RECIPE - NEW SPRAY ! (Works for flies AND rain rot!!)

*UPDATED 8/31/2016*

While I think my recipe for "natural" fly spray has been my most popular post and one of the most popular conversations when people email me, I was never 100% satisfied that I was using a commercial product such as Skin-So-Soft.  I mean, it WORKED and it was vastly a safer, healthier option than the poison-laden fly spray on the counters in the tack stores but I never liked not knowing exactly what all was in the Skin-So-Soft mix.  (It definitely was not a "natural" fragrance! and artificial fragrances are some of the most toxic chemicals in our products today)

I decided to play mad scientist and play around with just natural ESSENTIAL OILS. 

Friends - I have to say I am extremely excited and proud to say that the combo that I used not only worked well as a fly spray, (and kept the bot eggs off of him in the process) but FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HIS LIFE, my 9 year old gelding DID NOT HAVE A TRACE OF RAIN ROT.  Not a trace.  Nada.  It BLEW MY MIND.   Sorry if the all caps looks like I'm yelling but yes....I'm yelling!! haha Because I'm excited!!

I think the Lavender played a large part in it, although the ACV is very anti-fungal/bacterial as well.  Whatever it is, it worked a miracle on my little boy. *please keep in mind that for rain rot, this works IN CONJUNCTION with a daily brushing.

Here's the NEW RECIPE!!

In a clean, empty spray bottle, (mine is 28oz.) mix together:

1. 1/2 cup of any healthy, natural "carrier" oil.  I used light olive oil.  *I love coconut oil but only in warm months as the coconut oil coagulates in cool temperatures and will stop up your bottle. But in the summer, use it! It's wonderful!)
2. 1 cup of vinegar (either white or apple cider vinegar will work)
3. 40 drops of 100% pure Citronella essential oil
4. 40 drops of 100% pure Lavender essential oil
5. 40 drops of 100% pure Eucalyptus essential oil
6. 20 drops of 100% pure Lemon Eucalyptus essential oil    (can substitute Lemongrass oil)
7. Fill the bottle the rest of the way up with water and shake well.

Shake well each time before applying it to your horse and since the oil will quickly separate, it's best to shake periodically while using it, to keep it well mixed.

I spray this on the horses twice a day - morning and evening and it works!

(If you're exercising your horse heavily and he/she is sweating a lot,, then obviously, you will probably have to spray down more often)

Now, I'm positive that, since nothing works the same for each horse and each person, someone is going to email me and say it didn't work. All I can say is that it WORKED for me and if it doesn't for you, then play around with the oils.  Add 10 more drops of Lemon Eucalyptus, Citronella or Eucalyptus until you get a combo that the flies in your area despise. You'll be glad you did.

By all means, email me and let me know what you think!!!

Woot!  \o/

*IMPORTANT NOTE* - Please use only pure essential oils, NOT aroma therapy oils that are for FRAGRANCE only.  There is a huge difference.  I have been getting all of my oils from www.vitacost.com and have been buying "NOW Foods" brand and the "Aura Cacia" brand.   So far, Vitacost has had the best prices I've found.  Let me know if you find a cheaper supplier for quality oils!  :)

UPDATE! 8/31/2016 :  After reading an article that states that Lemon Eucalyptus essential oil is as effective as Deet,  I now add Lemon Eucalyptus to my fly spray and have modified the recipe above.  Depending on what I have on hand, sometimes I substitute Lemon Eucalyptus for the Lemongrass and if I have them both, I use both!   I love the smell and they both work!

Here's a link to that article.  http://www.treehugger.com/lawn-garden/cdc-confirms-lemon-eucalyptus-oil-as-effective-as-deet.html

RECIPE: Homemade Fly Spray

***UPDATE***  PLEASE SEE THE UPDATED RECIPE POSTED IN 2013 THAT CONTAINS ONLY NATURAL INGREDIENTS, INCLUDING MANY ESSENTIAL OILS AND THE MIRACULOUS RESULTS WE HAD!****

By far, my favorite commercial fly spray is the Eqyss' natural Marigold. It works quite well, smells fantastic! and it's all natural - safe for your horse - and you! (I spray it on my hat and on my bare legs and biting flies and gnats buzz off!) However, at around $20 bucks a bottle, (that I can go through in a week or so), unless I hit the million dollar lotto or Oprah decides to share the wealth with me, I just cannot justify spending that much cash on pesky varmints like flies and gnats. There must be a better way!

I'm all in favor of homemade fly sprays. They can work just as efficiently (or close) but the best part is they can be much safer than most commercial fly sprays (if you use common sense) and as a big added bonus: they can save you a lot of money!

There are dozens of recipes for homemade fly spray on the internet. Some are good, some not so good and some are just downright toxic and dangerous. I've seen and heard of unbelievable things people put on their horses. NEVER use things like Raid Insect Killer on your horse or harsh detergents like Pine Sol. These are just not safe. While they may not hurt your horse immediately, many are poison to their bodies and will have negative effects on your horses health. Some can cause cancer or other diseases and can affect internal organs, which can shorten the lifespan of your horse. Many affect the neurological system - in simpler terms, they can damage your horses brain and/or thought processes. They are just not worth the risk.
When making homemade fly spray, if the recipe calls for citronella oil, you MUST BUY 100% PURE citronella oil. Check health food stores or online. DO NOT use the citronella oil you find at department stores or home improvement stores that goes into bug lanterns, tiki torches and other products for outdoor pest control! It's petroleum based and it's a fuel meant for burning. Not only is it flammable and will absorb the heat from the sun, which will burn your horses skin, it is toxic to the body.

Please read labels on the ingredients you're going to use when making homemade recipes. If the label on any product has warnings about being poisonous to humans and animals, then please - don't put it in your fly spray or on your horses' skin! Whatever goes on the skin goes directly into the bloodstream. Skin is the biggest organ of the body and the skin absorbs whatever is on it. (This is why nicotine patches and birth control patches work) Toxic chemicals may not kill them or make them sick immediately but that doesn't mean its not hurting them, (or you when you breathe it in or get it on your skin)

Here is a basic recipe for a safe, homemade fly spray that I'm currently using (and you can use it on yourself, too!) I've played around with the measurements on this one and what I've listed below WORKS!! I been using this recipe for a couple of months and I just recently noticed another exciting benefit: I haven't seen one single bot egg on my horses' body this summer! Not one! I think that's amazing!


In a clean, empty spray bottle, (mine is 28oz.) mix together:

1. 4 ounces of Avons' Skin So Soft Original Bath Oil


2. 1 cup of vinegar (either white or apple cider vinegar will work)


3. 30 -40 drops of 100% pure citronella essential oil


4. Fill the bottle the rest of the way up with water

Shake well each time before applying it to your horse and since the oil will quickly separate, it's best to shake periodically while using it, to keep it well mixed.
I spray this on the horses twice a day - morning and evening and it works!

If it's not strong enough, slightly increase the Skin So Soft and add 10 more drops of citronella.

Flies, gnats and ticks hate the smell of the Skin So Soft. We know they hate citronella and apparently, the vinegar is not their favorite smell either (Vinegar also kills germs and bacteria and can help prevent and treat many bacterial skin conditions such as rain rot)

This fly spray is better and safer than the store bought varieties that have all of the "danger" and "poisonous" warnings and cheaper, too!

If you'd like to see a larger assortment of recipes to choose from, check out this website: http://www.moniteausaddleclub.com/flyspray_recipes.htm