Itchy horse!!

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saddlesore

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Hey guys, got new horse on Tuesday!! Went up yesterday and took his rug off. Was going to groom but gave him a quick scratch first at which point he started contorting into all sorts of weird shapes for a scratch
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Anyway, after i had finished scratching him (about an hr btw - total saddo lol) he starting biting at his sides. He was doing this again today. He has no marks whatsoever where he is scratching and cannot see any problem with his coat. However he does have a couple of small random lumps on him - looks a bit like clipper rash - although this is not where he is scratching.
Sorry for the long post but i have no idea what is going on or what to do about it! He is 4 btw and from a dealer so cannot contact previous owner.... Please help!!
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Thanks guys, do have a habit of overrugging, especially as i'm used to a woosy tb! However the weather in Scotland is HORRIFIC at the moment? Would being too hot cause those strange lumps?
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My vet told me that too much sugar in the diet can cause them to itch. I have cut out molassed chaff and replaced with hifi lite and both of mine seem less itchy, but could be coincidence or the change of weather, fact they been clipped, etc too
 
Check for invaders, use lighter rugs - mine are best kept slightly cool or they itch like mad. If still itching, try just feeding hay and see if the itching dies down.

Is he rubbing his mane and tail?

Chancer if fed rich hay gets a few lumps and goes very itchy, hence he is on simple systems and fed course cheap hay.
 
My horse grts itchy too, it drives him and me mad sometimes! He never has any marks ,sores or bald patches on him just likes a good scratch on stable ,trailer or anything to hand!! This happens both summer and winter and although I think it is warmth related am not convinced totally. He is only lightly rugged in winter with a hunter clip and only has grass in summer. I'm still searching for answers!
 
I have the world's itchiest pony. He's quite happy to rub until he bleeds.
The small lumps could well be urticaria (or nettle rash). This is a general reaction to anything that they might be allergic too. It's possible that there is a plant in the field which wasn't in his old field that he's eaten. you may find that his body becomes immune to it as he settles in.
My boy also itches like mad on Alfa-A. Have you changed his feed?
My recommendation would be to give him a blo0dy good bath (i know it's hard when it's cold) but that will ensure that there's no nasties. Wash all of your rugs (or if you're loaded by new ones!) and make sure that he's not over rugged.
if he's still itching in a week or so, you may have to start cutting things out of his feed as using a process of elimination to work out if any thing's making him itch.
it's long winded and not very conclusve i know. Sorry
 
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