Equus spotlights FlyShield technology in equine fly control
Bottom line
Fly control is getting a fresh marketing and education push in the equine space, with Equus Magazine spotlighting W.F. Young’s FlyShield® Technology, the platform behind Absorbine’s UltraShield® Gold. In the May 6, 2026 Q&A, Audra Mulligan, W.F. Young’s director of regulatory affairs and development, described FlyShield as a behavior-focused approach designed to interfere with how flies and other biting insects locate horses, while also supporting premise use in barns, stalls, and run-ins. That follows W.F. Young’s March 2025 launch of UltraShield Gold, which the company said was developed over roughly 10 years and positioned as the most advanced product in its UltraShield line. (equusmagazine.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals working with equine clients, the bigger takeaway isn’t just a new fly spray claim. It’s the continued shift toward integrated pest management messaging: combining on-horse repellency, environmental treatment, and barn sanitation rather than relying on a single product. Extension guidance from the University of Kentucky notes that eliminating breeding sites is still the key to successful fly control, and insecticides should be viewed as a supplement, not a standalone fix. That matters in practice for horses dealing with fly-associated stress, painful stable fly bites, and insect bite hypersensitivity, including sweet itch linked to biting midges. (entomology.mgcafe.uky.edu)
What to watch: Watch for whether FlyShield-branded claims expand through additional products, field data, or retailer and clinician education during the 2026 fly season. (equusmagazine.com)
Equus Magazine’s new “Ask A Pro” feature on FlyShield® Technology highlights how W.F. Young is trying to differentiate equine fly control around insect behavior, not just knockdown and repellency. The May 6, 2026 article centers on Audra Mulligan, the company’s director of regulatory affairs and development, who says the technology is intended to support longer-term control by working both on the horse and in the horse’s environment. (equusmagazine.com)
The backdrop is W.F. Young’s March 2025 launch of Absorbine UltraShield® Gold, a new addition to its long-running UltraShield portfolio. In its product announcement, the company said UltraShield Gold was developed over about a decade and introduced FlyShield Technology as an ingredient blend meant to disrupt the “homing systems” of flies, mosquitoes, and other biting insects before they land on horses. W.F. Young also said the product was field-tested and positioned it as its most advanced fly spray to date. (wfyoung.com)
Product materials add more detail on how the company is framing the offering. Absorbine says UltraShield Gold provides protection against more than 100 insect species, including ticks, and can be used both directly on horses and as a premise spray in areas where insects congregate. The product page lists active ingredients including octanoic acid, nonanoic acid, decanoic acid, permethrin, pyrethrins, and piperonyl butoxide, and markets the formula as delivering up to 17 days of repellency in all weather conditions. EPA resources, meanwhile, note that registered pesticide products and labels can be searched through the agency’s databases, an important reminder that label language remains the regulatory anchor for any use claims. (absorbine.com)
Equus’ interview also makes clear that W.F. Young is leaning into a broader fly-management story. Mulligan said FlyShield is especially useful in high-pressure settings such as wooded areas, trail rides, and locations near water, where horses face a wider mix of biting insects. She also emphasized premise treatment in barns, stalls, and run-ins as part of a more sustained approach across fly season, rather than reacting only when insect pressure peaks. (equusmagazine.com)
That broader framing aligns with longstanding extension guidance. The University of Kentucky says successful barn fly control starts with sanitation and weekly removal of manure and other breeding material, because insecticides alone do not address the source of infestations. Kansas State’s veterinary guidance similarly notes that residual sprays on resting surfaces and area sprays can help, but biting midges and stable flies remain significant equine health and welfare issues, especially for horses prone to insect bite hypersensitivity or sweet itch. (entomology.mgcafe.uky.edu)
Why it matters: For equine veterinarians and practice teams, this is less a breakthrough clinical development than a useful signal about where the fly-control market is heading. Manufacturers are increasingly pairing product launches with science-forward language about insect behavior, safety, and integrated pest management. That can help clinicians have more nuanced conversations with pet parents and barn managers about expectations: no spray replaces manure management, drainage, trapping, protective gear, and environmental control, but better adherence may come when products are easier to use, longer lasting, and fit into a whole-barn protocol. (equusmagazine.com)
There’s also a regulatory and communication angle. Because fly sprays occupy the pesticide space rather than the prescription-drug channel, veterinary teams may increasingly be asked to interpret marketing claims, ingredient lists, safety expectations, and label directions for clients. Mulligan’s role in regulatory affairs is notable here, and her comments suggest W.F. Young expects future innovation to emphasize safer chemistries and more behavior-based tools. That’s consistent with a market where differentiation may come as much from formulation, label flexibility, and education as from entirely new active ingredients. (equusmagazine.com)
What to watch: The next step is whether W.F. Young publishes more field-performance data, extends FlyShield Technology into additional formats, or gains wider uptake through retailer, rider, and veterinary education during the 2026 season. For clinicians, the practical question is whether these behavior-focused claims translate into measurably better compliance and fly-pressure control in real barn conditions. (wfyoung.com)