Equus spotlights Al Dunning in sponsored fly-control content
Bottom line
CURRENT BRIEF VERSION: Equus Magazine has published a protected sponsored post, “Al Dunning on attacking flies from every angle,” tied to Farnam’s equine fly-control messaging. Because the article itself is behind a protection wall, the clearest public context comes from related EQUUS and Farnam materials that frame fly control as a layered, season-long strategy rather than a single-product fix. Recent public-facing guidance from EQUUS outlines a four-part approach that includes manure and moisture management, physical barriers such as fly masks and sheets, biological controls, and chemical tools including repellents, residual sprays, bait stations, and feed-through insect growth regulators. Farnam is using similar language in its current “No Fly Zone” campaign, emphasizing a multi-tool approach to defend horses and barns “from every angle.” A second protected EQUUS post featuring Dunning, focused on retaining focus in the arena, suggests this is part of a broader branded education series using a familiar horseman to connect management practices with comfort and performance. (equusmagazine.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals working with equine clients, the takeaway is less about a single media placement and more about where client education is heading. Sponsored horse-care content is increasingly reinforcing integrated pest management principles: start before fly season peaks, reduce breeding habitat, match products to the type of fly pressure, and combine environmental control with on-horse protection. It is also linking those management choices to focus and behavior in performance settings, not just pest reduction. That matters clinically because fly burden can worsen stress, skin irritation, wound complications, and performance issues, while inconsistent or product-only approaches often leave gaps in prevention. (equusmagazine.com)
What to watch: Watch for whether EQUUS or Farnam make the video or takeaways more broadly accessible, and whether late-season equine guidance puts more emphasis on integrated fly control, comfort-and-performance messaging, and product rotation. (farnam.com)
CURRENT FULL VERSION: Equus Magazine appears to be spotlighting horseman Al Dunning in a protected sponsored post focused on fly control, “attacking flies from every angle,” with Farnam named as the author on the source listing. While the post itself isn’t publicly readable, the framing aligns closely with Farnam’s current “No Fly Zone” campaign and with recent EQUUS editorial guidance that presents fly management as a layered, whole-barn strategy rather than a spray-only solution. (equusmagazine.com)
That context matters because equine media and brand education have been moving in the same direction: away from one-off seasonal tips and toward integrated pest management. In April 2026, EQUUS published a public article laying out a four-step plan that starts with making the property less hospitable to flies through manure removal and moisture control, then adds physical barriers, biological controls, and chemical interventions. The article explicitly says fly control is “rarely a one-and-done effort” and recommends tackling the pest at multiple points in its life cycle. (equusmagazine.com)
Farnam’s public materials use nearly identical logic. On its website, the company says flies, mosquitoes, and ticks can interfere with horses’ rest, grazing, training, and performance, and can aggravate wounds and sensitive areas. In a recent Stable Talk article, Farnam’s senior technical leader Casey White says there is “no single silver bullet” and describes a three-step framework: reduce fly populations at the source, repel pests with topical and environmental products, and block exposure with masks, sheets, and boots. The company also advises starting before fly season is fully underway and, in some cases, rotating active ingredients for better long-term control. (farnam.com)
Although the protected Dunning fly-control piece can’t be independently reviewed, its headline suggests a practical training-and-management angle rather than a new scientific or regulatory development. That inference is strengthened by a second protected EQUUS post, “Al Dunning’s secret for retaining focus in the arena,” which is also password-protected and therefore not publicly reviewable. Even without article text, the title and metadata indicate a parallel comfort-and-performance theme, linking horse behavior and focus in the arena to broader management choices. Taken together, the two protected posts suggest Dunning is being used as a recognizable horseman within a broader branded education series aimed at helping caretakers manage environmental stressors and support comfort, calm, and performance. This remains an inference based on the protected status, titles, and related public materials rather than a confirmed description of the hidden content. (farnam.com)
There doesn’t appear to be substantial outside expert commentary specifically reacting to these protected posts, but the public guidance they appear to echo is consistent with mainstream equine pest-management advice. EQUUS recommends combining barn sanitation, standing-water reduction, protective gear, parasitoid wasps, and carefully selected chemical tools. Farnam adds that different horses and management settings may call for different repellent formats, and notes that physical barriers can also help horses recovering from eye irritation or injury. The broader branded framing also matters: public Farnam messaging does not treat pest control as only a barn nuisance issue, but as something that can affect comfort, trainability, and day-to-day performance. (equusmagazine.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, especially those in equine practice, this kind of content reflects the education pet parents and barn managers are seeing outside the clinic. That creates an opening for veterinarians to reinforce evidence-based fly-control plans that are tailored to local insect pressure, housing, turnout patterns, wounds, ophthalmic issues, and product tolerance. It also supports a broader client message: if a horse is reacting to flies, the answer usually isn’t just a stronger spray, but better environmental management, earlier intervention, and more consistent use of barriers and life-cycle control tools. And because some of this messaging is being tied to arena focus and performance, clinicians may also see more clients framing fly control and calming or comfort products as part of show-day or training management rather than strictly preventive care. (equusmagazine.com)
The workforce and education angle is also notable. Sponsored educational content from established equine outlets can shape day-to-day management habits at scale, especially when it uses recognizable trainers or horsemen as messengers. In this case, the pairing of a fly-control post with another Dunning post about retaining focus in the arena suggests a deliberate effort to connect husbandry, comfort, and performance in a way that feels practical to riders and barn managers. For veterinarians, that means client conversations may increasingly start with branded frameworks like “block, repel, reduce” or “from every angle,” and may also include questions about focus, stress, and environmental distractions in the ring. Being ready to translate those messages into practical, medically appropriate recommendations can help clinics stay relevant and trusted. (farnam.com)
What to watch: The next thing to watch is whether EQUUS expands this protected content into public summaries, video clips, or related educational pieces, and whether Farnam continues tying fly-control and other management messaging to performance, comfort, and behavior themes through the rest of the 2026 insect season. (farnam.com)