My annual mite help plea

[poiuytrewq]

Because every summer I hope that someone new reads and knows the answer.

This has been a problem from Mid July to about October every year since moving to where we are. I’ve had a fair few horses here, all are effected to a varying degree, this poor little chap the worst.

I’ve tried all the over the counter anti itch and soothing stuff available.

Antihistamine’s
Ivermectin both oral and as a wash
Sulphur powder (this helps a bit)
Various creams, summer fly cream, sulphur and silver creams.
The injections for feather mites
Anti parasite shampoo
Feather mite spray and mite spray such as frontline.
Shapleys MTG (helps a bit)

He wears a full face mask, I trim legs so I can treat easier

As you can see from this poor pony it’s souls destroying, awful for them and I spend my days trying to help.
Please, any more ideas I can try?

 

[poiuytrewq]

Just to add, this is the first few days/week 1 of summer hell. This will worsen yet.

 

[SEL]

I share your pain - although my big lad isn't pinked skin fortunately

Have you tried ivermectin wash?

ETA - yup. You have!

Tick spot on for dogs?

 

[asmp]

Sorry can’t help but just wanted to say how horrible it looks. Poor boy.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I share your pain - although my big lad isn't pinked skin fortunately

Have you tried ivermectin wash?

ETA - yup. You have!

Tick spot on for dogs?

Sorry SEL searching here pulled up my thread from last year and I see you commented and I didnt reply, can only assume I didn’t see it. ?

I’ve used spot one for cows (vets advice) might a dog one be worth a try still?

 

[SEL]

Sorry SEL searching here pulled up my thread from last year and I see you commented and I didnt reply, can only assume I didn’t see it. ?

I’ve used spot one for cows (vets advice) might a dog one be worth a try still?

The dog spot on was recommended by the CPL group on FB and is probably what I've had most success with - but you do need to repeat. I've used beaphar fiprotec large dog (amazon) and its a lot more effective if you can clip down to the skin on each leg and the spot on. One pipette per leg. I also used it on the new boy when he came with a massively itchy tail and it seemed to help (pipette on top of his tail).

Someone will likely tell me know its full of nasty chemicals but when everything else has failed and you've got a horse rubbing his legs to blood on a shelter rim / log / biting them then you have to try

No idea if its different to the cow stuff - if its a different chemical then worth a shot

I've also realised he's a lot better without linseed which was recommended to me for skin health - not for him it turns out

I currently have 3 needing to be de-feathered and zapped so it must be a bad year for mites

 

[PurBee]

I go by the theory that just like sick plants in dodgy unbalanced soil get more slug/insect attacks - mammals get skin/hair conditions and hairy mammals attract mites and ringworm etc, when their min/vit levels are out of whack.
The underlying health is out of balance - could just be 1 mineral severely out of whack throwing out other mineral levels.

You say most horses at the premises are affected in varying degrees so its likely the soil for the grazing is way out in some major mineral, causing an imbalance in the horses - and depending on what min/vit supplements each of the horses receive, will depend on how each one reacts.
Might be worth pooling fund to get grass and soil analysed on the property. Zinc, magnesium and copper are usually very low….yet essential for immune health.

Any persistent sore skin issue, sunburning-prone, mites/bacterial - i would focus on immune system minerals/vits - vit A,C,E,D with minerals zinc/copper/magnesium. Definitely zinc in the diet i would add first-off for skin issues specifically, but adding the whole range of mins/vits assures you of having the whole immune nutritional team on board.

Many say their horses already get a vit/min supplement - but dose is important. Most commercial brands offer paltry daily dosage of their mineral mixes - and you’d want to add 3 of their suggested ‘dose’ to get near to what a horse truly needs.
Hence why FP, and all the other pure mineral mixes are much more expensive than the shelf brands, as they offer true correct daily dosage for the horse.
Equimins advance complete i preferred out of the whole lot - for a pre-prepared mix. I just added magnesium on top. The B vits aid the gut bacteria, which aids the immune system, so you get a complex benefit from B vit addition to horses diet.

If the inside health is severely out of whack, topical treatments wont ever be a permanent help -theyre useful for soothing the sore skin but not stopping the initial aggravation of being prone to mites.

Mud fever in my 2 disappeared very quickly when i added generic highish dose vits/mins to their diet alongside hay/grass. Im in ireland, rain/ mud central most year round - theyre covered often, especially heels - it went away and never returned.

