Please help me figure out why my mare is so itchy!

[Ellietotz]

I've posted about this before and still haven't solved it so I'd be extremely grateful for any advice please!

- She is only itchy once she has her summer coat
- If she is out naked, she doesn't rub on anything and her skin isn't twitchy but if I put a fly rug on or anything on her i.e. an anti-rub vest or saddle pad/saddle, she is mad with itchiness, constantly twitching and wanting to scratch
- I've given her lots of really good brushes, along the top of her back in the saddle area, it does pick up a fair amount of skin/dirt but not much anywhere else
- Her skin doesn't look scaly and there are no sores. There is one or two small fly bite looking bumps on her rib cage though
- The itchiness mainly seems to be on the saddle area and mane
- I've tried deosect, louse powder, pig oil, bathed in Dermoline Insecticidal shampoo, muddy buddy shampoo, teatree shampoo, rubbed in green oil gel over her back. (Not all in one go!) Still itchy
- She is fed Alfalfa chaff but has been since winter and wasn't a problem with rugs on then. She was also like it last year when she wasn't on alfalfa at all
- I recently bought the fly rug and tried to persevere but even after a few days with it on, she is still twitchy and when it comes off, she loves having her back scratched but she's twitchy again when the saddle pad goes on too
- The rug hasn't been washed yet but the saddle pads have in a non bio wash, these don't cause an issue in winter either though
- She doesn't struggle shedding her coat and she hasn't ever had laminitis so not sure it would be a symptom to anything like that
- She has got a thin coat and rubs very easily. She's pink skinned over the itchy areas too
- She is twitchy the second something is put on her back so not overheating or anything like that

I cannot figure out what it could be unless it is sweet itch but even so, I don't know what I can give or put on her to stop the itchiness. Riding can be difficult when she's so itchy too so I'm desperate to figure it out.

Any ideas please??

 

[Horse2018]

It could be just a bad case of sweet itch my loan horse was like that it he used to roll to itch his belly when I was riding. you can get a medicine for vets that stopped the itching I forget the name of the medication.

 

[Spottyappy]

Was she the same in previous summers?
I ask as my daughters mare went absolutely mad itching for 2 summers, and in the end we had a biopsy taken.
She had, had an allergic reaction to an insect bite, not sure what insect.
We had to treat as sweet itch, and keep her in a snuggy rug.
This year, touch wood, she has gone back to how she was in the previous years before this reaction. I.e, no itching and no rugs required.
Maybe worth asking for a biopsy in the affected area to find out.

 

[rabatsa]

If the fly rug makes her itchy then leave it off. Can she be over heating with it on?

 

[Ellietotz]

It could be just a bad case of sweet itch my loan horse was like that it he used to roll to itch his belly when I was riding. you can get a medicine for vets that stopped the itching I forget the name of the medication.

The only thing with it being sweet itch is why is she only itchy when she has something on?

 

[Ellietotz]

If the fly rug makes her itchy then leave it off. Can she be over heating with it on?

It's the same with a saddle pad too though. The moment I put something on her back, she twitches like mad

 

[rabatsa]

They can get very hot under a saddle pad.

 

[Ellietotz]

Was she the same in previous summers?
I ask as my daughters mare went absolutely mad itching for 2 summers, and in the end we had a biopsy taken.
She had, had an allergic reaction to an insect bite, not sure what insect.
We had to treat as sweet itch, and keep her in a snuggy rug.
This year, touch wood, she has gone back to how she was in the previous years before this reaction. I.e, no itching and no rugs required.
Maybe worth asking for a biopsy in the affected area to find out.

Yes, she was the same last year and the year before I think. What do you do now to manage it?

 

[Ellietotz]

They can get very hot under a saddle pad.

I mean before she's done anything, like she can be stood tied up and I could put a pad on or the anti rub bib for example, the instant it touches her, she is twitching

 

[Spottyappy]

Yes, she was the same last year and the year before I think. What do you do now to manage it?

We have literally not had to do anything now, as she seems to have outgrown it.
The 2 years were a nightmare, we had to electric tape off any area that she could itch on. We used NAF D- Itch, and although I think it did help slightly, it didn’t stop her. The vet really had not much to suggest, as the lab couldn’t identify the insect,but did say it may stop once she’s not in the “automatic reaction” state.

