Itchy horse

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My horse is so itchy you can't even touch her without her rubbing on your hand, if you turn your back to her she will walk round you and stand very close wanting you to scratch her. She has no broken skin, no lumps and bumps.
Worming is up to date, had a course of dectomax, loads of treatment for sweet itch (such as kill itch and fly por) she is as itchy in winter as she is in summer, is rugged as needed, not over rugged, just a fly rug this time of year, never more than 200grm in winter. She is clean,as in spotless all the time. Not on any hard feed, grass she is on is short and not much of it as she can live on thin air. hay in a feeder in winter......seasons, feed, work, clean or dirty rugs, change of my washing powder to non bio....no difference, if you touch her she wants itched.......Help!!!
Have read that seaweed is good for itchy horses...has anyone tried this, and does anyone have any other suggestions to help her, she is such a nice girl it is hard to watch her like this.
Thank you in advance x
 
Hi there

My horse is also an itchy fella, although perhaps not as much as your horse. Still, I have been feeding Brewer's yeast and whilst there is still some itch, he does seem less so. Also, I cut out garlic on the advice of an H and H poster, so that too may have helped. Sometimes, it can be indicative of food intolerance, although of course if you don't feed any extras then can't be that. Take it that you have checked for lice? I know how distressing it is to see your horse uncomfortable, so good luck.
 
Our new horse has a dreadful habit of rubbing various parts of her anatomy when she is in the stable (not so bad in the field). I do think that some of it is impatience while she is waiting for her bucket feed, although she has some haylage to pick at.
We have started to give her Aloe Vera juice for an unrelated problem (I think). She now seems to be much less itchy after about 2 weeks of AV.
 
thank you both. No lice, wish it was as simple as that. Doesn't get any feed at all as she is so fat, but I have cut back her work load, as in I don't work her hard enough to make her sweat as I don't want to irritate her skin any more, so work is slow hacking and light schooling.
Aloe Vera juice? How do you use that and where did you get it?.
 
I use an anti itch wash from the saddler for my boy after work, it is great and does not have to be rinsed off. I also use the lavender version if they have no anti-itch wash, it is about £8.00 but lasts for a month or so if you use as directed.
I have considered clipping my boy's face this summer, as this is where he gets itchy after work, in winter he is clipped between hind legs and has a bib clip including total face clip, usually done three times from October to February.
Make sure he gets no cereals, go for a barley free feed like Fast Fibre.
I would risk going for more exercise as it is just not good for a pony to be fat. Walking (not strolling along) will trim body fat, but she needs to go fast enough to work up a sweat I'm afraid, have a tub of wash ready for her as soon as she is unsaddled.
 
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We could never be accused of strolling, lol. She is a very active girl and a bit of a power house we go everywhere with purpose, so she is reasonably fit. She is still worked every day I would never just leave her in a field growing fat....I just don't work her till she is a bag of sweat as it makes her very very agitated and I don't think that is fair. She isn't very hairy either, has an amazingly fine coat for her type, DWB x cob. I have insect repellent shampoo and I have lavender wash, she seems to like this, but once she has dried off she is as itchy as before.
Oh as a add on, we moved yards from up in the hills right down to the coast six months ago and there was no change However I have just found out there is a lack of magnesium and copper in the soil, could something like this trigger a reaction like this? Magnesium was low at last yard too.
 
Would second the Brewers Yeast suggestion. At this time of year Chloe gets a blue 50ml scoop of it. Non-pathogenic yeasts have been shown to lower pro-inflammatory chemicals (cytokines) in the gut and increase anti-inflammatory ones. They also prevent bacteria from binding to the gut wall (epithelium) and so lower the immune response that way.

Would also agree about getting her fitter/slimmer. A fat horse will sweat more in the hotter months and this is itself will make her itchier!
 
Would also agree about getting her fitter/slimmer. A fat horse will sweat more in the hotter months and this is itself will make her itchier![/QUOTE]

She is not unfit, just no longer as fit as she usually is, nor is she hugely fat.....I just don't like fat horses so even when she puts on a bit I call her huge....Her weight nor her fitness is the issue. Vet advice is not to work her hard enough to produce lots of sweat to irritate the skin...so I think I will go with what she says on that one.
I just wanted to know if anyone knows of anything I may not have thought of yet to sooth her itching.
 
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