Mites!!!

[goldie12]

My mare lives out 24/7 and I am treating her feather mites but haven't seen much improvement. The other horses she lives out with have mites and aren't being treated, will they ever go away or are they always going to be transferred from the others in the herd? Thanks

 

[Blitzen]

My mare had mites when I bought her, and I had it treated with Dectomax injections which worked a treat. I had introduced her into a small herd before I realised she had them, and was told that ideally all 4 should have been treated as they're contagious, but to keep my eye on the others as she *could* have passed it on to them too. Luckily there was no itching/rubbing/stamping from any of the others but I think I was lucky.
If the others you keep your mare with definitely have mites too then they all need treating I'm afraid. If they rub or scratch on a fencepost, and then your mare goes to the same one for a scratch then its just going to pass back to her. Who do the other horses belong to? All of the horses need to start their treatment at the same time to make sure all mites are killed at the same time. If its a livery yard, could you get the other owners to agree to treat theirs?
To be honest, I think its downright mean of them not to treat their horses. My mare was a right state when I got her, she was frantic with the irritation. Good on you for trying to tackle it, but really all of the horses need doing. Could you and the other owners split the cost of the treatment - for example club together for Frontline spray?

 

[olliethecob]

Hi

My cob had mites, i got the vet in and we clipped his legs, the vet gave me some shampoo to clean his legs and he had a jab and another 3 weeks later.
My man used to bite his legs in the field, stamp his feet and even rub them against the fence to itch. He looks so much happier now, I have a powder now that i apply once a week. It is hard work to keep them away I can appreciate how you feel.

Good luck.