Sweet Itch - more doom and gloom

[Holly7]

Hi All,

So have been going through a pretty crap 4 years. Had my two girls put to sleep March 2015 due to various reasons that I wont bore you all with on this thread. Bought a new horse a few months following this (as was at a total loss), 5 stage vetting done, only to find out a few months after purchase that the horse had severe KS and sacroiliac injury. Had the surgery, injections in the SI, a year of physio and rehab work only to find out that he has a problem with his pelvis that can not be cured and was probably born with it. So hes become a field companion, but is deteriorating and is on pain relief. When the time comes, the time will come and I will go through that heart ache again of making the right decision for him.

So I bought a 2 yr old who happens to be half sister to my old mare who was put to sleep. She brill BUT shes started with sweet itch ...............AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! - why do these things always happen to me??

So, any ideas of how to help it? She didn't have it when I bought her. She came direct from the breeder and was out 24/7. The field she was in did not have many headges/trees and was dry stone wall. She is now in a field that has hedge on three sides of the perimeter, and middle partition of the field is electric fencing. Five bar gate entrance and exit attached to old post and rail that contains shrubbery and an old tree. Woodland to be back of one of the hedges.

She has a boet. She's fed on fast fibre, thunderbrooks chop, brewers yeast, linseed and a sprinkling of pony nuts.

She was on garlic but I stopped that as read Sweet Itch horses shouldn't have it.

Any ideas on how to manage it any better? She has new non-hair patches on the right side of her neck now (previously one small patch on the left). And on her tail head has started on the left side (previously was just the right).

Is my field to blame? or my feed?

She had dread locks when she came, and definitely no signs of having itched previously. Tail head was completely full too.

Gutted I have another problem pony (but grateful its only sweet itch :-0))

 

[C1airey]

Can you move her to a different field? Midges like shady patches under trees and your field sounds like the perfect spot! Wide open spaces away from streams/ponds/etc with no shade and electric fencing is usually best for sweet itch horses.

 

[AnShanDan]

They normally develop SI at about 2, so that is why is has happened now, and late summer is typical.

Re. what to do, it sounds like you are doing what you can, but obv. hedges are worse than walls, any trees/water/shelter encourages midges. I'd be trying damage limitation now as it is already september, but be ready in Feb/March to stop it starting again.

I have one with SI and she is rugged effectively all the time in summer (an in winter as she is clipped!) but you just have to do it. She has a dark stable, so she can get her rug off when she is in during the day in summer.

Neem oil is useful, it helps the sore/itchy areas and deters the midges.

 

[Andalucian]

Agree it develops at about age of 2, so could be a coincidence. I bred my own and she was fine until 2, then "boom" itchy pony.

I keep her in a Shires Sweetitch rug, that hooks over the ears, with belly flap, plus a mask. Start mid march and continue to October. Never out of it unless ridden, she loves it. I also have "Killitch" on hand. Any scratching and I rub this in to her skin and she stops. I rarely use it, one bottle lasts more than a year.

It's disappointing but very manageable, with this routine she has no signs of being a sweetitch victim in her mane or coat.

 

[Gloi]

Our standard method for our sweetitch ponies is. Electric fence everything and water in a soft tub so it can't be rubbed on. Boett (or similar) with hood . Neem , killitch or Nettex itchstop on all the bits the rug doesn't cover. Dose of deosect every couple of weeks. They do allright with that but in really bad midgy periods add a dose of antihistamines.
Two years old is a common time for it to start. Once you have a good set up it gets easier to deal with.

 

[Holly7]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I am going to look at changing her field if YO can accommodate. Just so annoying to have happened after everything else !