Hello, Diane here, developer of Hot Horse Fly Shield and founder of NeddyCare & Hot Horse Shower.  If you have horses in summer you’ll have experienced the misery horse flies create to both horse and human! Then you’ll understand why I changed from selling horse showers to launching NeddyCare and developing Hot Horse Fly Shield and other natural products for horses.   When I see a problem I’m compelled to find a solution and if I can’t find one I fix it.

So, from moving here from Cumbria in 2011 my summers in Gloucestershire were spoilt by plagues of horse flies.  They plagued the horses in the paddocks and they were so bad that riding past 9am on a beautiful sunny day was impossible and no horse could be out in the sunshine. My entire horsey routine revolved around avoiding horse flies. I tried every fly repellent on the market but nothing gave more than 30 minutes of relief against those persistent, blood-drawing jaws on wings. It was deeply frustrating, and awful to see the effect they were having on my horses. I felt their anxiety, and it impacted my whole summer.

That deep frustration, and my concern for my horses' well-being, became the driving force behind Hot Horse Fly Shield. The saying is definitely true in this case - If you want something doing properly then do it yourself!  With my background in industrial technical product development and process manufacturing I gave it a go and I did it! 

In 2019, I started extensive academic research into natural products tested for fly repellent efficacy. It's interesting that scientists still don't fully understand why flies are attracted or repelled, only what works. Discovering that my new formula worked incredibly well against horse flies – keeping them away for days – was genuinely exciting!

The results speak for themselves: now I can enjoy summer rides whenever I choose, my horses live out 24/7, calm, happy, no fly rugs and without horse flies attacking them. I'm even quite sure the consistent use of Fly Shield has contributed to a decline in the local horse fly population.  Horse flies aren’t part of my horses’ summer anymore! The change to our summers is incredible and one I couldn’t have imagined before I developed Fly Shield. 

After promising test marketing in 2019, the Covid lockdowns in 2020, with their sunny conditions and my ability to manufacture, pack, and sell online directly from my property, provided the ideal launch opportunity for Hot Horse Fly Shield on Neddycare.com. This marked a shift in focus for Hot Horse from Hot Horse Showers to Neddycare: an online shop selling high-quality topical products for horses, made with natural ingredients backed by academic evidence.

Now, entering our fifth summer, the Fly Shield range has grown to suit different horse types: from those with sensitive skin, to horses that dislike sprays, or those needing the Long Lasting Oil for 24/7 turnout. Our Hot Horse Fly Shield Extra spray, for sweet itch sufferers needing extra help with midges, has become particularly popular.

Every Neddycare product is made, packed, and dispatched by me and my small team, here in Gloucestershire. This control ensures I can offer the high level of customer service I'd expect myself, and I can rectify any issues immediately. We send orders out quickly, which customers appreciate.Hearing customer feedback, and seeing the many glowing reviews, is incredibly rewarding. It makes me proud, humble, and truly pleased to know so many horses are being helped to enjoy their summers without being tormented by flies.

Beyond fly protection, I've also developed a range of topical 'lotions and potions,' as I like to call them. All are made with premium natural ingredients, harnessing the power of nature for effectiveness. The lotions and balms feed the skin from outside in. Rich in Omega 3, 6 & 9 as well as vitamins & minerals, we use the cold pressed oils along with specifically chosen essential oils, all prized for their nourishing and/or healing properties. The range includes our specialised shampoos, an anti-itch lotion, various skin protection balms and lotions, and even a premium leather care range. I firmly believe horses deserve products with natural ingredients good enough for humans, especially given their sensitive skin and the often harsh conditions they live in. That's why every product in Neddycare is made with high-quality, human-grade botanicals. By handling all the manufacturing, packing, and dispatch directly here on site, I’m able to offer high-quality products at cost-effective prices ensuring customers receive excellent value for money. We create these products with a strong environmental conscience, reflecting our commitment to helping the planet we share with our fellow species.

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We will only launch a product when it meets these essential criteria:

It works!

It's kind to your horse & you & your pets : Our products are based on natural organic oils using only the very best ingredients we can find. No nasty petrochemicals that may be a health hazard.  

It's kind to the environment : No petrochemicals with their wider impact on friendly insects like bees.

It's better for the planet : Where plastic is unavoidable we’ve chosen PET plastic which is recyclable. So please recycle all your packaging for us. We’re launching refills in light weight pouches made from recycled plastic to reduce the use of plastic bottles. We use biodegradable cardboard outer packaging for all our products.

It must not contribute to irresponsible deforestation. I couldn't possibly use raw materials that were causing the tragedy to those poor Orangutans. No deforestation palm oil in any of our products! No thank you!

 

All NeddyCare products contain high quality natural ingredients sourced from reputable suppliers

We have done our research and our ingredients are backed up with scientific evidence of their efficacy. We publish the key ingredients because we want you to know just how good they are. However we retain proprietary knowledge of our formulations so that we may stay ahead of our competition so that we may offer you the best products we can long into the future.