I have bought a horse with sweet-itch...

[teddy_]

I know, I know... Anyway, I decided to proceed as everything else on her PPE was pretty perfect, inc. x-rays.

So, please give me all your sweet-itch tips as I have never had to manage this condition before. Specifically any topical solutions to ease the symptoms.

I have already had the vet out to inject Insol, but understand the Insol will be fighting an uphill battle as she is already itching (quite badly).

The vet has also recommended I Deosect every two weeks for the foreseeable and needless to say, a decent sweet-itch rug.

Thanks!

 

[MuddyMonster]

My boy only gets mild sweet itch but I find Alchemist Garden Itch Balm with Neem really helps my pony. I use Neem oil shampoo too & find keeping the mane and tail really clean helps - it's the only place mone itchiness though.

Hope you find something that works for you

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

My Louis rubs his mane a bit in summer so I do have a sweet itch hood, but last year I put him on supplement called itchy Sr oral made by herdleader and I didn't need the rug at all, even through all that really hot weather he never rubbed at all.

Might be worth a try it's not that expensive.

 

[teddy_]

My Louis rubs his mane a bit in summer so I do have a sweet itch hood, but last year I put him on supplement called itchy Sr oral made by herdleader and I didn't need the rug at all, even through all that really hot weather he never rubbed at all.

Might be worth a try it's not that expensive.

Thank you !

 

[Surbie]

Mine has mild-ish sweetitch. I've found over the 6 years I've been looking after him that some years are worse than others, and that most supplements etc don't work for him or only work briefly (red bush & chamomile tea, itchy supplements, brewers yeast/yeasacc etc).

He lives in Snuggies during the day from now till November/December unless it's windy all day. Last year I discovered Killitch (which I understand can be made easily by diluting benzyl benzoate with aqueous cream) and I have a glorious tail now with no rubbed bits and no itchy mane. I do a full body clip at the end of January as he also rubs when he's hot and that just seems to start the itching cycle. I'll patch wash his mane and tail fairly regularly and that also keeps the itching down.

 

[Equi]

I tend to give them a decent tea tree bath, douse their sweetitch rugs in spray and bring in at the worst offending times. I also pop a bit of spotinor on them periodically through the summer. I definitely had less mane loss last year compared to others.

 

[Btomkins]

A slightly strange lady I knew years ago used to slather Vicks Vapour Rub all over the skin in the mane and tail (with a weekly wash between applications) and it worked amazingly well on her sweet itch horse. You would definitely have to apply before any itching started though as I imagine it would be very painful and irritating if there was any broken skin.

Not suggesting anyone does this but thought it was an interesting approach!

 

[meleeka]

Biteback do an itch relief which my friend has had great success with.

 

[Ample Prosecco]

The only thing that helped my pony was a Boett rug 24/7 (apart from when ridden) from March to October. He was fine then.

 

[PSD]

Biteback do an itch relief which my friend has had great success with.

this! I had a fell with terrible sweet itch and the biteback products worked well. You’d have to start treating asap though to avoid a bald pony in a few months.

I feel for you, I ended up selling my fell (not just because of her sweet itch). It was a nightmare to treat and constantly rug

 

[teddy_]

Thank you all.

I have ordered two of the Biteback treatments and various other bits and bobs.

Really hoping I can nip this in the bud as I know I have taken a real gamble (she wasn't cheap, either )...

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

I use the Biteback sweet relief cream. I buy the 2.5 kg pot and that lasts the whole season. But I do keep her hogged as her patchy mane from years of no treatment before I got her had left the skin very rough and calloused with very little growth. I slather it down her mane line, all along her belly mid line and her teats, between her back legs and into her tail dock (she has a beautiful thick full tail now) every other day unless the midges are really bad then it is done every day.

Before this regime with the Biteback she had to have a very good proper expensive SI rug on all summer, but she did get very hot in them. Now I can get away with any lightweight fly rugs that cover her neck and belly area. I also spray all their fly rugs most days throughout the summer with Leovet Power Phaser.

 

[Cortez]

I feel for you, having had several horses (and a mule) with varying degrees of sweetitch over the years I can tell you it is a soul-destroying thing to have to deal with.

