Product Review: Absorbine UltraShield Green Gel Natural Fly Repellent

Welcome to EN’s Product Review series! Who doesn’t love shopping, especially when the object of your search is new gear for yourself or your horse? As an enthusiast of all products equine, I LOVE trying out new gear. Please join me as I narrate my personal journey of trying out all of the products featured. While I will make no recommendations, I hope you have fun reading about my many adventures of trying new products, and that hearing about my personal experiences helps you on your own quest for new gear. Go Shopping.

UltraShield Green Gel from Absorbine. Photo by Lorraine Peachey. UltraShield Green Gel from Absorbine. Photo by Lorraine Peachey.

Flies are annoying. They bite my horses. Then they bite me. And then everyone ends up being irritated. I can definitely tell a difference if I totally forget to apply fly and insect repellants before heading out for a ride.

I find that it’s really quite miserable to try to ride a horse who is twitching, shaking his head and/or cow kicking. And if it’s that unpleasant for me sitting in the saddle, I know that it must be miserable for my horse to get bitten as well.

On those days when I start warming up only to suddenly remember that I’ve forgotten to spritz/lather my horse up with fly products, I just stop. And then I just head back to the barn to grab up and apply the fly products before heading back to continue, because there is no way that my horse or I can have an enjoyable ride otherwise.

After I do wash up, I don’t feel a lingering sticky film on my hands or fingers from using Green Gel - Photo by Lorraine Peachey

After I do wash up, I don’t feel a lingering sticky film on my hands or fingers from using Green Gel. Photo by Lorraine Peachey.

While flies have never been a walk in the park, I’ve also had some other tiny-winged problems over the years. Oh so annoying are the little buzzing gnats that go for my horse’s belly area, as well as the small biting insects that like to get into his ears.

Typically, I always spritz or mist my horse with a coating of fly spray, and then I like to try to go back and use a combination of topical ointment and/or roll-on products in order to cover areas on my horse such as his ears, muzzle, around the eyes and under the belly.

When I think back and try to recall all of the different fly repellants that I’ve used over the years — well, let’s just say the list is quite long. And I’m pretty sure that I wouldn’t be able to remember each and every different product!

It's easy to dispense Green Gel by using the airless pump at the top of the tube, which also keeps bacteria from getting in - Photo by Lorraine Peachey

It’s easy to dispense Green Gel by using the airless pump at the top of the tube, which also keeps bacteria from getting in. Photo by Lorraine Peachey.

One product that I’ve been using as part of my arsenal of fly products this summer has been UltraShield Green Gel Natural Fly Repellent from Absorbine. Green Gel, as I like to call it, comes in a gel form inside of a tube.

I’ve found the tube to be a handy size to store in my grooming tote, and I simply pull it out when I’m ready to use it. To use the Green Gel, I remove the cap on the tube and squeeze the pump at the top in order to dispense some gel onto my finger(s).

Once I have some gel dispensed, I just go right on ahead and apply it to my horse — usually starting with his ears, since that is where the small biting insects tend to congregate! I’ve found it easy to apply not only to the ears, but also the face (and I’m careful to avoid the eyes, for sure!) and to trouble spots on the belly.

Once I have some Green Gel on my fingers, it is easy to apply to Roo's ears.... - Photo by Lorraine Peachey

Once I have some Green Gel on my fingers, it is easy to apply to Roo’s ears … Photo by Lorraine Peachey

What I like about clean up is that after I’m done applying the Green Gel to my horse, I usually go and wash my hands. After I do wash up, I don’t feel a lingering sticky film on my hands or fingers from Green Gel, which is great for me because I do not like having a film on my hands when I go to put on gloves.

I have certainly noticed a difference when using Green Gel versus not using a face/ear/belly fly repellent product. I get the impression that my horses seem happier because they are shaking their heads and cow kicking much less!

Another cool feature of Green Gel is that the tube actually features an airless pump — which means that it stops bacteria from entering into the tube (which could otherwise contaminate the Green Gel!).

...and to his face as well! - Photo by Lorraine Peachey

… and to his face as well! Photo by Lorraine Peachey.

Plus, I am someone who really likes it when I can find more natural products that I can use. Green Gel is labeled as being eco-safe for the environment, so that is something that makes me feel good about using it as well.

Another feature that I personally like about Green Gel is that it is labeled as being safe to use over scrapes and cuts that you might find on your horse. And as someone with some youngsters — well, let’s just say that they always find ways to get scraped up. But with Green Gel, I am able to apply the gel right over any cuts that may appear.

The UltraShield Green Gel Natural Fly Repellent comes in a 2 ounce tube and is available from retailers for around $6.95.

You can find UltraShield Green Gel here at Smartpak!

Go Green (Gel). Go Absorbine. Go Eventing.

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