Sweet Itch: Ready for summer

Puzzle4ever

Puzzle4ever

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Trying to get organised with my sweet itch horse for summer. Just wondering if anyone has any tips/advice. Also recommendations for the best fly rug at an affordable price?? Thanks in advance x
 
Rambo sweet itch hoody works well (you can get a water proof liner so very useful this time of year) for mine as do ruggles sweet itch rugs.

Get the rugs on sooner rather than later, as soon and you spot midges rather than when the horse starts itching. Also keep them clean, I've naughtily washed both on a 60 wash to get the grease out but manufacturers say wash at 40. Useful if poss to have more than one so they don't need to be left naked for long :)

The best sweet itch treatment/preventive I've found is nettex itch stop salve. It's really thick so stays on well and if you have bald patches it helps the hair grow back super quick.

Hope this helps :)
 
ElleSkywalker said:
Rambo sweet itch hoody works well (you can get a water proof liner so very useful this time of year) for mine as do ruggles sweet itch rugs.

Get the rugs on sooner rather than later, as soon and you spot midges rather than when the horse starts itching. Also keep them clean, I've naughtily washed both on a 60 wash to get the grease out but manufacturers say wash at 40. Useful if poss to have more than one so they don't need to be left naked for long :)

The best sweet itch treatment/preventive I've found is nettex itch stop salve. It's really thick so stays on well and if you have bald patches it helps the hair grow back super quick.

Hope this helps :)
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Thanks for the reply, I have some of the netter itch stop lotion so will carry on with that. I keep trying to bath but without a hot water shower it's hard in the cold weather. I will look out for those rugs as well xx
 
Apologies! Prepare for an essay.. My mare is a severe sufferer and I've tried just about everything to help her.. Fortunately we have found a routine to suit her now :)


I've got her rugged 24/7

The boett/snuggy hood style I find provide the best coverage but are the most fragile and prone to rips and slippage, whereas the shires/Rambo si hoody styles are much tougher but are looser fitting and have areas such as down the front of the neck and chest where midges can potentially get in and bite.

The best masks I've found are the cheap ones that come with the gallop fly rugs!

My plan of action this year is to use a Lycra horse onesie (shires make one) under either the shires si hoody or a lightweight turnout (depending on the weather, removing the onesie if it's going to be particularly warm.) hopefully this way I can get the best of both worlds!

I also cover her legs, udders and the area between her front legs daily in a barrier cream (usually Vaseline) to stop the midges biting her exposed parts, and sponge a benzoyl benzoate/oil mix over her twice per week. because of all the buildup of old oil and creams, I find I have to bathe her at least Weekly.

The only fly sprays that I have found to be effective are those containing deet, however unless you are there to apply them regularly throughout the day then they don't tend to stay effective for very long.

Stabling at dusk/dawn when the midges are most active may help, but lots of horses will just rub in a stable.. I find personally turnout away from any big water sources/marshy ground in a paddock electric fenced the entire way around so that there's nothing to rub on (including gates) works best.

She is also fed Brewers yeast and micronised linseed. i've been trying this for the past 4 weeks and I've never seen her coat shine so much in her life, and the bald patches which she has always had under her eyes have started to grow back in. Only summer will tell how much these are really helping though.

A low sugar diet is also recommended for SI I think, though my mare's falls in to that category naturally so I have never researched it.. And on that note, feeding alfalfa is also supposedly bad for SI horses so perhaps worth making sure your feed doesn't contain any before the season :)
 
Maybe? said:
Apologies! Prepare for an essay.. My mare is a severe sufferer and I've tried just about everything to help her.. Fortunately we have found a routine to suit her now :)


I've got her rugged 24/7

The boett/snuggy hood style I find provide the best coverage but are the most fragile and prone to rips and slippage, whereas the shires/Rambo si hoody styles are much tougher but are looser fitting and have areas such as down the front of the neck and chest where midges can potentially get in and bite.

