sweet itch rugs in this hot weather

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CazD

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I've had a horse on loan for the last three weeks. The owner mentioned she occasionally rubbed a place on her neck and her dock and it sometimes looked slightly sweet itch like. She provided me with a sweet itch rug, just in case. For the first two weeks everything was fine, just a small amount of rubbing which stopped after I put some Leovet No Rub on it. Yesterday and today she has rubbed her tail really badly. The sweet itch rug makes her drip with sweat in a very short time. Is everybody else rugging, even in these high temperatures? Are there any lighter weight sweet itch rugs?
 
The high risk time for midges, if it is sweet itch, is dawn and dusk so take it off during the heat of the day, use a normal fly rug and repellent, popping the SI rug on overnight, she will get more bothered by being too hot and sweating will encourage the midges to attack.
 
Thank you. So I'd be best to get a normal fly rug too, and swop them over morning and evening?? I've never dealt with sweet itch before and I'm beside myself at the state of her tail.
 
I found regular fly rugs were hopeless for si sufferer.

Only a sweet itch hoody does the job. Yes he gets hot, but I'd rather that than rubbed raw.
 
CazD said:
Thank you. So I'd be best to get a normal fly rug too, and swop them over morning and evening?? I've never dealt with sweet itch before and I'm beside myself at the state of her tail.
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Britestar said:
I found regular fly rugs were hopeless for si sufferer.

Only a sweet itch hoody does the job. Yes he gets hot, but I'd rather that than rubbed raw.
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Midges are only really out in force in the dawn and dusk, unless the field is near water so it should be fine to swap the rugs morning and evening as long as you get a decent fly rug with a full belly wrap, tail cover and neck, getting overheated may be better than being rubbed raw but as the horse is now rubbed raw despite the SI rug it must be worth trying something different.

I have managed sweet itch before all these rugs were available taking one horse to HOYS with no rubs, it was hard work getting the right management that suited him and keeping him cool, well washed off after work so there was no sweat on him was part of the management, I would not have left him out in this weather covered from head to foot it would have driven him mad to be sweating constantly, some cope better than others with heat.

Don't forget diet plays a part in keeping it under control, no garlic despite some advice to the contrary it makes matters worse.
 
my boy does get sweet itch and will rub if given the chance - I recommend washing very regularly - he probably gets a wash twice a week throughout the summer - despite him telling me he is clean. I also use kilitch everyday (I find it is brilliant) , he has linseed in his feed, and a Rambo fly rug with their fly treatment. I have used flypor which is excellent. he is in at night so out of the midges at dawn and dusk . the big thing is too keep them clean it really makes a difference
 
What type of rug did she come with? You may be able to experiment with different types of rug (thicknesses of material) though we had a pony here who had quite bad sweet itch /summer dermatitis who lived 24/7 in a Boett (other than riding and rug changes etc, obviously) with temps up to 35C and she was never overly bothered by it.

Unfortunately a change in environment can make it better or worse (more/fewer midges, more wind, more exposed, etc) and it isn't until you move the horse you can know what the change will do.
 
They don't sweat under Boett rugs. You can even leave 'body' on while you ride if there's lots of midges. SI rugs need to be kept on all midge-season to be effective.

CazD said:
I've had a horse on loan for the last three weeks. The owner mentioned she occasionally rubbed a place on her neck and her dock and it sometimes looked slightly sweet itch like. She provided me with a sweet itch rug, just in case. For the first two weeks everything was fine, just a small amount of rubbing which stopped after I put some Leovet No Rub on it. Yesterday and today she has rubbed her tail really badly. The sweet itch rug makes her drip with sweat in a very short time. Is everybody else rugging, even in these high temperatures? Are there any lighter weight sweet itch rugs?
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My eldest boy used to rub his mane and tail every summer to the point of bleeding, even with 'normal' fly rugs on. He now wears a hoody style (cotton not mesh) and is fine. He usually wears it 24/7 but during this very hot weather I take it off during the day (covering him in fly gel), putting it back on by 7.30pm and so far so good. Today he spent 6 hours in his stable unrugged and didn't rub himself at all :) The other thing to do is look for a very lightweight fly rug for during the day. I have one that is kind of plastic, and this allows the wind to blow through it and dries any sweat.
 
Casey76 said:
What type of rug did she come with? You may be able to experiment with different types of rug (thicknesses of material) though we had a pony here who had quite bad sweet itch /summer dermatitis who lived 24/7 in a Boett (other than riding and rug changes etc, obviously) with temps up to 35C and she was never overly bothered by it.

Unfortunately a change in environment can make it better or worse (more/fewer midges, more wind, more exposed, etc) and it isn't until you move the horse you can know what the change will do.
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She came with a Shires sweet itch rug. I am thinking the change in environment may have made things worse. She's only moved about 15 miles but our paddock has a lot of trees and a stream at the bottom and they seem be things that midges like! So annoying, she's a lovely girlie and I really don't want to have to return her but I'm worried I'm going to struggle with keeping her comfortable.
 
be positive said:
Midges are only really out in force in the dawn and dusk,

Don't forget diet plays a part in keeping it under control, no garlic despite some advice to the contrary it makes matters worse.
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Dunno where this is in the country, but here (Devon, and we're fairly high up) there is no "safe" time of day; yes the critters are worse at dawn and dusk, but I can't ever relax enough to turn my boy out without his SI rug on, its a real PITA but I know how quickly he'll get itchy if I don't play safe.

Agree re. garlic, my vet told me to avoid it.

There is a "sweet itch" group on FB, very helpful.

Apparently the De Meulenkamp rugs are good and were designed for SI horses in hot climates. I've never tried one, but apparently the horse doesn't sweat so much in them. I wouldn't be able to use one like this on mine as it has to go on over the head and that's a big no-no with Himself. A pity, coz the poor old lad does get very hot in his SI rug :(
 
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