Well, I don't know about you, but it is getting hot here in the southwest!  I always like the warm weather here in Arizona, but with it, comes flies.

I try to manage the flies the best that I can by keeping the pasture and stalls clean.  I also hang the flytrap bags to get what I can.  The neighbors also use flytrap bags and also fly predators.  We also use flymasks, but really I think that the horses have more use in playing the "I'll get yours off if you get mine off"game!  Overall, the flies here aren't too bad.  I have been to some places with poor fly management, where the horse's faces look black from a distance because of all of the flies.

I wanted to know what everyone's preference on flysprays were and what other types of fly/insect control everyone uses.

Here's what works for me and my horses:

I use Pyrana oil based fly spray.  It keeps the horses fly free most of the day and also is effective for keeping the mosquitos off too! It is a moderate price.  The problem with Pyrana is that it attracts dust.  This is bad for my black horse!

Pyrana has also a water based spray, but it is not as easy to get as the oil based one.

Here's what has NOT worked for me:

This was the worse!  The fly control that you spot on your horse with the little tubes.  My poor horse broke out in oozy sores every spot I applied as per the directions on the box!

Flysect made my arabian horse "scurf".  "Scurfing" is when they develop skin shedding in flakes with inflamation.  My Arabian is sensitive to many things.  My Friend really likes this product and it works well on her horse!

Mosquito halt was great against mosquitos, but it again made my horse scurf AND, I didn't wear a mask when I sprayed it and it made me sick!  It must be pretty toxic stuff!

Now it's your turn!  What do you use?

Here for the most part we have this stuff called"Wind". It is provided by Mother Nature. If we had a day without it we could mark it on the calender. Really, I have used most of the products out there with fair results. About the only time I need to use anything would be when horseflies are bothering the horse I'm trying to shoe.

A couple years ago I was shoeing a horse for an old man. The horseflies were terrible and the horse stomped constantly. Hard to hit a moving target. I asked the guy if he had anything for the horse. He came back and proceded to soak the horse with diesel. What a stinking mess. It worked but it was all over me as well. I don't know how good it was for the horse.