The best masks I've found are the cheap ones that come with the gallop fly rugs!

My plan of action this year is to use a Lycra horse onesie (shires make one) under either the shires si hoody or a lightweight turnout (depending on the weather, removing the onesie if it's going to be particularly warm.) hopefully this way I can get the best of both worlds!

I also cover her legs, udders and the area between her front legs daily in a barrier cream (usually Vaseline) to stop the midges biting her exposed parts, and sponge a benzoyl benzoate/oil mix over her twice per week. because of all the buildup of old oil and creams, I find I have to bathe her at least Weekly.

The only fly sprays that I have found to be effective are those containing deet, however unless you are there to apply them regularly throughout the day then they don't tend to stay effective for very long.

Stabling at dusk/dawn when the midges are most active may help, but lots of horses will just rub in a stable.. I find personally turnout away from any big water sources/marshy ground in a paddock electric fenced the entire way around so that there's nothing to rub on (including gates) works best.

She is also fed Brewers yeast and micronised linseed. i've been trying this for the past 4 weeks and I've never seen her coat shine so much in her life, and the bald patches which she has always had under her eyes have started to grow back in. Only summer will tell how much these are really helping though.

A low sugar diet is also recommended for SI I think, though my mare's falls in to that category naturally so I have never researched it.. And on that note, feeding alfalfa is also supposedly bad for SI horses so perhaps worth making sure your feed doesn't contain any before the season :)
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Thanks for that I really appreciate it and have got some good tips from it. I can recommend that a product called Alvabarrier (can be found to buy on Facebook I did you type in Alva products and message the page) is really good for their legs as a barrier. They also do a sweet itch spray which I use and a medicated shampoo which is amazing. I like your idea on the Lycra suit as I used snuggy hood suits last year and found they were a bit thick. I do feed alfalfa at the moment so will probably swap off that!! Thanks again
Yasmin x
 
My mare is only what I would call a "minor sufferer" - but even so that can be bad enough!

I use the Premier Equine sweet itch rugs - I have 2 / 3 of them - once I put them on they will be washed every 5/ 6 days - without fail. A grubby rug on top of sensitive skin is not going to help anyone.

I don't really use any lotions or potions on my mare - I found that any lotions / creams etc would just end up being a gunky horrid mess, especially with the rug on, which meant I just needed to wash her AND the rug more often than I would do otherwise. But I do keep my mare very clean. Once the weather is warmer, I rinse her off every time she is ridden - even if she only has a very light sweat. I will give her a good shampoo and shampoo her mane and tail once or twice a week in the summer. At this time of year I will wash her mane as often as I can to try to keep it a little bit clean. Shampoo wise - I buy 5ltr bottles of liquid hand soap - like the stuff you will find in workplace toilets in dispensers. It is very very mild and cheap - but still does a good job of bringing her up clean. Otherwise I use a tesco medicated shampoo or Vosene on her mane and dock - it does seem to help with the itching.

Feedwise - I found quite a while ago that my mare is sensitive to alfalfa - so I am always on the quest to find food with as low as sugar as possible and containing no alfafa - harder than you would think for! I am currently feeding her Topspec Top Chop just grass, mixed with Top Spec Top Chop Zero (to increase the roughage, but without increasing the calories too much!). Allen & Page Calm and Condition has been used in the past also - when we have needed a few more calories added in. Supplements - again checking for lack of alfalfa (harder than you would think!!) - I use Horse & Pony direct everyday balancer and she has just started on Brewers Yeast for the season.

If she has had bugs bite up around her belly, I will use Filta-bac cream - its really really good and creates a good UV and bug resistant barrier between the horse and the world.

I definitely think the right sweet itch rug and reviewing what you are feeding has made the most difference to my mare. And don't forget to take into account the sugars in the grass as the spring comes in! :)
 
Under-the-radar said:
My mare is only what I would call a "minor sufferer" - but even so that can be bad enough!