 

[windand rain]

I was recommended cheap dog shampoo from wilco it worked quite well but took nearly a bottle per leg

 

[planete]

Are you sure it is mites and not a reaction to plants like the photosensitivity that can occur with buttercups?

 

[suestowford]

I'm wondering the same as Planete. I've got one who gets mites but they are only ever on his legs, not the face as well.

But since you ask, to treat the mites on my pony I would first wash with Seleen dog shampoo, leave on for 10 mins then wash off.
After that I'd put on pig oil & flowers of sulphur once a week. That's what works for mine anyway

 

[Barton Bounty]

I agree kind of looks photosensitivity too , been there with that ?

 

[SEL]

@PurBee mine was on forage plus winter balancer for 6 years without any improvement. I changed to progressive earth when it was suggested I try a brand without linseed (he was better when I removed his daily mug of the stuff) & he's still biting himself raw.

The one without feathers is fine and she is on Spillers balancer so I don't think it's entirely down to nutrition

 

[SEL]

On the subject of photosensitivity - have you got any legumes in the field?

 

[PurBee]

@PurBee mine was on forage plus winter balancer for 6 years without any improvement. I changed to progressive earth when it was suggested I try a brand without linseed (he was better when I removed his daily mug of the stuff) & he's still biting himself raw.

The one without feathers is fine and she is on Spillers balancer so I don't think it's entirely down to nutrition

It was the info that most ponies on the yard are affected that indicates more of a nutritional component at play. A common denominator.

yet equally, if the fields are full of buttercups, the burn would affect all, worst for pink skinned.
Would there be mites with buttercup burn? Would they be attracted to red raw skin from the bedding perhaps? That would need answering/investigating.

Is the bedding the initial problem? Or hay? - mites love straw and hay. Hay chiggers are absolutely horrendous and itch like mad but so small almost impossible to see. The eggs are on the hay stalks and they hatch in the warmth of the bale. They stay within the bale to keep warm/lay more eggs - some fields are badly affected. Its not hugely common though. Ive experienced hay chiggers in 2 different suppliers out of 30+ suppliers. But they are to be considered as they itch like mad. Usually humans handling the hay with bare arms will feel pin pricks on their skin and be itching, so the problem is usually detected early.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Not read through properly as I’m at work but yes definitely harvest mites.
I can see them in the creases of skin, around the eyes anywhere it’s very thin they form in little orange clusters.

 

[KittenInTheTree]

Have you tried daubing him with peppermint and thyme?

 

[meleeka]

I know you’ve used powder, but this sulphur dip worked on mine. It really stinks but gets in all the creases if needs to. https://hyperdrug.co.uk/easivet-lim...4g2womekUiOYqP7O9lNipyGCYXPzldKgaAjNPEALw_wcB

 

[PurBee]

Not read through properly as I’m at work but yes definitely harvest mites.
I can see them in the creases of skin, around the eyes anywhere it’s very thin they form in little orange clusters.

Harvest mites usually survive in denser long vegetation…are your grazing fields long or the borders of the fields long?

 

[DizzyDoughnut]

I go by the theory that just like sick plants in dodgy unbalanced soil get more slug/insect attacks - mammals get skin/hair conditions and hairy mammals attract mites and ringworm etc, when their min/vit levels are out of whack.
The underlying health is out of balance - could just be 1 mineral severely out of whack throwing out other mineral levels.

You say most horses at the premises are affected in varying degrees so its likely the soil for the grazing is way out in some major mineral, causing an imbalance in the horses - and depending on what min/vit supplements each of the horses receive, will depend on how each one reacts.
Might be worth pooling fund to get grass and soil analysed on the property. Zinc, magnesium and copper are usually very low….yet essential for immune health.

Last year I moved my ponies to a new yard, they both started being really itchy, it turns out every horse that has been there has developed some kind of itchiness or come out in lumpy hives. I thought it was some kind of mite in the stables so I cleaned and scrubbed everything but still itching. Then in summer they are out 24/7 so I deliberately didn't take them near the stables but still they were itchy. They were on a different field but still itching, I was thinking there must be something on the land causing it so have covered them in all sorts like deosect to kill or deter any mites or other biting things, none of it has made a difference.
I moved them to a different yard and literally the day after we moved they stopped itching, could that still be because of an imbalance in minerals causing it? I'm assuming that would take longer than a day to resolve, or does it sound like there's some kind of mite on the land?

 

[SEL]

Not read through properly as I’m at work but yes definitely harvest mites.
I can see them in the creases of skin, around the eyes anywhere it’s very thin they form in little orange clusters.

