Buying a pony with sweet itch

Situations where I would:
  • One horse owner
  • Talented horse
  • Where I could control turnout (fencing)
  • Easy access for rugging

Where i wouldn't
  • Multi horse owner
  • Mediocre horse or has other problems / issues
  • If horse was a long distance from home
  • If I couldn't control turnout fencing and "friends" that will help scratch (babies take hoods off)!

There is no doubt that a sweet itch horse is more "work", however if your sole horse, it's not bad as you just wash and rug more than normal

For me its been a relief to sell my boy with sweet itch as I can go off for the weekend with other horses and not worry now (as parents just need to check they are all stood up). Plus selling him was good for him as he moved to Yorkshire near the sea and is much better and has a full mane now!
 
indiat said:
We loaned one. Drove me crazy but she was amazing. So I guess the answer is, how many other boxes does this animal tick for you? I would also ask how bad it gets. For our old lady it was an irrititant but some horses are literally driven insane by it and can have a complete personality transplant.
Click to expand...

^ This

The one I have at the moment ticked all the boxes so I took a gamble. It does drive me crazy but worth it.
 
hell, id hate to think what some of you would say about my horse she has sarcoids and sweet itch!! and i tell you something id buy another with sweet itch as she is so perfect in every other way!! no horse is 100% perfect it just depends what you can cope with :)

x
 
I bought one with severe sweet itch. Open wounds, no tail, half of mane gone. Big, swollen ridges on mane and dock...

She's got a full mane and tail, now and looks amazing. I did manage it initially with potions and fly rug combined (Neem Oil and BB applied every few days), but moved onto dietary control (restricted grazing, linseed, BY) for her second year with me. The diet was critical to her management.

She's been managed this year by protecting her from rain as well as flies. Breaking the wet/dry cycle seemed to help her skin. I still have one of the three benzyl benzoate bottles I bought last year and have only used sudocrem a couple of times on the inside of her legs, but that's a normal horse thing (horseflies), rather than sweet itch.

So, yes, I'd buy another one. She's stayed cool in her sweet itch hoody, too. :)
 
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