DIY Fly Spray

Flies ruin a good day with a horse. They buzz, they land, they bite, and even the calmest animal starts stomping, twitching, and swishing until it can’t settle. Nobody wants to watch an equine companion put up with that all afternoon, which is exactly why a reliable fly deterrent matters so much for your horse’s comfort and happiness. Plenty of ready-made sprays sit on the tack-shop shelf, but you can also mix your own at home. The recipe is usually simple, the ingredients are often already in your cupboard, and you know exactly what ends up on your horse’s coat. This guide walks through how to make a homemade fly spray that keeps the pests moving along. Ready-made sprays certainly have their place, and plenty of owners use them happily. A homemade version simply gives you another option, one you can adjust bottle by bottle.

Why Flies Cause So Much Trouble for Horses

Flies are far more than a nuisance, because one bad afternoon can leave a horse stressed, itchy, and sore. Here is what they do:

• Irritation: Constant buzzing and landing wears a horse down. Expect stomping, skin twitching, lots of tail swishing, and rubbing against anything handy in a bid to shake the flies off.
• Bites: Horse flies, deer flies, and stable flies bite to feed on blood. The bites hurt and itch, and they can leave small bumps or even wounds.
• Skin Problems: Biting and itching lead to scratching, and a horse that rubs hard enough will break the skin and invite infection. Some horses also react allergically to fly bites, which brings worse itching and swelling.
• Disease: Everyday house flies are a smaller worry, but certain types of fly can carry and spread disease. Keeping them off your horse lowers that risk.
• Distraction: A horse busy swatting flies can’t concentrate on training, eating, or resting properly.

Keeping flies off your horse is part of responsible ownership. It keeps your horse calm, healthy, and comfortable, and that is exactly why homemade sprays are worth a close look. A horse standing in a field can’t escape the problem on its own, so the job of protecting it falls to you.

What Makes Homemade Fly Spray Worth the Effort

Mixing your own spray gives you control over every ingredient, and that control is the real payoff. More reasons stack up behind it.

• You Know What’s Inside: You choose every ingredient, so you can skip any chemical you would rather not put on your horse’s skin. That makes it easy to keep the treatment gentle and natural.
• Gentler on Sensitive Skin: Plenty of horses have touchy skin, just as some people do, and certain store-bought sprays are simply too strong for them. A homemade recipe lets you pick mild, natural ingredients that sit more kindly on the coat.
• Customizable: If one ingredient works better on your horse, or your horse hates a particular smell, you can change the recipe. Swap one oil for another, change the strength, and keep notes on what works. You run the kitchen here.
• Good for the Environment: Natural ingredients are usually the more eco-friendly option, so fewer harsh chemicals end up around your stable and pastures.

Making your own spray is a hands-on way to look after your horse, and you get the comfort of using ingredients you trust.

Key Ingredients for Homemade Fly Spray

Most homemade fly sprays rely on the same ingredients, and each one has a specific job. Knowing that job helps you build a better spray, so here are the usual suspects.

Vinegar (Apple Cider Vinegar or White Vinegar)

Vinegar is the workhorse of homemade fly sprays, and both apple cider vinegar (ACV) and white vinegar do the job. Here is why it earns its place:

• Flies Hate the Smell: The sharp, pungent smell of vinegar drives flies off. It may seem strong to us at first, yet it fades quickly, and flies are far more sensitive to it than we are.
• Safe and Natural: Vinegar is non-toxic and safe on your horse’s coat and skin. Some people even use it as a rinse to add shine.
• Acidity: Its mild acidity may help balance the pH of the skin, which can also put flies off.

Essential Oils

Essential oils are concentrated plant extracts with a very strong smell, and flies find many of them unpleasant. This is where you get to experiment and find the scents your horse tolerates best.