 

[SEL]

My now non ridden one can be like this - very sensitive skin. I use piriton daily otherwise he itches himself into a state. I assumed for a couple of years it was mites because he has feathers, but he gets bad patches behind his withers too.

 

[Meredith]

I know of a horse that broke out in itchy hives if anything like shampoo, washing detergent or fly spray etc touched her. Her owner washed her and her rugs and numnahs in water only. Maybe not the ‘cleanest’ way as we think of it but it worked.

 

[Ellietotz]

I know of a horse that broke out in itchy hives if anything like shampoo, washing detergent or fly spray etc touched her. Her owner washed her and her rugs and numnahs in water only. Maybe not the ‘cleanest’ way as we think of it but it worked.

I've tried all that too as I thought maybe it was a shampoo or washing detergent or something but still no change

 

[Meredith]

I've tried all that too as I thought maybe it was a shampoo or washing detergent or something but still no change

OK

 

[Ellietotz]

My now non ridden one can be like this - very sensitive skin. I use piriton daily otherwise he itches himself into a state. I assumed for a couple of years it was mites because he has feathers, but he gets bad patches behind his withers too.

Perhaps I'll ask the vet about antihistamines then. Thank you!

 

[chaps89]

My mare will twitch for England if you are too gentle/pussyfoot around her.
If I apply firm pressure as I brush/stroke etc then she doesn't twitch.
Could it be you're now a bit wary of her reactions so being a bit hesitant in how you put the numnah on etc? Does she still twitch once saddle is on and girthed up?

 

[Gloi]

Next year get a good sweet itch rug rather than a fly rug and make sure it goes on before she starts being itchy, preferably the minute her winter rug comes off. If the bites are prevented rather than sticking a rug on once she has been bitten and started itching you shouldn't have the problem with the rug bothering her. But it is important to get a proper sweet itch rug because midges can get through a lot of fly rugs.

 

[JillA]

Next year get a good sweet itch rug rather than a fly rug and make sure it goes on before she starts being itchy, preferably the minute her winter rug comes off. If the bites are prevented rather than sticking a rug on once she has been bitten and started itching you shouldn't have the problem with the rug bothering her. But it is important to get a proper sweet itch rug because midges can get through a lot of fly rugs.

Doesn't sound in the slightest like sweetitch so a SI rug will only make her hotter and more itchy surely - if it was sweetitch she would itch more when she hasn't worn a fly rug as it is an allergy to fly or midge bites .

Sounds like overheating to me . Try adding salt to her diet to keep her well hydrated (https://calmhealthyhorses.com/solution/salt.html) and also I would be adding micronised linseed to keep her skin and coat in good condition. Then ensure that any sweat is rinsed off with clean water after every time she has sweated

 

[tda]

I would also add linseed to your feed, it is great for skin health.
Another thing you could try is Diatomatious Earth, you can feed it or apply to the body, it should get rid of most critters, even if you don't think you have any
I got mine from Amazon or ebay

 

[ycbm]

I would be looking for plants in her grazing which only grow around the time she has a summer coat. I might see if keeping her in for a few days stops it happening.

.

 

[Ellietotz]

My mare will twitch for England if you are too gentle/pussyfoot around her.
If I apply firm pressure as I brush/stroke etc then she doesn't twitch.
Could it be you're now a bit wary of her reactions so being a bit hesitant in how you put the numnah on etc? Does she still twitch once saddle is on and girthed up?

Unfortunately she is still itchy when being ridden too, it can be difficult when she is doing full body shakes!

 

[Ellietotz]

I would be looking for plants in her grazing which only grow around the time she has a summer coat. I might see if keeping her in for a few days stops it happening.

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Hmm, interesting. She did it last year in a different field as well and even when she wasn't on much grazing and mostly hay

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Do you give any commercial treats at all? I ask because they very often have alfalfa as a base, as do some balancers. I would check that *nothing* that she eats has even the smallest amount of alfalfa in it. It sounds like a reaction to food to me.

 

[Ellietotz]

Doesn't sound in the slightest like sweetitch so a SI rug will only make her hotter and more itchy surely - if it was sweetitch she would itch more when she hasn't worn a fly rug as it is an allergy to fly or midge bites .

Sounds like overheating to me . Try adding salt to her diet to keep her well hydrated (https://calmhealthyhorses.com/solution/salt.html) and also I would be adding micronised linseed to keep her skin and coat in good condition. Then ensure that any sweat is rinsed off with clean water after every time she has sweated

Thank you. She is already on pure natural sea salt and Copra which I believe is good for skin. I have tried linseed before but it made no difference to the itch.
I thought about overheating but even on a cool day, she twitches the moment something goes on her. She wouldn't overheat in an anti rub vest after it being on for half a minute but she is already twitching like mad by that point. Even the saddle pad can be sat on her for the same amount of time with the same reaction. I don't think it is overheating

 

[Ellietotz]

Do you give any commercial treats at all? I ask because they very often have alfalfa as a base, as do some balancers. I would check that *nothing* that she eats has even the smallest amount of alfalfa in it. It sounds like a reaction to food to me.

Nope, rarely give her treats. She is on alfalfa chaff but she was over winter too and she wasn't itchy then. It only seems to be once she's lost her winter coat

 

[Coblover63]

I can't feed my cob mare alfalfa as it makes her itch like crazy. If you do a search on here "alfalfa" and "itching" you'll see that it's not an uncommon reaction to it. Changing her chaff may help.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Nope, rarely give her treats. She is on alfalfa chaff but she was over winter too and she wasn't itchy then. It only seems to be once she's lost her winter coat

Even rarely could be too many treats if she is sensitive to something in them. Do you feed a balancer? If you do give a treat what is it? If you can't find out what she is sensitive to, I would go down the anti-histamine route, it certainly sounds like an allergic reaction to something.

It might be that her skin becomes sensitive in winter but that her thicker coat protects her from the stimuli that make her itch in summer. I used to have a mare that reacted to individual raindrops falling on her summer coat.

 

[Ellietotz]

Next year get a good sweet itch rug rather than a fly rug and make sure it goes on before she starts being itchy, preferably the minute her winter rug comes off. If the bites are prevented rather than sticking a rug on once she has been bitten and started itching you shouldn't have the problem with the rug bothering her. But it is important to get a proper sweet itch rug because midges can get through a lot of fly rugs.

I am wondering that perhaps it is that I didn't fly rug her before she got bitten so it's just irritating her now that something is touching the bites. I still feel like she should be itchy without anything on if that were the case though but she isn't twitchy at all when nothing is touching her skin. She is very sensitive to sunlight as well and can burn on hot days over the saddle area. I was putting suncream on but it was just rolling off her fur so I got the fly rug to help as well but I hate her being so uncomfortable with something on her back. I thought maybe she was itchy because of the recent sunburn over that area which has gone now but ruled it out as the itch was still happening.
Should have mentioned it in the original post, just didn't think it could be a causing factor but maybe it still is.

 

[Denbob]

I would be looking for plants in her grazing which only grow around the time she has a summer coat. I might see if keeping her in for a few days stops it happening.

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Agree with this, we have something down here which affects maybe 1/3 of the horses on the yard for about two weeks and then goes again! Mine was incredibly itchy, and he still is a little bit but we've scaled it down dramatically by feeding Piriton with vet approval (am happy to PM you a link to bulk online supplier), removing alfalfa and clipping so he's not hot when he's fly rugged.

 

[Ellietotz]

Even rarely could be too many treats if she is sensitive to something in them. Do you feed a balancer? If you do give a treat what is it? If you can't find out what she is sensitive to, I would go down the anti-histamine route, it certainly sounds like an allergic reaction to something.

It might be that her skin becomes sensitive in winter but that her thicker coat protects her from the stimuli that make her itch in summer. I used to have a mare that reacted to individual raindrops falling on her summer coat.

I'm not sure what's in them, I'll have a look on the packet.
I may try without alfalfa but she was itchy last year before she was on alfalfa and I made sure it wasn't in anything she was fed. She is UV sensitive though so maybe that could be contributing to it which will help if she is off alfalfa too from what I understand?
She also shivers the second she gets wet if there is a breeze.