horseshoes

I've found a good "recipe" for making my own fly spray. I use water, vinegar, tea tree oil and a little bit of liquid soap. Saves me some money and also (FYI) works well on dogs. Anyone else have any money saving ideas when it comes to taking care of your horse?

hossingaround

I've heard there are good benefits of using tea tree oil in humans but have you checked with a vet on it's usage for animals? It sounds great to not only save money but be using a natural product instead of chemicals but I want to be sure on it's safety.

horseshoes

Yes, my vet has approved it! Not only does it soothe the horses skin from flys and ticks but it helps with dryness and makes the horses coat look healthy an shiny.

hossingaround

I'd really like to try this but perhaps you could post a more detailed recipe? I know proportions could make a big difference in how well it works. Could you post the measurements of the various ingredients as well as any tricks on mixing it?

When you say liquid soap does that mean hand soap, dish soap, laundry soap or what? Will any brand work?

Also, is there a limit on how long the solution is good for before losing any efficacy or is it storable indefinitely?

Sorry for so many questions but I want to get it right. Thanks for the information.

purplefdu

I've always bought a "natural" fly spray made with the same ingredients only commercially. Its not good for as long as a chemical spray but is less harsh on the coat. We tend to use it on everyone:horses, dogs, cats, and kids. Tea tree oil is in many natural products for animals.

I have made it a couple times myself when I got some cheap tea tree oil (it can be expensive for good stuff). We just put it in a jug using a funnel and shook. I believe we used baby shampoo for the soap since its tearless.

horseshoes

Here's what I do for a quick spray treatment. I just put this in an empty 20 oz spray bottle:

18 oz. white vinegar
2 TBSP dish washing soap
2-3 TBSP of tea tree oil

Shake gently to mix it up.
You can add water to dilute it. I usually add just enough to fill the bottle the rest of the way up.

MorganManiac

I like the idea of using an all-natural product instead of putting more chemicals into the air. Plus, you really can never tell the long-term effects of chemicals on people or animals. I know that many chemicals that used to be used turned out to cause birth defects, cancer and more. They can't be any better for the horses than they can for people, I'm sure.

barnbum

dish detergent is still a chemical. Most sold these days have all sorts or fake colors and scents in them as well as additives to make them flow well. There are sprays sold at the tack store that are 100% natural I'm sure you could mimic if you just read the label.