• Citronella: This is the classic fly-repellent scent, familiar from outdoor candles. It works well against many flying insects.
• Lemongrass: The fresh, lemony, grassy scent is close to citronella and just as unwelcome to flies.
• Peppermint: Flies and other bugs dislike the sharp, minty smell, and the oil can feel cool and refreshing on the skin.
• Eucalyptus: Its strong, camphorous scent is known to put insects off.
• Lavender: People love the smell, but many insects, flies included, do not. The oil can also calm a horse and is gentle on the skin.
• Tea Tree Oil: The strong, medicinal scent comes with antiseptic properties, and many insects dislike it. It is potent, so use it in smaller amounts.

Important Note about Essential Oils: Always dilute essential oils in a carrier liquid such as water, vinegar, or witch hazel before they touch your horse. Straight from the bottle they are too strong and can irritate the skin. A good rule of thumb is a few drops per cup of liquid.

Witch Hazel

Witch hazel is a liquid made from the witch hazel plant, and it turns up in skincare products because it is gentle and soothing. In a fly spray it pulls double duty:

• Carrier: It carries essential oils well, helping them blend with water and spread evenly.
• Skin Soother: It calms the skin, which is a bonus when your horse has minor irritation from bug bites.

Rubbing Alcohol

Rubbing alcohol belongs in a fly spray only in small amounts, and it earns that spot in the following ways:

• Evaporation: It helps the spray dry fast on the coat.
• Mixing Agent: It helps essential oils blend with water.

Caution: Use rubbing alcohol sparingly and dilute it well. Skip it altogether if your horse has open wounds, because it stings.

Dish Soap (Very Small Amount)

A tiny drop of mild dish soap is all a fly spray needs:

• Emulsifier: Soap helps oil and water mix, so the oils don’t just float on top and the spray stays well blended. Keep the amount very small, since too much leaves your horse’s coat sticky.

Once you know what each ingredient does, you can choose and combine them to suit your own horse. Safety and effectiveness come first, always.

Safety Tips to Follow Before You Spray

Natural ingredients still need careful handling, so follow these rules every single time:

1. Patch Test Always: Test anything new first, the way you would with a new shampoo for your own hair or for your horse’s mane and tail, such as our Reluxe Mane & Tail Shampoo or Reluminate Shampoo. Spray a little of your homemade mixture on a small, less sensitive spot, like the neck or chest. Then wait 24 hours and look for redness, itching, swelling, or any other bad reaction.
2. Avoid Sensitive Areas: Never spray straight into the eyes, nostrils, or ears, because those areas irritate easily. To treat near them, spray onto a cloth first and wipe it on gently.
3. Dilute, Dilute, Dilute: Essential oils are powerful. Always dilute them with water, vinegar, or witch hazel, and never put them on your horse’s skin undiluted.
4. Store Properly: Keep the spray in a cool, dark place out of direct sunlight. Label the bottle clearly with what is inside and the date you made it.
5. Watch Your Horse: After you start a new spray, keep an eye on how your horse responds. Does your horse stay comfortable? Is the spray working? Does the skin show any irritation? Every horse is different.

These steps keep your homemade fly spray a safe, pleasant experience for your horse.

Homemade Fly Spray Recipes to Try

These easy recipes are a starting point, so adjust the essential oils to what you have on hand and what your horse likes. Always start with a clean spray bottle.

Recipe 1: The Basic Bug-Off Vinegar Blast

This simple, strong spray leans on the power of vinegar. It is quick to mix, and the ingredients are easy to find.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Apple Cider Vinegar (or White Vinegar)
• 2 cups Water
• 10-15 drops Citronella Essential Oil (optional, for extra punch)
• 1 teaspoon Mild Dish Soap (optional, helps everything blend)

Instructions:

1. Pour the vinegar and water into your spray bottle.
2. Add the citronella essential oil and the dish soap if you are using them.
3. Screw the cap on tightly and shake well to combine everything.
4. Remember to patch test before full use!