I use the Premier Equine sweet itch rugs - I have 2 / 3 of them - once I put them on they will be washed every 5/ 6 days - without fail. A grubby rug on top of sensitive skin is not going to help anyone.

I don't really use any lotions or potions on my mare - I found that any lotions / creams etc would just end up being a gunky horrid mess, especially with the rug on, which meant I just needed to wash her AND the rug more often than I would do otherwise. But I do keep my mare very clean. Once the weather is warmer, I rinse her off every time she is ridden - even if she only has a very light sweat. I will give her a good shampoo and shampoo her mane and tail once or twice a week in the summer. At this time of year I will wash her mane as often as I can to try to keep it a little bit clean. Shampoo wise - I buy 5ltr bottles of liquid hand soap - like the stuff you will find in workplace toilets in dispensers. It is very very mild and cheap - but still does a good job of bringing her up clean. Otherwise I use a tesco medicated shampoo or Vosene on her mane and dock - it does seem to help with the itching.

Feedwise - I found quite a while ago that my mare is sensitive to alfalfa - so I am always on the quest to find food with as low as sugar as possible and containing no alfafa - harder than you would think for! I am currently feeding her Topspec Top Chop just grass, mixed with Top Spec Top Chop Zero (to increase the roughage, but without increasing the calories too much!). Allen & Page Calm and Condition has been used in the past also - when we have needed a few more calories added in. Supplements - again checking for lack of alfalfa (harder than you would think!!) - I use Horse & Pony direct everyday balancer and she has just started on Brewers Yeast for the season.

If she has had bugs bite up around her belly, I will use Filta-bac cream - its really really good and creates a good UV and bug resistant barrier between the horse and the world.

I definitely think the right sweet itch rug and reviewing what you are feeding has made the most difference to my mare. And don't forget to take into account the sugars in the grass as the spring comes in! :)
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Thanks so much for the reply. I'm going to order another rug next month as only have the snuggy hood ones at the moment. I'm going to look into what I am feeding him and see if it makes any difference.As mentioned before I would also totally recommend the Alva medicated shampoo as it's amazing and definitely helps with the itching. Thanks again.
Yasmin x
 
My Sec D suffers pretty badly with it - I can't take my eye off the ball for a minute ! I use the Shires sweet itch rug with the ears, gallons of Killitch and Powerphazer fly spray.
 
Notimetoride said:
My Sec D suffers pretty badly with it - I can't take my eye off the ball for a minute ! I use the Shires sweet itch rug with the ears, gallons of Killitch and Powerphazer fly spray.
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Thanks for the reply. I am going to order a shires sweet itch rug soon and I have used the power phaser which seems to work well and the best I've found. Going to look into killitch from your recommendation.
 
We use a premier equine sweet itch rug and a mask. Coat the pony with Deosect every week (on vet advice) and feed a teaspoon or turmeric, pepper and crushed flax daily. (He was horribly itchy last year, we had stopped the turmeric as he was under lameness investigation, started it again and he was better in a few days. I thought this was very interesting as we had not fed it for that reason).
 
I'd recommend Biteback Products. I think the one I have is called Summer Nigjts. A friends horse who had no mane for years, now has one. It's fabulous stuff (she uses the soothing one too).
 
meleeka said:
I'd recommend Biteback Products. I think the one I have is called Summer Nigjts. A friends horse who had no mane for years, now has one. It's fabulous stuff (she uses the soothing one too).
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The bite back product sound good then. The main thing I struggle with is his mane which prevents me going out to places. I will definitely get some ordered. Thanks for the recommendation x
 
nicelittle said:
We use a premier equine sweet itch rug and a mask. Coat the pony with Deosect every week (on vet advice) and feed a teaspoon or turmeric, pepper and crushed flax daily. (He was horribly itchy last year, we had stopped the turmeric as he was under lameness investigation, started it again and he was better in a few days. I thought this was very interesting as we had not fed it for that reason).
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I did feed turmeric last year but didn't notice it made such a difference. I'll probably get some more this year now as it may of just been the thing that helped. Thanks for the advice.
 
hi, i just put a Boet rug on in april through November and problem completely solved. never used any lotions or potions. rug does the job 100%.
 
