Sweet itch/hair loss in mane

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cath040688

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My horse has sweet itch, well he sort of does, he gets bullied by flies but doesnt get the classic inflammed, scurfy, sore skin he just constantly rubs his neck and pulls the hair out.

He has a fly rug, is dosed in fly spray, fed garlic, has one of the citronella tags on his headcollar/bridle, is not near trees or water in his field but is still so itchy!

Unfortunately my other horse is on box rest so he is in at night to keep her company which is when he rubs on the door frame....any ideas on anything else i could try?

I have tried barrier creams too but nothing seems to work!!! he looks like he has had a fight with an electric shaver as half his mane is missing, mind you its alot quicker to plait him!
 
If it is sweet itch then garlic is not good as it boosts the immune system and sweet itch sufferers already have increased immune reactions which is what causes the itching and swelling.

What type of fly rug is it? You might need to try a specific sweet itch rug, some of the other fly rugs don't have a tight enough weave to keep the midges out.

It's taken me a few years to find the best way forward for my own particular horse, they all react differently to different treatments but here goes....

He wears a sweet itch hoody February to November with a full face mask on muggy days or hot days with no wind. He gets brewers yeast and magnesium supplements all year and then I use another supplement February to November called hippo excema and then if he does get to the stage of having sores I use a topical treatment called hippo itch care gel. Nothing with benzyl benzoate as he is allergic to it and his hair falls out

So far this year we have not lost any mane or tail and I have not had to use any of the topical treatment, hope that continues for him throughout the summer as it is an awful thing for a horse to have to deal with
 
Have you tried Summer Freedom cream? It's quite good. Also, when he's stabled it could help to put a curtain net up over his stable door to keep the flies from bothering him.
 
Mine is very similar and wears a Rambo sweet itch hoody at all times unless being ridden inc in stable and he gets Brinicombe Equine's "Think Itch" feed supplement which does seem to help
 
Thank you everyone for your advise!

I dont think he has the classic sweet itch, hence why i put him on garlic. The problem i find with topical creams is that it makes him really greasy which further attraacts the flies! Vicious cirlce....

Wheels - where do you get brewers yeast from??

He is in the Premier Equine Sweet Itch rug, it has a thick weave and is heavy so doesnt let any flies in or allow them to touch him through the rug.

Hippo Eczma...never heard of it, who makes it?
 
Ditto the advice about dropping garlic: also you could try getting some Cleavers (sticky stuff, in the hedgerows at the moment but you can also apparently buy it as a supplement) and adding that to his feed.

Mine has SI and has Brewers Yeast & Linseed Oil added to his feed, plus some Cleavers and occasionally some Cider Vinegar.

I've tried to cut down on mollasses/sweet stuff as far as possible (i.e. "sweet" itch!!!) in his feed.

The Premier Equine sweet itch rugs are good; you could also try Killitch (Benzyl Benzoate) as a topical application as it really is super stuff for stopping an itch.

If you're not sure whether yours actually has SI or not (tho' I would suspect this is the case) then I'd be inclined to ask your vet to have some bloods done; although not 100% accurate it would give you an idea of severity etc.

It IS possible to have a lovely full mane and tail with a SI; my traddie boy has it and has a gorgeous full mane and tail.

You also might need to consider where yours is kept/turned out: i.e. the worst possible places for a horse with SI are where the midges congregate, like low-lying peaty fields with trees and streams/ponds. Best places are high, windy fields, on sand/chalk, if you can find!! Mine wears a light (Premier Equine) fly rug even when inside as midges can go into stable areas and start biting!

You also might find yours might benefit from being stabled from dawn to dusk, which is where the midges bite most, or bringing in on still, humid days when midges are around - usually between February to end of October is when you have to be specially vigilant, BUT I can remember being out in my party frock on Xmas day a few years back, pratting about with a fly rug for mine!! :)

SI is about a TOTAL management regime, not just one quick-fix, but actually isn't as onerous as you might expect once you're into it. My loan mare has the same regime as my boy, just as prevention.
 
I got brewers yeast off the Internet somewhere, probably ebay.

The topical treatment I use isn't sticky, it's called a gel but its more like a cream

I get the hippo stuff from here www.dochorse.com/hippo-ex-cema.html it's a Netherlands site but they deliver to the uk no problem, takes less than a week.
 
My mare is on the Equifeast Fight Back supplement and that seems to have really helped her. I tried all sorts of other stuff and she is in a fly rug 24/7 but would still rub her mane and tail and come out in hot red bumps.
 
there was a thread a little while back about giving itchy ponies lots of salt ,have a search it wasnt long ago i think
 
Is that the 'lycra'(probs not actual material but best way i can thing to describe it)/'skin tight' style rug?

Snuggy hoods are very good both fleece and non-fleece.:)
 
If its flies and not midges you may try coopers spot on (I'd skin test as he sounds sensitive). I was speaking to someone who found camomile flowers made a big difference with a very itchy horse.
 
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