Biteback products are really the only ones that have the slightest effect, Neem Supreme spray being the most useful IME. A sweetitch rug is essential, and you'll need a couple as they (the rugs) need regular washing. Good luck - I would never, ever buy a horse with sweetitch.

 

[ElleSkywalkingintheair]

I tried everything, rugs including boett, all the different over counter things, neem, washing with anti dandruff shampoo everything, thing that worked miracles, to the extent my two sweet itch ponies now go out without rugs or spray or creams or anything, is Switch from the vets. Put it on once a week and ponies stay itch free. No side effects for my ponies whatsoever and towards ri end of last summer I didn't even bother using it at all as they simply weren't itchy anymore.

 

[Quigleyandme]

As others have said keeping your horse’s mane and tail scrupulously clean really helps with the itching. Check her udder and midline every day for abrasions caused by her kicking herself and protect these areas from further biting as required. I have a very big, loose moving ID horse and find Premier Equine sweetitch hoodies give the best protection, allow free movement and last very well. The fabric is thick though so not ideal in very hot weather. I tried a couple of sweetitch hoods with the bug eyes but found my horse blinded a couple of times so just use regular fly hoods now. My friend gave me this recipe which works really well and I haven’t had to buy expensive proprietary brands since:
1 x 500ml spray bottle
300 ml of apple cider vinegar
2 x desert spoon of lemon eucalyptus oil
1 x desert spoon of cedar wood oil
Fill with water and shake vigorously before application not on broken skin obviously.
It’s a good idea to have a soothing balm on hand for spot treatments. My horse loves having his ears and the bony parts of his face massaged with an aromatherapy balm.
Sweetitch can be managed and I would buy a horse with it if everything else about him was good.

 

[millikins]

I have started one of my Shetlands on Cavalese this year, and so far seems to be working. She also has daily fly gel but was absolutely wretched in a rug, think she was getting bullied.

 

[tda]

One of ours has sweet itch, you will go thru loads of potions and lotions to find whatever works best for you.

I now use Biteback sweet relief or the Biteback silver spray both are Benzyl benzoate which if your horse is ok with is a very effective product. She wears a fly or unlined rug over the summer

 

[smolmaus]

I rotate 3 sweet itch rugs, so one on, one in the wash and one spare. I like the Shires Highlander ones as they are cool on hot days, dry quickly if it rains and repair easily as they're just high denier cotton, not a stretchy fabric.

I also use Biteback, a B3 supplement and Bio-Eos tablets from Itchy Horse (I do not know if these work yet honestly, don't take that as a recommendation).

The worst, but also I think most important thing to keep in mind is that just because something works for one horse does not mean it will work for another. Some general rules like keep the mane and tail clean, use a rug and a midge deterrent are fairly universal but supplements will be trial and error.

 

[Dasher66]

Environment is key. Avoid low lying fields with streams, boggy bits and tree belts. Go for windswept hills where the midges can’t fly.
Boett rugs were the only thing that worked for us, though now there’s all sorts of new treatments from the vet.

Also collect hair from mane and tail to make a few fake plaits just in case.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I have started one of my Shetlands on Cavalese this year, and so far seems to be working. She also has daily fly gel but was absolutely wretched in a rug, think she was getting bullied.

Try the itch solution from herdleader it's cheaper than cavalese and I don't think there is much difference, I've switched to it and didn't even rug mine last year.

 

[Red-1]

Mine was covered from the start of Feb, earlier if it was unseasonably hot. Covered in and out of the stable, but in during the day and out at night. I'm talking late at night, once it is dark too.

I had a Boett but preferred the sweet itch hoodie by Rambo. I sewed shorts onto his legs too. Remember, the itch occurs elsewhere than where they were bitten, as it is an allergy. So, even if his mane was always covered, if his legs got bitten, he would rub his mane.

 

[ycbm]

Is there a reason why benzyl benzoate has gone out of fashion? I used to use it on anything that rubbed and it worked every time.

There is also a reason why the old guys called it sweet itch. In some horses it appears to be triggered by eating sweet grass. Yes i know it's usually a midge saliva allergy. I was given a fat horse with every sign of insulin resistance . I got that under control, cured his ravenous appetite, and the sweet itch, which I had been warned was so serious he needed rugs even inside a stable and had left him badly scarred, just disappeared and he never wore a sweet itch rug again.