I walked through long grass in shorts and trainers yesterday and came back with tiny red bites all over my legs - itched like mad. I felt liked I'd been baked in an oven anyway so I wasn't happy. Dies piriton not help at all? I did knock back antihistamines

 

[Dexter]

harvest mites are different from the mites horses normally get and they are awful things! I used to use dog flea stuff, which is fipronil and it seemed to be the only thing that worked. They used to itch like nothing else on earth if I got them on me

 

[poiuytrewq]

Ok, going to attempt to cover all suggestions and questions in one!

@SEL. I’ve not tried stop on dog stuff, just cattle and agree I couldn’t really care what nasties are in something if it works!
No legumes in the field, the farm land surrounding has peas growing though and alfalfa in the game strips which I believe is the same family.

@PurBee. So all the horses have been mine except one and all fed the same, the feed i use has changed over the years from time to time. Including many different balancers and Equimins pelleted one.
Bedding and hay i Use the same stuff all year round and the problem is literally the second week in July to October. Also if I keep them stabled for any reason for longer than a few days all symptoms dissapear so it’s definitely the field.
No buttercups at all. We planted the grazing ourselves with a special horse and pay grazing mix, obviously stuff has self seeded since but *touch wood no buttercup.
My grazing is short, pretty bare really but there is longer stuff directly outside, crops and game cover areas.
The pony in the photographs who is worst effected though has Cushings and is old so you do have a valid point about underlying health type issues maybe Making things worse or the reaction worse.
@planete @suestowford and @Barton Bounty No buttercup what so ever and although this pony is worst at the moment its also effected a few young TB’s with no white of pink in sight, in fact it’s on these kinds that I saw and was able to identify as they are so thin skinned and hairless.

@KittenInTheTree No not really, one spray I used has peppermint oil in but not thyme. Thanks

@meleeka you mentioned this previously and I’m unsure if I tried it or not! I remember standing one of them in buckets of something ?‍ I’ll give it another go. Thanks!

@DizzyDoughnut Very possibly, we used to have grazing about a mile away in a water meadow and if I moved them there the skin would heal and the itching stop almost instantly. Sadly I no longer have access to it.

@Dexter ? it’s so nice when some one gets this! Most people think I’m talking about feather mite and then try to explain to me why feather mites don’t effect the head or TB’s!

 

[Gloi]

Have you tried coating the legs with Neem?

 

[poiuytrewq]

Have you tried coating the legs with Neem?

Umm, no. I’ve used a product with neem oil in but do you mean pure?
It’s actually heads that are the biggest problem.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I did spot on and pig oil the legs of two yesterday when I turned out and they have come in this morning with less immediately visible blood than the previous day. ?
I read that in America they give steroid shots to calm the itch along side treating to try and break the cycle, may run that past my vet. Bit nervous though as this pony has Cushings and has been laminitic in the past.

 

[Gloi]

Umm, no. I’ve used a product with neem oil in but do you mean pure?
It’s actually heads that are the biggest problem.

Yes pure oil, make sure it's cold pressed and the horse isn't sensitive to it. It's insecticidal. I always coated my sweet itch pony with it but it also kills mites. Shame it stinks so much.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Yes pure oil, make sure it's cold pressed and the horse isn't sensitive to it. It's insecticidal. I always coated my sweet itch pony with it but it also kills mites. Shame it stinks so much.

Perfect thank you

 

[poiuytrewq]

Yes pure oil, make sure it's cold pressed and the horse isn't sensitive to it. It's insecticidal. I always coated my sweet itch pony with it but it also kills mites. Shame it stinks so much.

Did you use it his/her face?

 

[Gloi]

Did you use it his/her face?

Yes. Legs face belly and sheath. All the bits sticking out of the sweet itch rug. Also on any rubs. Be careful it's cold pressed and not chemically extracted. Once got the wrong one and it upset both ponies skin.

 

[SEL]

I did spot on and pig oil the legs of two yesterday when I turned out and they have come in this morning with less immediately visible blood than the previous day. ?
I read that in America they give steroid shots to calm the itch along side treating to try and break the cycle, may run that past my vet. Bit nervous though as this pony has Cushings and has been laminitic in the past.

I use high dose piriton which does stop him chewing himself. Vet was on the fence about steroids because of his type

Never thought about neem oil. I've used stinky stuff before and got it all over me before work - I think that had neem. Smell takes a while to go ?