Why it works: Vinegar does the main repelling here, and citronella adds extra punch. The water dilutes the vinegar to a safe strength, and the tiny bit of dish soap helps it all blend.

Recipe 2: The Essential Oil Aroma Shield

This recipe leans harder on essential oils, carried in a soothing witch hazel base.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Witch Hazel
• 1 cup Water
• 15 drops Lemongrass Essential Oil
• 10 drops Peppermint Essential Oil
• 5 drops Lavender Essential Oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Mild Dish Soap (optional)

Instructions:

1. Combine the witch hazel and water in your spray bottle.
2. Add all the essential oils.
3. Add the mild dish soap if you are using it.
4. Close the bottle and shake very well until everything is combined.
5. Always patch test first!

Why it works: Witch hazel is gentle on the skin and helps the oils blend. Lemongrass and peppermint repel flies strongly, while lavender adds a pleasant scent and puts insects off too. The mix smells great to us and awful to flies.

Recipe 3: The Gentle Skin Soother Spray

This recipe suits horses with sensitive skin because it uses more soothing ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups Witch Hazel
• 1.5 cups Aloe Vera Juice (not gel, for better sprayability)
• 10 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil
• 10 drops Lavender Essential Oil
• 5 drops Eucalyptus Essential Oil

Instructions:

1. Pour the witch hazel and aloe vera juice into your spray bottle.
2. Add the essential oils carefully.
3. Seal the bottle and shake thoroughly so everything mixes evenly.
4. Don’t forget the patch test!

Why it works: Aloe vera juice soothes the skin, and witch hazel is gentle too. Tea tree and eucalyptus deter insects well, and lavender adds a calming note. The result is a very mild spray that still gets the job done.

You can swap essential oils between these recipes. If you have no citronella, for example, use more lemongrass or peppermint. Start with one recipe, watch how your horse responds, and tweak it from there until you find the fly spray your horse likes best.

Fly Spray Ingredients at a Glance

This handy table sums up what each ingredient does, so you can check it quickly while you mix:

Ingredient	Main Purpose in Fly Spray	Notes for Use
Apple Cider Vinegar	Flies hate the smell, so it works as a natural deterrent.	The scent is strong but fades, and the vinegar is safe and natural.
White Vinegar	It deters flies naturally.	It works like ACV but offers fewer skin benefits.
Citronella Oil	It gives off a strong insect-repelling scent.	It is the classic fly repellent and works very well.
Lemongrass Oil	It smells pleasantly lemony, and flies dislike it.	It makes a good alternative to citronella or a good addition.
Peppermint Oil	Its strong minty scent deters insects.	It can also feel cooling on the skin.
Lavender Oil	Its sweet scent calms the horse and deters some insects.	It is gentle and suits sensitive skin.
Tea Tree Oil	Its strong medicinal scent repels insects.	It is very potent, so use it sparingly.
Eucalyptus Oil	Its strong camphor-like scent deters insects.	The scent is refreshing.
Witch Hazel	It carries essential oils and soothes the skin.	It makes a gentle base and helps oils and water mix.
Aloe Vera Juice	It soothes the skin and adds a gentle liquid base.	It suits sensitive skin well.
Mild Dish Soap	It acts as an emulsifier, so oil and water mix.	Use only a tiny drop, because too much makes the spray sticky.

How to Apply Your Homemade Fly Spray Correctly

Mixing the spray is only half the job, and applying it properly decides how well it works. Follow these steps:

