Sweet itch rugs! Help!!

[Ninni1995]

so I've read so many forum posts about sweet itch rugs, but they all seem to be from years ago! So I thought I'd try and make some sense of it with so many rugs to choose from at the moment.
My horse is a sufferer. Last year was my first summer with him, and we came out the other side of it with a hogged mane and half a tail (bearing in mind he was a show Welsh D with a mane down to his shoulder).
I want to be more prepared this year, so I started early and now I'm looking to improve!
I've been using the shires tempest sweet itch combo, and it's not worked. Granted, if he hadn't have been wearing it then he would be in much worse condition, but I want better results from my next one.
So I'm after recommendations!!
Of course I've heard amazing things about boetts and demeulenkamps, but what are the other options (that aren't going to cost me my whole student loan!)??
Any response will help guys!
Thanks for reading 😊

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I find that Derby House and Gallop rugs have plenty long enough necks and fit my shetlands really well. Not a D I know but quite a lot of SI rugs aren't long enough in the neck.

 

[WelshD]

I personally love the Snuggy Hood ones and they regularly come up secondhand (I use the ones that don't cover the face itself)

In saying that I recently invested in a Premier Equine sweet itch rug which has the benefit of being a little cooler and easier to put on and have been super impressed so far, I got mine in one of their regular sales at £55

I wash my sweet itch rugs every 4 days

The rug on its own can be a lot of the battle but I use it as part of a list of things to try and minimise problems

 

[WelshD]

Others I have tried:

Demeleulenkamf - went in the bin

Masta bug body (the browny coloured one) - liked this very much but it was a royal pain to get on the pony and he is a patient pony!

Amigo Bug Rug. - good for low risk days but not enough coverage otherwise

Rambo hoodie - same as above, slightly more coverage

Derby House - tried their fly rug, was pleasantly surprised, keep it as a spare

Loveson - awful fit

Boett are supposed to be the best but I'm sticking with the Snuggy Hoods ones as my fave

 

[WelshDiva]

Agree with what others have said that the snuggy hoods ones are good, but also the Masta Bug Rug is what I currently use and has worked very well on mine. It's also worth considering the fly protection spray/gel you are using as this can be a large help alongside your rug.

 

[Domirati]

mine has the premier equine with a mask on 24/7 this year. Also on equidermis plus as it had both linseed and yeast in it. She is a little Exmoor and so far seems fine

 

[AmieeT]

I have the weatherbeeta one, which rubs out his mane, and the masta bug rug which has been fantastic. Like Welsh D says it's a pain to get on and off though (mine isn't patient!!!).

Also, would definitely invest in Neem oil, it's made a huge difference to mine, on breezier days I'm able to take the SI rug off and let him have a day full of rolling!

Ax

 

[Gloi]

I have a Premiere Equine one at the moment and I have a midge mask on with it. Any parts of the body not covered by the rug I coat with neem oil and that seems to be working pretty well for us.
I do like the boett type but the Premiere Equine and Rambo are more cost effective for me as they can cope with more rough play and mutual grooming without getting ripped. Snuggy Hoods didn't work for us as the hood kept slipping and blindfolding him, however they work well for my friend's horse.
I don't was the rug very often, I let it get saturated with the neem oil I put on the horse and hope it helps repel things.

 

[abes mum]

I use biteback products sweet itch lotion on my filly and I hav'nt had to rug this year. Highly recommend.

 

[Ninni1995]

Thank you everyone so much! I was l was looking at the snuggy hood as they are one of the cheaper tight-fitting ones, so u think I'll try and get one second hand! As everyone is suggesting it I will invest in some neem oil!
I've also been using so stop itch salve that I got from scats, has anyone else tried it? It's meant to repel midges and help with growth. I've put it all over his face, mane and tail 3 times a week, and it's worked wonders for his mane and tail, they're getting back to a good length now! Deffo something I will recommend! Are there any other creams/ oils that people use?? Might start another thread about this x

 

[3OldPonies]

I'm currently using a Loveson one with zebra stripes. Seems to be working ok so far. Have tried loads of others in the past. Boett was good, but got wrecked pretty quickly. And most aren't long enough in the neck. I had one, unbranded I think, that was really stiff and harsh to wear. That one is standing by for spares or patching. I had a couple that were just cotton, can't remember who they were by, but they were OK as generously sized and with long necks, although P ripped his to shreds earlier this year, hence the Loveson he is wearing now!

For a repellent, I'm using Avon's skin so soft dry oil spray. It's no good for flies but the midges round us don't like it. Before that I was using, and still do if he does get bitten, benzyl benzoate (stinky stuff), and Coopers. All the lemony ones were pretty useless. I've also tried some homemade brews, OK for flies but not for midges! If I wash his tail I use Head and Shoulders all in one, which keeps the midgies off for a bit and reduces his itching. I'll sometimes put a bit of lavender oil in the rinse water as well, if the midgies are particularly bad.

I might go and have a look at that salve in Scats, it could be he could go out without a mask on then. Thanks for that tip Ninni1995.

 

[MuddyTB]

My mum's Welsh D had a Boett and worked really well for him.
My TB has a Boett copy for his allergies too. Although not the most robust rugs they can't be beaten for coverage, I find a normal fly rug or sweet itch hoodie design just doesn't have enough protection. Never tried snuggy hoods as thought they seem quite thick and would be warmer than the boett type. Ours have never got too warm in them as long as temp was below 25 degrees or so.

 

[C1airey]

I've been using a Derby House one on mine and so far, so good. It has a proper belly flap, rather than just extra long sides like lots of others have, and a good long neck cover. V lightweight and they're usually on their website for about £25. Definitely worth a punt!

