Owners of horses with sweet itch...

S

Shilasdair

Patting her thylacine
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...what do you do with them in the hot weather?
It's supposed to be up to 28/29 oC here this week, and I suspect my SI sufferer will spontaneously combust if left in her Rambo SI hoody.
On the other hand, my horses are not used to being in, and the stables are hotter than the field, with less air flow....
Your thoughts?
S
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I do not have a sweetitch bobbo myself but there is one on the yard. They fully clip there horse all summer otherwise even if it isnt really hot he sweats up and then itches all the more. They tend to leave him out as much as they can as we have electric fencing so there isnt much for him to itch on in the field ( although he regulary sits like a dog and dry humps the floor to itch his tail!!)
 
Ah, well my Sweet itch girl doesn't have the traditional form - she doesn't scratch at all.
She does come up in lovely floral patterns of urticaria (think embossed wall paper), which seep serum though.
Oh, and LS - thanks for the offer of fanning her...when will you arrive?
S
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Mine will be out as always with his rug on. He is just in an ordinary fly rug this year and doesn't appear to overheat in it any more than he would anyway. He was always ok in his Boett too as they are so roomy but did overheat in the snuggyhood.
I guess the only thing you can do is to make sure they have plenty of shade
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My two who being heavy types and more inclined to suffer heat due to heavy coat and build (don't be rude
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) have been fine in the Snuggy bodies in the heat - am about to PM you 2 week since purchase report next week.

I did allow for a generous size so they are not really tight on them which I think helps. I have taken off hoods though (a) to allow them to be a little more cool and (b) I don't want to risk rubbed manes at it is not that a problem with midges at the moment where we are.
 
They do have plenty of water, and plenty of shade...trees down one side give shade from late morning, but they don't use it!
Theresa_F, don't tell anyone, but one of mine (not the SI one) is half Shire so not exactly dainty either (don't tell those awful cob owners, though).
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I'd like a PM report though...
S
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Our cob - who is half shire - suffers from full SI. he sadly has little shelter in his field (does have some) he wears a normal fly sheet (light coloured) and he does not get over heated, infact, he is cooler than if he was naked and was in his dark -heat absorbing - colour,
 
Mine is hogged and clipped and goes out with sun cream called 'Gurkha' which has a very effective insect repellent in it as well as protecting any exposed skin from the sun. If I'm not riding I'll put some grease on him - I've found this works best. I haven't had to use it for a while, but Calomine lotion in the evening if he's looking a bit 'weepy' and sore.

Im' lucky to have land that's exposed and away from any swampy areas and hes stabled at dusk and dawn all of which seem to help to avoid midges.
 
I have been prepping mine by making him wear thick rugs at night and generally over rugging

Hopefully this means he doesn't feel quite so bad as he is used to being cooked
 
I use Snuggy Hoods sweet itch set and I find my horse with sweet itch is the happiest one in hot weather. He is the one out grazing in the sum where the others in the field are fighting for shade to get away from the flies! The fabric is fairly lightweight and breathable. He does get a little hot but at least he can be out and itch free so he is happy!
 
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