 

[ycbm]

I found an article on it here.

Why Insulin Resistance is often mistaken for sweet itch

Sweet itch and Insulin Resistance have equal symptoms. That's why many horses are treated wrong. Does your horse shed because it reacts to mosquitoes or because there is an overreaction to sugars?

heltieanimal.com

 

[Gloi]

Buy a boett and boett hood and put it on now.
Cover all the bits that stick out of the rug with one of the greasy sweet itch creams or Neem if he isn't sensitive to it and you can stand the smell.
Look for the most open , windy field you can find.
Make sure absolutely everything in the field that could be rubbed on is barricaded behind electric tape.
I always used a rubber trug for water as troughs are a favourite itching spot.
Avoid fields with long grass where midges rest then attach to the legs when the horse walks through. Strimming those long patches can help.

 

[Muddy unicorn]

My retired boy has sweet itch but it doesn’t start until mid-late summer. He also has asthma which tends to be worse at the same times so I think the two things may be connected. He had the Insol injections last year but he still ended up itching by July so I haven’t bothered this year. He had a couple of snuggy hoods hoods but he hated them as I think they just made him way too hot. He would get the other horses in the herd to help him get them off so last year I got a Rambo sweet itch hoodie which he seemed to prefer - although he’d always get his ears out of the hoodie bit and we go through a ridiculous amount of fly masks with ears each year. As well as the rug he gets deosected every two weeks and his mane washed with an oatmeal shampoo. This year I’m trying the herd leader supplement - my vet recommended Cavalesse but this seems to be virtually identical and is a lot cheaper. We’ve also moved several hundred miles away so with a different micro climate so I’m hoping that will make a difference too (that wasn’t the reason for the move!).

 

[teddy_]

Thank you so much everyone. Lots of great tips.

I have ordered several of the products recommended, really hope I can turn this around as she is a serious quality mare (Hennessy x Flemmingh x Houston).

Fingers crossed .

 

[saddlesore]

Boett blanket, biteback products, cavalesse. It’s a horrible condition but it is manageable. Be mindful of your turnout too, don’t turnout near still water. A windy hill is ideal.

 

[claret09]

my boy has sweet itch although most people would be unaware that he did. i use kilitch regularly - start before they start itching. i also bath him really regularly during the summer months - at least two or three times a week. i have a rambo fly rug but actually prefer to use the amigo aussie rug as it seems to give him more protection. he has premier equine summer turnout boots and a fly mast with ears and nose piece. he is also in a paddock which while it has shade also has electric fencing so he can't get near anything to scratch. he is only out for a few hours even in the summer and that seems to help.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Helpful reading all these replies. My mare isn’t ‘sweet itch’ per se but she can get itchy mainly just her mane especially if she gets hot although if left naked is worse.

I’m considering a new fly rug (Horsewear is lovely and thin but I’m constantly sowing it) but not sure what is thin and does the job.

Good luck OP.

 

[Chianti]

My pony has very bad sweet itch. When I took him on I thought I'd cure it. My aim now is for people to have to get up very close before they realise he's got it. I cover him up from the end of January until we've had a cold spell. He's only naked December and January. Good SI rugs - I use Premier Equine, Shires and Horseware- depending on the time of year and weather. Rugs need to be clean so they're washed weekly. I can't use Boets or Snuggy as little dear won't have anything put over his head. He wears a Rambo
bee keeper fly mask.
I make up a herb mix using nettle, cleavers, burdock root, calendula and Brewers yeast - I got tired of paying a fortune for commercial made up mixes. I've tried many commercial lotions and creams - none of which were a magic bullet. I now mix neem and Wondergel to a paste and use that on his face and ears and that works as well as anything I've tried before. This year I'm using Sellequine lotion on his neck- which seems to be working as well as anything I've used - but it's still very early in the year. Creams etc applied twice daily. Unfortunately, you will see many things recommended by others that will have no effect on yours. It can be quite depressing as you'll see them in the morning and think they look good and in the afternoon they can have rubbed. Each year is different as the midges can be better or worse depending on the weather.