Ahh sweetitch! (also in nl)

[Dizzydancer]

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Sorry guys just need somewhere to vent!

My little pony is out on loan to a lovely family (the mum is a vet nurse) and two young boys who love riding him. They have there own farm and he is so well looked after.
However last week we got a phonecall saying her husband and his dad have said he needs to go as he has been rubbing on the fences. He had the SI injection this year but like the vet said whether that worked and the rubbing is habit is hard to tell. They really dont want him to go they will be absolutely gutted and the kids keep running out to shoo him off if they see him itching on the fence, bless them. They are thinking of putting electric tape around perimeter, he will still have trees to rub on so not going to be left unable to itch.
Personally i think that they didnt rug him early enough when i look back but i am not up very often (in april he still wasnt rugged due to the rain).
I dont want him coming home as ino he wont be able to find another loaner very easily (and this was a friend of a friend) due to his SI.

Any iideas to help them manage him much appreciated!! I am thinking maybe get him blood tested to see if he has any other allergies which may be worsening his itching. But unsure of cost etc

 

[flyingfeet]

He should have been rugged when the midges appeared which was April this year

I would tell them to electric fence him in and keep him rugged and try B vitamins (cheap brewers yeast)

I would be peeved if they handed back the pony for rubbing when they hadn't looked after him!

 

[popularfurball]

Having had allergy testing done it's not a solution or often much use.

Global herbs Skratch worth a go - nightmare to feed but amazing results for us.

Make sure they have a good duty rug as a basic fly won't be enough for sweet itch

 

[druidsmine]

I have a 2 year old who developed s.i. over the winter and rubbed his mane and tail really badly. Can't rug him as he is out with 2 yearlings who think its great fun to rip it off!
However I have had really good results with a combination of many things. First he has 6 Piriton a day ( he's 12.2hh) which you can get quite cheaply from your vet in tubs of 500. He has 'nettle tea' (literally hot water on stinging nettles) and Flax oil on his feed. I also use Neem sweet itch oil all over his mane and top of tail and also use a fly spray made up with pure cold pressed Neem oil mixed with Avon so soft body wash and cider vinegar and a little lavender oil. Avoid tea tree oil and citronella as can irritate horses with sweet itch. Oh and he has 2 Brewers yeast tabs a day which is very good for skin conditions.
This combination has done wonders and although he still itches a little when he comes in its nothing like it was and has grown enough mane now to get plaits in which is great.
I think the Neem oil (just Google it and suppliers pop up) and the Piriton are giving the main benefit. Definitely worked for me so maybe worth a try.