How to Protect Your Horse from Flies | Help & Advice | Houghton Country

We spend all winter looking forward to the summer, but with the warmer weather comes new challenges, and fly control is likely to end up a significant part of your summer routine – during your horse’s turnout, in their stable, and while they are being worked. Flies are irritating to your horse – their bites can cause reactions which present as lumps on the skin, and they can cause eye infections as well as sores on sensitive, thin-skinned areas. The good news is flies and the problems they cause can be kept at bay with good management, including using fly deterrents like fly spray or roll on ointment, a good fly rug (also sometimes called a fly sheet), a fly mask, a nose net or fringe for ridden work, fly boots and feeding anti-fly supplements. 

A fly rug is one of the most effective ways you can keep flies away as it creates a physical barrier between annoying insects and your horse. Fly rugs are made of a mesh material that flies cannot penetrate, protecting your horse’s skin. This mesh should be breathable and lightweight as these rugs are designed for wear in warmer weather. Fly rugs can come with a neck cover or hood attached, usually referred to as a ‘combo’ rug, or a detachable neck cover. Most owners want their horse’s neck protected, but you may prefer to detach the neck if you find neck covers typically rub out your horse’s mane. Some fly rugs feature a belly flap to protect the underneath of your horse, where the skin is thin and more likely to suffer from fly bites. Other fly rugs fasten with two or three surcingles like a turnout rug, but an especially sensitive horse may benefit from the extra protection of a belly flap. Some fly rugs offer additional protection around the base of the ears and poll as they feature holes for your horse’s ears to go through, meaning the rug covers the poll and does not slip down the neck.

In recent years, waterproof fly rugs have become available and very popular. While the mesh keeps flies off your horse, the waterproof panel over the horse’s back keeps them dry. With the British weather’s unpredictability, your horse is sure to remain comfortable – these rugs are versatile enough to be the perfect rug for your horse during summer whether it ends up a hot, sunny day, or wet and breezy with cooler temperatures overnight. 

Some fly rugs offer UV protection, which is essential for horses with pink skin, and desirable to protect those with black skin.

For sweet itch sufferers, sweet itch rugs offer enhanced protection from midges when compared with fly sheets. Horses or ponies who suffer from sweet itch react to midge bites, making them incredibly itchy and uncomfortable. It is therefore essential that they are protected as well as can be specifically from midges. Midges are able to bite the horse through the thin mesh of a fly sheet, but sweet itch rugs are thicker while remaining breathable, and so offer superior protection from midges.

Another essential to keep flies away from your horse as much as possible is a good fly spray. The ingredients of these sprays deter insects and soothe the horse’s skin. One ingredient seen in lots of fly sprays that deters insects is DEET, used in products for humans and animals. Another common ingredient is citronella, a smell and taste that insects do not like. A lot of fly sprays additionally contain coat conditioning products to soothe irritated skin or add gloss to the coat, and these ones may be especially beneficial to horses or ponies that suffer from sweet itch to help improve coat condition. All of these sprays can be applied to the horse’s rug and/or surroundings such as the stable walls, and some sprays can be applied directly onto the horse’s skin. Some sprays need to be applied twice a day for maximum effect, while ones designed only for use on the horse’s rug or stable can last up to six weeks.

Creams and roll on ointments are a good alternative for horses who will not tolerate a spray, applied onto the thin-skinned areas that insects target most, such as under the belly, around the udders of a mare or sheath of a gelding or stallion, and around the face and ears. If your horse will tolerate being sprayed, you can apply a layer of ointment as an additional barrier and deterrent on these sensitive areas. 

The horse’s face is covered in sensitive areas, such as the eyes, ears and muzzle, and it is these areas that flies target most. The skin on the horse’s muzzle and around the eyes is thin and so is more prone to being bitten, and eyes are prone to infections from being irritated by flies. It makes sense, then, to protect these areas as much as possible, and a fly mask will certainly help. Fly masks are made of thin mesh, like a fly rug, creating a barrier between insects and the horse’s skin. Ones with ears are available or you may opt for one without if your horse is very sensitive about his ears being touched. Some come with a nose covering to protect the muzzle and nostrils, which is especially helpful if your horse has a pink nose that is prone to sunburn, suffers from a pollen allergy or is often seeing sneezing and snorting in the summer months. Like some rugs, some fly masks are available with UV protection, which is essential to protect a horse with pink skinned areas on his face. Fly masks are not suitable for riding in, but a fly fringe is a helpful addition to the browband of your bridle to allow the horse to swish the flies away more easily. Nose nets or nose filters are also available to protect the nostrils – if your horse is a headshaker or is known to have pollen allergies a nose net may help him in the summer months, with many owners of these sensitive horses swearing by the difference they make. 

Fly boots are available to protect the horse’s legs, meaning between a rug, mask and boots, almost every inch of your horse can be covered and protected from flies. These boots are made of a breathable mesh and most designs fasten with Velcro fastenings to allow for the perfect fit. Like the rugs, some of these boots benefit from UV protection. Fly boots are especially helpful in offering protection if a horse is recovering from a wound on his leg, for example, suffers from sweet itch on his legs, is easily irritated by flies, or you are just keen to give your horse maximum protection.

Anecdotally, feeding garlic or apple cider vinegar to horses helps to keep flies away. There are also supplements designed to not only repel flies but also boost skin health. If flies are really bothering your horse, it may be worth feeding an anti-fly supplement over the spring, summer and autumn months.

Flies love wet and still conditions, so keeping your horse somewhere breezy, like the top of a hill, and away from standing water will make a huge difference. Often, however, the environment is out of our control, and management changes are the best way to try to ensure he is bothered by flies as little as possible. Investing in a good fly rug is advisable for every horse, as is using fly sprays and/or topical ointments. Fly boots, a fly mask and feeding an anti-fly supplement are additional measures you can take to protect your horse from becoming irritated or bitten. Browse our full range of fly protection products here.