Any fly repellent that can be sprayed on your horse can also be wiped on your horse. The product Wipe, on the other hand, is not supposed to be sprayed on your horse. You’ve simply got to, well, ”wipe” it on. But it’s worth it.
Original Wipe effectively repels bugs. In one tester’s barn this past summer, the horses were so fidgety in the barn that it was like being in a room with antsy kindergarteners. Stomping hooves, tail swishing, head tossing — you’d think you were in the middle of a shopping mall at Christmas. It was anything but relaxing. We reached for Wipe. The result was as if someone had turned off the sound in the barn. Instant peace and quiet — and happy horses.
The downside to Wipe is that it’s oily. So oily, in fact, that we recommend you only apply it with a plastic glove on your hand and you keep one rag for repeated use. Store the rag in an old coffee can.
The oil in Wipe will make your horse shine, but it attracts dust, too, so it’s not the best choice for the show grounds. You don’t want to apply it in the saddle area or get any on your tack (it’ll be slippery).
We found it has a residual effect in that if you apply it for a couple of days in a row, you’ll need less-frequent applications. Apply one to two ounces per day, depending upon the size of your horse. Don’t over-apply it, though. You want Wipe on the coat, not the skin. This is a chemical-based product, so do a 24-hour spot test if you’ve never used it on your horse before. As you know with any product, reading label warnings and following directions is simply commonsense.
(We used Original Wipe in this trial. Farnam also has a product called Wipe II that contains citronella and can be sprayed on. The formula is not identical to Original Wipe.)
For an effective fly (and tick) repellent, Farnam’s Original Wipe is tough to beat. Contains pyrethrins, piperonyl butoxide, di-n-propyl isocinchomeronate, butoxpolpropylene gyclol. $25/32 oz. www.farnamhorse.com, 800-234-2269.