My pony is only a 'mild' sufferer and tends to get most itchy around his mane, tail and ears.
He wears a premier equine sweet itch rug and has a whole rotation of fly masks with ears! He seems to be able to trash them no matter the make, so I just stocked up in the premier equine sale.
Products wise I've just bought biteback sweet relief to apply to his face. I also used the flint's yard non-shampoo wash last year whenever he got really itchy- he loved it ! (It's either called itching or scratching - can't remember which is which!)
I didn't put the rug on early enough last year, and learnt my lesson the hard way , so he's been wearing it under a no full rain sheet since Monday !
Good luck :)
 
helenchat said:
My pony is only a 'mild' sufferer and tends to get most itchy around his mane, tail and ears.
He wears a premier equine sweet itch rug and has a whole rotation of fly masks with ears! He seems to be able to trash them no matter the make, so I just stocked up in the premier equine sale.
Products wise I've just bought biteback sweet relief to apply to his face. I also used the flint's yard non-shampoo wash last year whenever he got really itchy- he loved it ! (It's either called itching or scratching - can't remember which is which!)
I didn't put the rug on early enough last year, and learnt my lesson the hard way , so he's been wearing it under a no full rain sheet since Monday !
Good luck :)
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Thank you, I'm going to get his rug on ASAP
 
Found Hilton Herbs supplement No more Itch very effective.This used on a horse with tail and mane rubbed raw.His hair all grew in before the end of summer and his coat was so shiny .It can be fed all year round.Also the spray is very good too. Absorbine face mask is great, very see through and strong and easily cleaned.the ears are flexible and the best mask I found.
Midges are most active from 3pm onwards in summer with little wind conditions so try and get whats needed on your horse before then.
 
Mister Ted said:
Found Hilton Herbs supplement No more Itch very effective.This used on a horse with tail and mane rubbed raw.His hair all grew in before the end of summer and his coat was so shiny .It can be fed all year round.Also the spray is very good too. Absorbine face mask is great, very see through and strong and easily cleaned.the ears are flexible and the best mask I found.
Midges are most active from 3pm onwards in summer with little wind conditions so try and get whats needed on your horse before then.
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Thank you
 
Speak to your vets, there is a vaccine being developed. We have one horse on it and the difference is huge. You need to move quickly though as the jabs are done in winter.
 
AA is this as part of a trial? Do we have to meet any specific criteria (beyond definitely having SI)? If so, do you have any further info about it that I can give my vets so that they know what I'm talking about? I'd be very interested in trying my darling beast on this...
 
For my old mare who suffered badly with sweet itch i found the rambo sweet itch rug was the best for her and make sure the rug is clean, i washed mine every week to 10 days and used Nettex itch stop salve on dock, mane and around any exposed areas. Also to avoid build up of creams and to keep any bugs at bay i used to wash her dock and mane with dermaline shampoo. She was stabled by 5pm latest and would be turned out 8am in paddocks with electric fence. This worked for her after much trial and error, but having had a few horses with different levels of sweet itch over the years i really do think its a case of finding out what works best for your horse. But like they say prevention is better than cure. Good Luck :-)
 
littlemiss1 said:
For my old mare who suffered badly with sweet itch i found the rambo sweet itch rug was the best for her and make sure the rug is clean, i washed mine every week to 10 days and used Nettex itch stop salve on dock, mane and around any exposed areas. Also to avoid build up of creams and to keep any bugs at bay i used to wash her dock and mane with dermaline shampoo. She was stabled by 5pm latest and would be turned out 8am in paddocks with electric fence. This worked for her after much trial and error, but having had a few horses with different levels of sweet itch over the years i really do think its a case of finding out what works best for your horse. But like they say prevention is better than cure. Good Luck :-)
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Thank you 😊
 
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