May 2003

It's Give And Take With Natural Sprays

Chemicals still outperform natural ingredients, but herbals do have their place in many barns.

Pastured horses tend to hang out in the area of their pal's tail - the most 'natural' fly deterrent.

When that green-eyed family of horse flies drops in for a meal this summer, you might want to try serving them something organic. But you'll need strong stuff to convince these bloodsuckers that they're not welcome. These guys are tough. They can turn even the most benevolent host into a twitching, swishing, kicking monster. And it can be even worse when the horse is braided and at a show.

We don't want our horses to be at the mercy of menacing horse flies or subjected to the savage bite of stable flies, so we all use fly spray. Depending on how heavy the fly load, the effectiveness of a spray can…