Spring is in full swing and we look forward to long sunny days shared with our equine companions. Unfortunately, the warmer weather also brings pesky mosquitoes, black flies, ticks and fleas.
“Insects drive our horses and us crazy and really get in the way of enjoying the quality time we so look forward to” says Petra Z. McGowan, the founder and president of EcoLicious Equestrian Inc. “Protecting your horse from bugs is necessary for both of your comfort and safety. But do you know what you’re putting on your horse? That’s just as important.”
“When you spray your horse he can inhale it. If he rubs his nose or scratches his leg that's covered with pesticide-laden bug spray, it absorbs into his system. Not to mention what you’re exposed to when you’re applying it,” she says.
EcoLicious Equestrian’s Leave Me Be All-Natural Bug Spray saves your horse, your health and the environment from common pesticides and pyrethrin that are the key ingredients in other insect repellents, and replaces them with pleasantly scented all-natural ingredients that not only smell good, but deliver natural protection and “beauty” benefits. EcoLicious Equestrian uses a natural and pleasant blend of citronella, lemon oil, peppermint, eucalyptus for a scent that smells great to us, but turns off bugs.
Bug sprays were the very reason McGowan founded her all-natural line of horse grooming products. Her search for products that were safe for her and her horses was prompted by her own reaction to chemical fly spray one bug-laden Prairie summer. To celebrate the Manitoba-based company’s first anniversary, it is launching a concentrated version of the top selling Leave Me Be All-Natural Bug Spray.
“Our fly spray contains natural ingredients, essential oils and a moisturizer that keep your horse comfortable, and his coat soft, silky and dandruff-free. Customers love it because it is safe for their horses, it conditions and shines their coats, and they can use it on themselves too without worrying about pesticides and other nasty chemicals that many people prefer to avoid,” she says.
It is now available in concentrate form, so a little goes a long way when mixed with water. One bottle of concentrate makes five litres of fly spray for the value-conscious horse owner or those who need a lot of spray due to heavy trail riding or larger herds.
“As a horse owner and an environmentally conscious person I look for eco-friendly products to use at home and in the barn. Most other products available in North America are made with parabens, synthetic preservatives, artificial fragrances, and other ingredients that I don’t want to expose my family or my horse to. Our products offer an alternative and are created with performance as the top criteria” adds McGowan.
Like all EcoLicious Equestrian products, all ingredients in the Leave Me Be All-Natural Spray are natural or naturally derived. “We offer full disclosure of each ingredient on every label. Our products are formulated with ingredients like essential oils and natural conditioners so that they naturally perform but also offer health benefits like uplifting or relaxing aromatherapy, or antiseptic properties, for example. We also use 100% natural, people-grade ingredients so that you can borrow the products from your horse,” she concludes.
EcoLicious Equestrian is a fine line of delicious, all natural and green equine grooming products developed for environmentally conscious equestrians and horse owners. The company is committed to minimizing its carbon footprint, providing environmental horse tips while giving back to horses in need, community and environmental causes.