

• Silent spray applicator ideal for nervous horses
• No harmful chemicals

Reasons to avoid

• Higher price tag than others

This fly spray is designed for nervous and sensitive horses who dislike the noise of a normal spray – it has a “significantly reduced hiss”. With the help of the latest technology, Forget Flies improves the repelling properties of garlic without the use of chemicals.

With its environmentally friendly composition and refreshing lemongrass scent, this spray offers a natural and reliable solution to keep your horse comfortable and protected.

Absorbine Ultrashield Insecticide

Active ingredients: Permethrin and pyrethrin
Sizes: 946ml
H&H Rating: 10/10, H&H Approved

Reasons to buy

• Fan spray offers maximum coverage
• Formula sticks well to surfaces

Reasons to avoid

• Not licensed for use on horses in the UK

This spray provides what is described as an “instant knock-down” to nuisance insects, as well as a long-lasting protective “shield”. The formula kills and repels biting and nuisance flies, mosquitoes and ticks. In the UK it is marketed for use on equestrian premises, such as stables, barns and dogs’ living quarters, it is licensed for use on horses in the US with positive feedback.

This new bottle provides an ergonomic grip, plus a vertical and horizontal fan spray option, for upside-down usage and hard-to-reach areas, which also makes sure you can use every last drop.

When Alex tested this fly spray, she said it came out in an even, thick mist — thanks to the fan-style sprayer — and coated surfaces well. She found the product lasted a long time (just under three months for one horse) and offered good value for money.

Read the full Absorbine Ultrashield review – we awarded it H&H Approved status.

NAF Off DEET Power Performance

Active ingredients:DEET
Sizes: 750ml, 2.5l, 5l
H&H Review: 9/10, H&H Approved

Reasons to buy

• Long-lasting
• Formula contains DEET

Reasons to avoid

• Bottle was less durable than others tested

This concentrated anti-fly and anti-insect repellent spray from NAF is designed for year-round protection from a wide range of pests – flies, horse flies and insect menace. Contains 19.6% DEET.

Alex tested this fly spray and she found it to be a good all-rounder that is effective in many situations, from protecting from pests out hacking, to using just before a competition on a summer day or applying on exposed areas prior to turnout.

My horses are turned out in an area where we suffer with horse flies. When I apply this fly spray it greatly reduces the amount of flies that land on them and to save money I buy the refill bottle on Amazon and reuse my spray bottle, which has stood up well to regular use. I don’t find the odour too overpowering like some of the other fly sprays on the market.

Read our full NAF Off DEET Power Performance spray review – we awarded it H&H Approved status.

Carr & Day & Martin Flygard Extra Strength Insect Repellent Spray

Active ingredients: DEET
Sizes: 500ml, 1l
H&H Rating: 8/10

Reasons to buy

• Functional and effective spray that coats the body evenly
• Contains DEET

Reasons to avoid

• Effectiveness didn’t last as long as some of the others tested

This spray is described as an effective alternative to a natural-based repellent. The formula offers protection from midges and biting insects and contains the proven, researched active ingredient DEET at an optimum level of 20% for long-lasting protection.

When Alex tested this fly spray, she said the spray mechanism was brilliant; it was hard-wearing, robust and provided an even coating of liquid when sprayed onto the coat. It would survive being passed around on a working yard and would be fine to throw into the lorry without worry that it would leak or spill. We found it was good to use, too, especially on horses who were not keen on sprayers as it was easy to apply and the mist was delicate.

I used this fly spray on a mare that has sensitive skin, it had a pleasant smellm which seemed to last but she still struggled with flies on her legs so I used the Flygard extra strength gel for targeted application with the use of both products, plus a fly rug and boots she was more settled when turned out. We have a high midge problem and I noticed that my horse was bitten more frequently when the fly spray was not applied during the evening while she was stabled.

Read the full Carr & Day & Martin Flygard Extra Strength review.

Nettex Fly Repellent Advanced

Active ingredients: DEET
Sizes: 500ml, 2l
H&H Rating: 8/10

Reasons to buy

• Spray offers good coverage
• Advanced formula for longer lasting results

Reasons to avoid

• You want a DEET-free formula

If you like Nettex’s standard fly repellent, this spray is an advanced DEET-based (14.7%) formula with added moisturisers and conditioners making it ideal for everyday use.

It repels flies, stable flies, and all biting insects. Jamie and Georgi Broom tested the standard formula fly spray, and they found it effective against midges – read the full Nettex fly spray review

Carr & Day & Martin Flygard Protector

Active ingredients: Cypermethrin
Sizes: 1l

Reasons to buy

• Helps eliminate flies in your horse box and stable

Reasons to avoid

• Read the product information before use to ensure you use biocides safely

This heavy duty stable spray is formulated for protecting your horse’s environment from irritating flying and biting insects. The water-based insecticide formula contains cypermethrin, which has a fast acting “knock-down” effect and should provide weeks of protection.

This spray would be ideal for use when your horse is on box rest or handy to have in the lorry when you go out to events or training where they have to stand around for long periods of time making them a target for flying and biting insects.

Lincoln Power Repel

Active ingredients: DEET and PMD
Sizes: 500ml, 1l, 2.5l, 4l

Reasons to buy

• Pleasant lemongrass oil fragrance
• Long-lasting formula

Reasons to avoid

• You want a natural formula

This dual-action formula uses DEET (10%) and PMD (0.9%) to provide effective protection for up to 12 hours. It’s effective against flying insects, midges, gnats, and horseflies, and has a pleasant lemongrass oil fragrance.

Fly repellent ingredients

In the UK there are a lot of restrictions about what can be called a fly repellent, what can be applied to your horse and how companies can talk about different products. This guide includes a full range of fly deterrents and summer sprays – those you can apply to your horse, as well as those that should be applied to his living area or your feed room.

Some products in this guide have been approved for use on animals in the US, while in the UK they are only approved for premise use around horses. Anyone choosing to use the spray in a manner that is not in line with the guidance on the bottle’s label, does so at their own risk.

How to keep flies off horses

Using a range of methods to protect your horse from flies is most effective. Preventing flies from landing in the first instance is the best solution for protecting your horse – in addition to the best fly spray for horses, you can use the best fly gels, lotions or washes as well as one of the best fly masks, best fly rugs and best fly boots to arm your horse with the best possible defence.

Fly gels are particularly handy if your horse is not keen on being sprayed. It can be a case of trial and error to find out what works best for your horse, but once you’ve found a solution you can buy in bulk and save money in the long run.

How to choose the best fly spray

We’ve put many fly sprays to the test to help you find the best option for your horse – and much of this depends on what flies are most troublesome in your area – however, there are a few other considerations, too.

Some of the best fly deterrents contain synthetic active ingredients such as DEET or permethrin, some of which are insecticides, while other sprays contain natural ingredients known to deter a range of flying insects. Some formulas will need to be reapplied more often than others, so while some appear to be more expensive, they may last you a lot longer.

It’s also wise to consider both the bottle and spray type – finding a gentle and quiet spray with good coverage can be the difference between a calm and stressful turnout routine if you have a nervous horse.

Homemade fly repellent recipes

If you’re looking for an alternative to chemical fly sprays to keep the flies at bay. Many horse owners are now choosing to create their own fly repellents using simple, natural ingredients. We’ve compiled a selection of our readers’ most effective and trusted home recipes for fly spray.

• For unlimited access to the latest deals, product news, buying guides and reviews, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You might also like: