Sweet Itch - advice needed

Foxford

Foxford

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Gahh, I'm so annoyed. I have a very very itchy new horse! He has been trying to rub himself raw this week. The midges are quite bad where we are and I'm pretty sure they are causing the itch. Under his mane is a dry patch where he has rubbed in the past. I have been putting sudocream on this for the last few days which seems to have helped.

He goes out everyday and I apply fly repellant am and pm. It upsets me to see him so uncomfortable, and I'm worried he will end up with giant bald patches. Please give me some ideas on what to try, or what works!! Oh, horse is 2 so don't really want to rug him (I think he'll trash it in 5 mins).
 
Tbh i think your only option IS to rug him... no lotion or potion creates a physical barrier against the flies like a rug does. Have a look on www.sweet-itch.co.uk there is lots of info on there.

How long have you had him? Did he have the patch before you got him? only because if its new it could well be a reaction to something you have changed such as feed, in which case a rug wont be necessary.
 
I've had him 5 weeks. The patch was there when I got him. His mane was completely overgrown so I only found it when I gave him a bit of a trim. I guess it's a good sign that he had plenty of hair!! It looks like I will have to try a rug then, I'm sure he'll wreck it before he outgrows it. I guess it will be easier to mange next year when I can try and prevent it better. I thought I might try the weatherbeeta airflow at first, as it seems good but not too expensive if it's ruined.
Thanks for the info!
 
Hi, my two year old is a sweet itch candidate, he started with the itching late last year and has started again. He rubbed himself raw last year so he is in a fly rug am & pm. He has one for outdoors and a stable one. I'm in the process of buying a Boett, he has had the fly rugs on to see how destructive he would be in one. If your youngster is ok in a rug then I would then invest in a boett. It seems to be the only thing everyone is recommending on here, as well as some good homemade fly spray. Look in vetinary for a recipe.
Sorry to hear you have bought one with it, I bred mine so I will never sell him.
 
Thanks, yes it is a total pain but I'm not planning on selling him so it makes it a bit less annoying. He is such a lovely boy, I guess it's just something we're both going to have to live with.
 
My 17 hand dressage horse has had sweet itch for the past 9 years. I have tried every lotion & potion and rug on the market and have had most success with Rambo Sweet Itch Hoodies when he is out at night & a Rambo Dust Buster in the stable during the day (obviously I use these turn out arrangements to reduce the amount of time he is exposed to midges!). Benzyl Benzoate is the best lotion to ease the itching and can be bought fairly cheaply from chemists such as Boots. I also use an anti midge spray - carr, day & martin do one in a yellow bottle which works well against midgers and I have just started using the NAF Deet spray which seems pretty good so far! Indian Herbs also produces a feed supplement called TeeBurb which helps - it looks like curry powder and I think it is meant to make the horse smell like he has had a takeaway the night before to midges, therefore they bother the horse less - seems to work anyway!
Something else that can help is using an oil based cream to protect the affected areas (or even just baby oil) as this acts as a barrier and the midges don't seem to be able to bite through it.

If you want any more help please feel free to PM me as having coped with a rather large, itchy horse for a long time now I think I've tried most of the preventative measures out there!
 
I have an Icelandic with sweetitch. Most Iceys that are imported from Iceland tend to develop sweetitch. In the 11 years I have had my boy, I must have tried every lotion, potion and rug going. The only thing that I have found that is effective is a Boett rug (he is pictured wearing it in my signature) and to have him stabled between dusk and dawn when the midges are at their worst. I pop him in his Boett at the end of March/beginning of September - he has one for the daytime and another one at night, so that I can keep them clean, and he stays in a Boett pretty much throughout the midgey season. At one time, I must have spent a fortune on lotions and supplements, but the Boett is the only thing that is really effective and keeps him completely comfortable and with a full mane and tail. We are very lucky in that we live on high ground with a constant breeze and no standing water nearby. As your horse is only 2, if it is true sweetitch you may find that he gets more sensitive as he gets older.
 
i have started using a suppliment called think fly on our mare. two people on my yard highly recommended it. it also looks like curry powder and smells awful.its to early to tell yet if its going to work as shes only been on it 2 weeks. she also wears a fly rug 24/7.
 
my 2yo wears a fly rug.i actually got her one from tescos last year so dirt cheap, not sure how effective it is against midges though.lol.
apparently marmite is good-give them one sandwich a day.if you can get it down them
 
My little man loves marmite, he licks it off the tub as I squeeze it out. I get covered in it buts its amusing to watch!
I dropped some Bog Myrtle drops on his mask today, he seemed less bothered by the midges and didn't really want to come in. Usually he is stood by the gate at about 4.30 pm. Iv'e made a potion and will try it tomorrow, who knows?
 
I have been battling with my mare's sweet itch for over 4 years now as she rubs her mane and tail raw, kicks at her stomach and generally was grumpy. I have tried pretty much everything supplement and fly repellant wise on the market.

I can now say with a huge smile on my face I have got it under control, she is no longer wanting to itch and has a lovely mane and tail!!!! all within 6 months

I have been using a DerbyHouse Tego fly rug which is fab as its very fine mesh and covers her head to toe complete with elastciated leg straps, and an extra elastic bit on the long tail flap to ensure when she swiches her tail the rug moves with it and not allowing any gaps for midges to attack. I also now keep her in and only put her out from about 8am til 6-7pm so helping minimise the midge attack.

Repellant wise I use Naf DEET spray twice daily and Flygon gold gel for her underneath area. I would strongly advise keeping away from citronella & tea tree products as these do not work for control against midges and can actually cause irritation.

I also feed Scratch Plus and garlic in her feed twice daily.
 
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