1. Shake Well Before Each Use: Homemade sprays have no strong chemical emulsifiers, so the ingredients separate over time. Give the bottle a good shake before every spray to mix everything up again.
2. Spray Evenly: Hold the bottle about 10-12 inches from your horse’s body and spray evenly over the coat. Aim for a light mist, not a drenching.
3. Target Problem Areas: Focus on the spots where flies gather, such as the neck, shoulders, belly, legs, and hindquarters.
4. Use a Cloth for Sensitive Spots: For the face, eyes, ears, and nostrils, spray the mixture onto a clean, soft cloth first, then wipe it on gently. That keeps spray out of sensitive spots.
5. Don’t Forget the Legs: Flies love to buzz around a horse’s legs, so give all four legs a good coating.
6. Reapply as Needed: Homemade sprays may not last as long as some chemical options, especially when your horse sweats a lot or gets wet. Plan to reapply every few hours, or before you ride, groom, or turn out. Check the coat after a hard ride or a wet turnout, because the spray is the first thing to go.
7. Be Patient: If your horse isn’t used to spray bottles, start slowly, because a nervous horse will remember a bad first experience. Spray a little away from the horse so the sound becomes familiar, then work toward the body, beginning with less sensitive areas like the shoulder or hindquarter.

Good application makes a big difference to how well the spray keeps your horse comfortable.

Beyond Fly Spray: Other Ways to Keep Flies Away

Homemade fly spray works best as one part of a bigger plan, so treat fly control as a team effort.

• Clean Stalls and Pastures: Flies love dirty places, manure above all. Cleaning stalls regularly, picking up manure in pastures, and keeping feed areas tidy can cut fly numbers sharply, and good stable hygiene is your first line of defense.
• Fly Sheets and Masks: These pieces of horse clothing form a physical barrier against flies. A fly sheet covers the body, and a fly mask protects the face and eyes. Both are excellent for turnout, especially in peak fly season.
• Fly Traps: Plenty of fly traps can hang around the stable area, where they lure flies away from your horses and catch them. Hang them away from where the horses stand so the flies head there instead.
• Fans: Fans work well in barns. Flies are weak flyers, so a steady breeze makes landing on your horse hard for them.
• Clean Water Buckets: Flies can breed in standing water, so keep buckets and troughs clean and refresh them regularly.
• Proper Grooming: A clean, well-groomed coat helps too. After a wash with a shampoo like Reluminate Shampoo or Revive Shampoo, plus a conditioning treatment like Release Spray Conditioner, your horse feels fresh, and the sweat and dirt that might attract flies are gone. Our coat and body care products are perfect for this.

Combine your homemade fly spray with these other methods and your horse will live in a much more comfortable environment.

Connecting Homemade Care with Overall Horse Health

Making your own fly spray is a practical way to take part in your horse’s daily well-being, because it shows you care what goes on the skin and how your horse feels. That kind of thoughtful care reaches every part of horse ownership. You choose natural ingredients for the fly spray, so choose high-quality products for the rest of the grooming and health routine too.

A healthy coat, mane, and tail are about more than looks, since they also help prevent problems. A clean, strong coat can be less appealing to certain pests, and healthy skin resists irritation better. Regular washing with gentle yet effective shampoos, like those in our coat and body care category or our specific mane and tail treatment section, maintains skin health and shine. Products like Repel Oil Shampoo can even add a natural layer of protection. Following up with conditioners such as Release Spray Conditioner or nourishing creams like Refresh Mane & Tail Cream or Repair Cream keeps hair strong and prevents breakage.

A horse that gets good nutrition, regular exercise, sound stable management, and thoughtful grooming will thrive, and homemade fly spray fits that whole-horse approach as a natural answer to a common problem. It is all part of caring for these magnificent animals. Browse all products for everything you need to keep your horse in top condition.

Happy Horses, Fewer Flies

Flies come with owning horses, but your horse doesn’t have to suffer through them. A homemade fly spray is a natural, empowering way to keep the pests at bay, and you pick ingredients that stay gentle and effective for your beloved equine friend. Always patch test, apply carefully, and combine the spray with other fly control methods for the best results.

Taking the time to create your own solution does more than repel flies, because it shows extra care for your horse’s comfort and well-being. A comfortable horse is usually a healthier, more focused, and more enjoyable companion. So grab your ingredients, start mixing, and enjoy a little more peace and quiet around the barn.