Sweet Itch: Tips for a "beginner" please

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PennyJ

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We have a lovely kind little mare on loan who has sweet itch. I don't know quite how bad it is. Last year she had a foal, and her fly rug had to come off as her colt was climbing all over her. So... her mane and tail are coming back, but what can i do to keep her as itch free as possible?

I have bought a Boett for her, which I am planning on putting on at the end of this month.

I have lots of electric fencing i can put up to keep her away from the hedge, I was planning on doing that at the same time the Boett goes on.

She will be part stabled (yard rules).

Her current diet is D&H Fibergy, Spillers Hi Cubes and Blue Chip. all low sugar stuff as her predecessor had a sugar intolerance and she is doing well on this diet.

anything else I can do, anything I can add to her diet/remove from it? What potions ought I to have in the first aid cupboard?
 
Dont wait till the end of the month......get the Boet on NOW.

It only takes one bite and the whole cycle of SI will start up and it will be too late. Dont take the Boet off unless you absolutely have to (for grooming for example), ride in it, turn out in it and stable in it. You can put rugs over the top if needs be (if the weather turns and you need an nz).
 
i cannot put my mare in cos she rubs on anything,so its electric fence,rug and a windy field away from watercourses.
 
Mine is in his sweetitch rug already with lightweight turnout on top as he is clipped . Try to avoid them being out at dawn and dusk, some say feed marmite but don't think it made much difference to mine .If there are no ponds near you she may be better than she was before .You sound like the perfect loaner . Wash the rug often ,so if you get a nice windy ,sunny day wash it but you will need to protect her with something else .I have a cheap Tesco 's one and he stays in with that one ,they don't take long to dry and can be put on damp on a good day. Check inside the ear pieces as they tend to get hair in them.
Good luck
 
Mine have mild SI - Chancer rubs his tail and his sheath. Cairo his tail. I found adding brewers yeast really helped. I also have them in rambo fly protectors but without necks as their manes are ok.

I cover Chancer's tail in my fly spray which has a lot of Avon skin so soft and fresh oil - very good anti-midge and his sheath area has sudocream mixed with sulphur and tea tree oil applied daily - they don't like the oily areas.
 
My mare only gets it on her face, she has started already, the few warm days we have had have got the midgies hatching, we have lovely bald patches . So get your boett on now.
 
A lot of what others say really.
My advice is firstly have a sweetitch rug on as much as poss. Keep the rug clean so maybe buy a spare (cheaper one than the Boett) for her to wear whilst it's washed. Wear a neck cover or sweetitch rug under a rug even through the winter or in the stable as those midges can come out without warning. Itching is caused by the scabs that form from the skin seeping due to the allergy. Therefore remove all scabs as soon as poss with a mild shampoo. So not to hurt the pony use Benzol Benzolate to soften scabs first. Don't remove objects that they rub on as this doesn't stop the itchiness just makes you think its stopped and then they find a flint and rub themselves sore in minutes.

When I bought my yard a existing livery's horse had sweetitch. She had no idea what to do and it had no mane left and most of its dock was exposed. As my pony had had it I had the above advise for her. She goes out in a field with loads to itch on but now has a full mane and brilliant tail 18 months on and last summer she barely got any scabs that needed to be washed off and therefore barely itched.

Sorry to go on but basically 1) cover mane and tail up as much as poss.
2) remove all scabs that are formed.

Hope that helps
 
Not sure I agree with Bluefever, the itching is caused by overreaction to the midge bites rather than the scabs, I have always not dusturbed the scabs apart from to put Sudocrem on.

Buy the best fly spray you can - I use one witha good % of DEET in it, or make your own with Citronella (EU have banned it "just in case" it causes a problem, so you'd need to add it back in to any fly spray you buy or make. If Sweet itch is not very bad you can still ride without it on if you use plenty of good fly spray. Like a lot of things I'm afraid its trial and error for what works for you. the National Sweet Itch people (google that and Boett) are the experts.
 
Try using Brewers Yeast I have heard it is very successful. Marmite is an alternative fed as a sandwich but BY is cheaper. I think its the B vitamins that they need.
 
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