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Natural Horse Care Tips | Benefits Of Horse Massage Therapy | Equine Bodywork | Exercises For Horses | Natural Remedies For Horses | Essential Oils | Using Essential Oils For Horses | Healing Your Horse Naturally | Improve Flexibility And Performance In Horses

Taking Natural and making it Practical - Natural health solutions for the horse you love!

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Tag Archives: horse health

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Natural Fly Control for Horses: What Really Works?

Natural Horse Care Tips | Benefits Of Horse Massage Therapy | Equine Bodywork | Exercises For Horses | Natural Remedies For Horses | Essential Oils | Using Essential Oils For Horses | Healing Your Horse Naturally | Improve Flexibility And Performance In Horses Posted on June 26, 2025 by Lisa CarterJune 26, 2025

If you’ve spent more than a minute outside with your horse lately, you’ve probably noticed it… the flies are relentless. As a natural horse care practitioner, I hear it every summer: “What can I use that actually works—and won’t harm my horse?”

In this post, I’m sharing my go-to natural fly control tips that I use with my own horses and clients—safe, effective, and aligned with a whole-horse approach.

1. Essential Oils for Natural Fly Control

  • Peppermint – Cools and repels insects
  • Lavender – Calming and mildly insect-repelling
  • Cedarwood – Great against mosquitoes and flies
  • Citronella – A classic fly deterrent
  • Eucalyptus – Strong and effective (especially lemon eucalyptus)

DIY Fly Spray Recipe (Always dilute and shake well before each use):

  • 10 drops Peppermint
  • 10 drops Citronella
  • 10 drops Lavender
  • 1 cup distilled water
  • 1 tbsp witch hazel or apple cider vinegar
  • Optional: a few drops of natural dish soap for emulsifying

Spray on a cloth and wipe around sensitive areas (eyes, nose, ears), and spray liberally on legs and body (avoiding face).

⚠️ Always do a patch test before full-body application and avoid eyes and mucous membranes.

2. Keep It Clean

A clean barn is your best friend in fly season. A few easy wins:

  • Daily manure removal
  • Keep hay and feed areas tidy
  • Dump standing water sources
  • Use stall fans (flies hate moving air)

If you compost, make sure the pile is turned and located far from your barn.


3. Natural Fly Traps & Predators

Flies are smart, but not that smart. Try:

  • DIY Fly Traps: A mason jar with apple cider vinegar, sugar, and a few drops of dish soap
  • Fly Predators: Tiny parasitic wasps that stop flies from developing—great for long-term control

4. Herbal Feed-Through Support

Some horse owners find adding garlic or apple cider vinegar to feed can deter flies. It depends on the horse, but many do well with:

  • 1–2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar per day
  • 1–2 tsp of garlic granules (check for sulfur-free and monitor tolerance)

As always, check with your vet or equine nutritionist before adding to the diet.


5. Physical Barriers Still Work

Sometimes simple is best:

  • Fly masks with ears
  • Fly sheets for sensitive horses
  • Leg wraps or fly boots

Combine these with your natural sprays, and your horse has a solid defense.


Want an Essential Oils Starter Kit for Your Barn?

I’ve created a guide for horse-safe essential oils and blends I use myself. Plus, if you’re curious about using Young Living oils with your horses, I can help you get started.

📩 Get my FREE Barn Essential Oils 101 Class

Tagged essential oil for horses, essential oils, horse, horse health, horse tips, natural horse care, pest control | Leave a reply

Pain Has A Purpose In Equine Injury Recovery

Natural Horse Care Tips | Benefits Of Horse Massage Therapy | Equine Bodywork | Exercises For Horses | Natural Remedies For Horses | Essential Oils | Using Essential Oils For Horses | Healing Your Horse Naturally | Improve Flexibility And Performance In Horses Posted on July 23, 2023 by Lisa CarterJuly 23, 2023

As any horse caretaker knows, horses are going to hurt themselves at some point. They play rough and have a knack for finding trouble where they can. And with injury, comes pain. No one wants to see their equine partner … Continue reading →

Tagged equine bodywork, horse, horse health, improve performance, injury recovery, pain management | Leave a reply

Using Bentonite Clay For Hoof Health

Natural Horse Care Tips | Benefits Of Horse Massage Therapy | Equine Bodywork | Exercises For Horses | Natural Remedies For Horses | Essential Oils | Using Essential Oils For Horses | Healing Your Horse Naturally | Improve Flexibility And Performance In Horses

During wet weather outbreaks, one of the many struggles horse caretakers face is the persistent mud, muck and generally sloppy ground that can wreak havoc on our horses’ hoof health. Here in the South, the problem is compounded greatly by … Continue reading →

Tagged horse health, natural horse care | Leave a reply

Adjusting To Fit The Horse’s Needs

Natural Horse Care Tips | Benefits Of Horse Massage Therapy | Equine Bodywork | Exercises For Horses | Natural Remedies For Horses | Essential Oils | Using Essential Oils For Horses | Healing Your Horse Naturally | Improve Flexibility And Performance In Horses Posted on November 29, 2021 by Lisa CarterNovember 29, 2021

In so many things that I see with working with horses, many gadgets and procedures are developed not only to get the job at hand done, but also to make OUR jobs easier or more comfortable. Horses typically accommodate these … Continue reading →

Tagged horse health | Leave a reply

Stocking Up: Simple Techniques To Deal With Lower Leg Swelling In The Horse

Natural Horse Care Tips | Benefits Of Horse Massage Therapy | Equine Bodywork | Exercises For Horses | Natural Remedies For Horses | Essential Oils | Using Essential Oils For Horses | Healing Your Horse Naturally | Improve Flexibility And Performance In Horses Posted on February 23, 2018 by Lisa CarterMarch 27, 2021

Horses are such extremely athletic animals.  They are playful, curious and built to be on the move all the time.  When we curtail their movement, whether due to injury or boarding situations, a common issue that develops is “stocking up”.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Horse Health, Natural Horse Care | Tagged equine alternative therapy, equine leg health, equine massage tips, horse, horse health, horse tips, lymphatic massage for horses, natural horse care, natural remedies, stocking up

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Lisa Carter is a Certified Equine Massage Therapist serving locations around North & Central Texas. She incorporates her knowledge and experience with equine bodywork, Parelli Natural Horsemanship, essential oils for animals, and as a veterinary technician to provide her clients with the resources they need to make informed decisions for their horses. Her mission - to build a network of equine health care professionals to work together to find the best combination of therapies to meet the needs of the "whole horse".

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