Feather mites

[Supertrooper]

Although my pony hasn't got very feathery legs I'm certain he has feather mites, he's stamping his feet and biting his legs also.

The horse he lives with who is a cob has got them and has had them ever since he arrived but owners won't treat him with anything apart from natural stuff.

I have tried Frontline on my boy but it's not been that effective so I'm going to get vet out to inject him.

My question is if the horse he lives with isn't treated will the injections on mine actually work? They both live out 24/7

 

[Tegan]

I can recommend pig oil and sulphur. I have tried everything including injections, clipping and frontline and the pig oil and sulphur really works. I did a patch test first and don't apply it in very hot weather as my cob has very pink skin and is easily burnt.

 

[hayinamanger]

Some horses can carry chorioptic mange mites and yet show no symptoms, so any of us could be keeping a carrier and not know it. Am I right in thinking that you are a VN? Get some ivermectin sheep wormer, like Ivomec or a cheaper own brand from your local farm shop, it's cheap, say £20 for a litre. Glove up and put some in a washing up liquid bottle and squeeze a bit at a time into your mare's legs hair, rub in well, repeat one a month. Easy, cheap and effective.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Just reiterating what "Tegan" advises re. patch-testing before using Pig Oil & Sulphur. I (took advice on here) used it on my poor lad who has pink skin and white legs - just didn't realise how caustic it can be - and he reacted So do exercise great care if you've not used it before.

I use Neem oil on my traddie; I mix it up with a little Pig Oil and slap it on with a paintbrush. I ran out of the stuff recently, and he got itchy and started stamping his feet again.........

 

[RunRunReindeer]

I have a cob who suffers with feather mites annually, my two other horses who live out with him have never shown symptoms, so not sure if fm are 'catching'.
For treatment, another option is a lime and sulphur wash available from your vey.

 

[Sophiecollins11]

My traditional lived in a field with a few other horses that had them but weren't treated until a while after he was, after having the dectomax injections he cleared up super quickly and even a week after he was so much less itchy and irritated and never got them again from the other horses but when the jabs wore off he did need s second round about a year later

 

[Pearlsasinger]

It might not even be feather mites, unless you have actually seen them. My mare had been treated with Dectomax just before coming to me but was still itchy. I have tried a sorts of treatments over 4 yrs to no great long-lasting effect, until I cut wheat in any form completely out of her diet. I think I remember that you give yours a small feed, it could be that the pony is reacting to an ingredient in the feed. There is another member on here who found that her horse's itchy legs stopped itching when she stopped feeding alfalfa.

 

[Sandstone1]

Don't think they are particularly contagious between horses?
Mine had the dectomax injection. One jab 10 days apart. Best to clip the feather off too.