Best sweet itch rug for a shetland!

cblover

cblover

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I have a shettie who is awesome but bless him, he suffers terribly with sweet itch. I've owned him for 3 years and he gets a marmite sandwich every day....I did feed brewers yeast in a bucket feed but found it less effective. I also spray him with tri-tec 14 and have nettex itch stop for any sores he has.

I now think he needs clipped out and I need a rug for him. It's so awful watching him get frustrated. Bless him. Can anyone recommend a rug for him please? He's a standard shettie and last time I measured him he needed a 4ft 6". I'll obviously check again before ordering. Cheers. X
 
Hi sorry, not speaking from experience but I'm about to buy The Pagony rug - very similar to the boett and seems highly recommended.

I am just about to post a thread on here to see if anyone else has used one :)
 
Derby House's own rugs fit shetlands quite well as do Gallop ones though their necks are quite long. These really are the only ones that I have found with necks big enough to accomodate thickness and mane thickness without strangling the pony!
 
The best one I've found for my mini shettie is from Dinky Rugs. Really good quality, good coverage and fits beautifully. Seems to be quite robust as well *touch wood*.
 
In my 16 yrs experience of sweet itch ....
An exposed field/ paddock, kept clear of droppings (if possible) well away from muck heaps and water sources such a streams...
A good sweet itch rug...I use the Rambo sweet itch hoody and the premiere equine one. Both are over 1200 denier so tough and hard wearing. I find the Boett style rugs too flimsy.
Electric fencing is essential for protecting the rug and preventing the horse from rubbing too much
I use Coopers fly repellent plus and/ or Net Tex Stop Itch Salve
Feed a low sugar diet
Make sure the rug goes on early, before the itching starts. If you rug late allow a week or two for the itching to die down.

Basically, you need to prevent the horse from being bitten by the midges so a good rug/ repellent combo and electric fencing to stop them from scratching too much

If you have to stable then a fan can help...midges are poor flyers in wind
Good luck
 
Also...clipping your pony will make him/her much more vulnerable to being bitten so if you do go ahead with that please make sure the rug covers really well . I would say don't clip if possible. Neither of mine overheat in their rugs.
 
Ruggles Equestrian shetland rugs are brilliant. I have one of their fly rugs and its a perfect fit and is keeping my boy who I clipped the other day nice and cool, and the flies off of him.
 
Thanks all, I'll take at look at the ones you have suggested and measure him properly tonight.
 
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