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I'm a fan of Rambo SI hoody's. Expensive, yes, but they last, stay put, and you know they'll fit OK.

Second are the Premier Equine ones....... however I bought one last year and it was WAY too big, just swamped my boy. Previous to that (rewind a few years) and the one I bought was too SMALL!! So you need to watch their sizing.

I bought one of the new Weatherbeeta Shield Combo SI hoody's, the one with the bellyflap. Got it in a 6'3 which is what my boy always takes - he's a traddie cob and quite chunky with it, so not like a small cob, but this one completely swamped him - think it would have probably fitted a Clydesdale TBH!! Completely and ridiculously way too large! A shame, because this was really quite a nice rug, although the finish wasn't up to the standard of the Rambo ones TBH.

I've tried the Pagony, which was supposed to be a replica of the Boett. Save your money! It was sheer rubbish, fell to pieces as was only single stitched - I could have done better on my little sewing machine, which was what I had to do to repair the blessed thing In the end my long-suffering lad somehow got his hind leg stuck into one of the elastic straps on it and totally trashed it. Never again! A total waste of money

Sorry (edited) OP, I meant to say that when you say the SI rug you bought "didn't work"......... IF it covered the horse as much as possible and included the poll area and tail/mane etc, then I wonder why this was the case? Sorry, am not saying you're numpty or anything, just wondering. My boy has to be covered up ALL the time; even if standing in the stable I use a light fly/combo rug in case any midges are flying around in there, and we've got a ride-on flysheet for riding, so he's never ever exposed to midges. Radical, yes, but its the only way with a serious sweet itch; and there may come a time when you've got the condition under control a bit and you can then see what you're dealing with. It sounds a real pain, but once you get used to it, it becomes less so.

 

[Cahill]

electric fence is a must.

 

[_HP_]

Rambo Sweet itch Hoody or Premier Equine. Both 1200 denier so good and tough.
Net Tex Stop Itch Cream...brilliant stuff for face, belly and sheath.
Coopers Fly Repellent Plus...excellent midge repellent
Electric fence a must to help protect the rug and the horse from itching

If your horse is still itching despite being covered then it could be a number of things....the rug may not be covering enough and so he's still getting bitten, he has access to places to scratch and so the itch, scratch cycle continues (takes a couple of weeks for it to die down), or he may be allergic to other things such as pollen, grass, feed...

 

[Nettle123]

After caring for our two sweet itch sufferers for 20 years I prefer the Rambo sweet itch hoodies. We used to use boetts but they were so expensive and damaged easily that I used to spend hours sewing them up even with electric fencing.

They both wear fly masks with large adapted ears, made from all the pieces of boett I have left, lol. I also use the itch stop salve, I buy it on ebay and it does work.

The hoodies do get damaged as they chew each other but I can usually get at least two years out of them.

I wash them every week and any repairs are stitched up with dental floss as its nice and strong.

 

[Ninni1995]

I'm a fan of Rambo SI hoody's. Expensive, yes, but they last, stay put, and you know they'll fit OK.

Second are the Premier Equine ones....... however I bought one last year and it was WAY too big, just swamped my boy. Previous to that (rewind a few years) and the one I bought was too SMALL!! So you need to watch their sizing.

I bought one of the new Weatherbeeta Shield Combo SI hoody's, the one with the bellyflap. Got it in a 6'3 which is what my boy always takes - he's a traddie cob and quite chunky with it, so not like a small cob, but this one completely swamped him - think it would have probably fitted a Clydesdale TBH!! Completely and ridiculously way too large! A shame, because this was really quite a nice rug, although the finish wasn't up to the standard of the Rambo ones TBH.

I've tried the Pagony, which was supposed to be a replica of the Boett. Save your money! It was sheer rubbish, fell to pieces as was only single stitched - I could have done better on my little sewing machine, which was what I had to do to repair the blessed thing In the end my long-suffering lad somehow got his hind leg stuck into one of the elastic straps on it and totally trashed it. Never again! A total waste of money

Sorry (edited) OP, I meant to say that when you say the SI rug you bought "didn't work"......... IF it covered the horse as much as possible and included the poll area and tail/mane etc, then I wonder why this was the case? Sorry, am not saying you're numpty or anything, just wondering. My boy has to be covered up ALL the time; even if standing in the stable I use a light fly/combo rug in case any midges are flying around in there, and we've got a ride-on flysheet for riding, so he's never ever exposed to midges. Radical, yes, but its the only way with a serious sweet itch; and there may come a time when you've got the condition under control a bit and you can then see what you're dealing with. It sounds a real pain, but once you get used to it, it becomes less so.

The shires rug did not cover very well atall. The neck slips down, the gap between the neck and body is quite large and even though it fits him perfectly in the body, the belly flap is way too loose on the tightest! He is never left uncovered unless ridden and he's creamed up constantly and given supplements which were meant to deter flies and midges. He is quite a nervy boy so difficult to handle. Can't wear a face mask, hates spray bottles, fussy eater, etc. getting a rug an accomplishment in itself. We tried the fly exercise rugs and he freaked (think it caught the wind too much).

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

neem oil has been a lifesaver for our old boy who has horrid reactions to bites.

i use the neat oil sponged on to his sheath/between back legs on the hairless areas and the effol fly spray (NOT the horsefly spray just the standard one) has neem oil in it and works really well on the rest of him. it absolutely reeks so i understand why the flies hate it lol.

had no more weepy crusty bites since using the above combo.

i also use a dash of avon skin so soft in rinsing/wash off water which helps repel midges.