Ham2106
New User
Bought a two year old and now that the weather has changed she is rubbing mane and tail. I suspect SI. When will this really affect her in Ireland? And she was bought for reproducing in a few years? What are your thoughts?
New horse seems to have the start of sweet itch?
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Michen
Well-Known Member
Mine is always really itchy in summer (my older one). His sire supposedly throws itchy ponies! He constantly rubs but never raw.
May be nothing.
May be nothing.
Myloubylou
Well-Known Member
Try hedgewitch summer gel on it. My mare was rubbing her tail & this stopped her itching within days & she’s not rubbed since. Not got sweetitch but think she reacts to horsefly bites.
holeymoley
Well-Known Member
Try Switch. It's very good stuff.
shortstuff99
Well-Known Member
Itching can also be a symptom of insulin intolerance, so you could try a low sugar diet like you would for an EMS horse and see of that improves it too.
Ham2106
New User
I’m really hoping it isn’t SI. She is a Irish Draught. Beautiful temperament. But I have noticed the neck thickening. She is losing thickness in mane but thankfully not rubbed raw, yet! ?
ycbm
Einstein would be proud of my Insanity...
Are you feeding her? With what? Alfalfa in particular is a big problem, but carrots can do it too!
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shortstuff99
Well-Known Member
Ham2106
New User
Feeding nothing only daily grazing and hay at night. No sweet treats
holeymoley
Well-Known Member
Neck thickening? This is interesting. I'm an avid follower of all things laminitis especially if it's EMS associated. There has been a recent case where studies showed that itching the neck area was actually a sign of too much sugar present in the body. It had been passed as Sweet Itch for a lot of the horses but it was actually a response to too much sugar in the bloodstream. I can only speak for my own horse who I would've said had a mild sweet itch. After being diagnosed with EMS and losing weight and having a feed and management overhaul, he has not scratched once this year so far. It could be coincidental or it could be the Switch working! Who knows.
shortstuff99
Well-Known Member
The link I posted above talks about this and it is very interesting!
holeymoley
Well-Known Member
It really is. For years my horse has scratched his tail to a piece of fuzz and taken chunks out of his mane. He went through a hellish time of laminits and was diagnosed with Insulin Resistance, lost a lot of weight and I changed him to Simple Systems feeds, restricted grass and soaked hay. I'm really surprised this year that he's not scratched once!
shortstuff99
Well-Known Member
This has also happened to a friends horse, normally suffers badly with itching. This year has been on a strict low sugar diet and hasn't itched at all!
Misty 2020
Well-Known Member
MY horse always gets itchy in the summer time it could be nothing.
ycbm
Einstein would be proud of my Insanity...
This fits. I took on a rehab years ago to sort out his feet. He arrived with bad sweet itch scars and two sweet itch rugs and an instruction to rug him before the season started.
He also arrived fat with a completely abnormal voracious appetite. I have literally never seen a horse eat like it, before or since. I self-diagnosed him with IR from his appetite and his paper thin soles. He was drip fed every couple of hours for several days when his appetite suddenly switched off and he became normal.
The sweet itch never materialised and he stayed free of it for years after.
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Ham2106
New User
No swelling on neck but small creases along the base of the mane?
Pearlsacarolsinger
Up in the clouds
Gloi
Too little time, too much to read.
Two years old is a common age for developing sweet itch, sadly.
holeymoley
Well-Known Member
Never thought of it that way!
Ham2106
New User
Quick question - will haylage make the itch worse? Should I stick to hay?
Anyone any suggestions to suppress the itch?
Anyone any suggestions to suppress the itch?
Gloi
Too little time, too much to read.
Cover everything with a good sweet itch hood and rug. Coat the bits that stick out with something oily and repellent. Electric fence off everything that can be rubbed on. I've never found any feed that made a difference though you could try Scratch if he will eat it. The most important thing is to keep him from getting bitten as once they damage the skin it makes the itch worse.
shortstuff99
Well-Known Member
If he has any sort of insulin resistance then haylage could make the itching worse.
Gloi
Too little time, too much to read.
That would be pretty unlucky in a 2yo
shortstuff99
Well-Known Member
If he's a good doer or native breed he would have more than likely been born with it.
Ham2106
New User
Irish Draught Filly
shortstuff99
Well-Known Member
I would stick with hay for now.
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