Sweet itch worries - midges are starting!! Advice please?

B

Becki1802

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 August 2010
Messages
352
Location
Devon
Visit site
My baby boy has sweet itch - has done since a yearling. The last 2 years he has rubbed away his mane and tail - my parents managed it with a fly rug but not 100% successfully. His mane and tail currently look lovely & he doesn't deserve to get sore!!!

Tonight he was swishing his tail and there were midges everywhere!! It is too cold to switch to his fly rug & his medium weight doesn't have a neck on. :(

I have some Global Herbs Scratch plus in the garage - shall I start it now?

Are your horses best in at night, in during the day?!

Thoughts, suggestions please! :confused:
 
one of mine gets it, i tried Carr and Day and Martin KillItch a couple of years ago and now swear by it. It's much better than plain benzyl benzoate (which is difficult to get now anyway), i just coat the top of her tail and all her mane in it, and her centre-tummy stripe (they bite her there too) and tbh that's all i did for those warm days we had a few weeks ago, not even her usual Rambo Sweetitch Hoodie (they're well worth the dosh too though, excellent tough bit of kit) and she didn't scratch at all. the KillItch has quite a strong smell and I think the midges don't have a chance against it.
 
And 50% mixed with water,otherwise you burn their skin. you should have started several weeks ago. Boett rug,face mask and stable 4pm-10am. Mine has her Boett rug and mask on since Feb.
 
ditto ^^^^^Benzyl benzoate Hyperdrug sell it so you can buy it online. And a suitable rug either Boett or Rambo Hoodie.
 
Fab - better order some quick!! Are sweetitch rugs really warm enough right now?! He had a good one but thought he'd be cold!!! Do you keep them on 24/7? Does it not cause rug rubs?! X
 
My mare has hers on 24/7 at the moment,no she doesn't get cold and if there is no heavy rain you need not worry about him getting wet,but if it does get very cold I just put another rug over, also watch for the bites on the legs,last year my mare lost most of her leg and face hair because she rubbed herself raw,her legs she just kept biting. Also never put killitch or Benzole on sores as that really does burn them.
 
Ok, fly rug will go on tomorrow & order one of the suggested products! Thanks guys!!

I will remember to think about it sooner in future!!!

Thank god I have a good yard owner as I'm away in May!!
 
Having asked similar questions in the past ive found its definitely the case of finding out whats best for the individual horse. I think its worth trying different things to find what suits as some products work on some horses but not on others.

I have a three year old who developed sweet itch around his first birthday. I tried a few different supplements, few creams, sprays, rugs etc etc! And im hoping this year ive cracked it a little bit. Had a full mane for about 8 months now and his tail is lovely :).

He wears his rambo sweet itch hoody 24/7 from about february through to mid december depending on the midges. He got about a months relief this past year. When its cold i just put his other rugs on over the top a couple of holes looser than they would be if he was 'naked' underneath, hes never had rug rubs. He also has a fantastic neoprene type face mask which i got off ebay which goes all the way down to just above his nostrils and part of the way down his neck. His face gets the worst of the damage when he does get itchy so i leave this on, removing it once a day to give him a brush and an airing.

He has NAF D Itch in his feed all year round. This is the first year ive fed it all through winter, its suggested to do this so to help them build up an immunity and ive really noticed a difference so far this year.

Cream wise, nettex itch stop is a life saver. Really works for him, i paste it on any bits he starts itching and he soon stops, found the hair grows back quick with it too. I also make sure i paste it under his tummy down the centre line as thats where they really bite. I also cover him in NAF deet fly spray. Sudocream has also been a god send when hes broken the skin.

He is out 24/7, he doesnt do stables.

Things i avoid completely - garlic and molasses - apparently they have been found to make sweet itch worse. My boy is better for not having them.

Sorry, bit of an essay! At the end of the day if you can really keep on top of it, putting on cream everyday, twice a day sometimes it makes all the difference. Good luck!
 
My fully clipped gelding has been in his fly rug for weeks now, flies have been about for weeks too!

Another vote for Kill Itch here. I keep a good fly rug on 24/7 and wash mane and apply Kill Itch every few days as needed, sometimes I do it every day it depends how he's coping.
 
Thanks guys! To be fair midges are only just starting here but I'd best be quick! Kill itch is on order tomorrow!!! & fly rug on tomorrow!
 
Becki1802 said:
It is too cold to switch to his fly rug & his medium weight doesn't have a neck on. :(
Click to expand...

You can always put a sweet-itch hoody rug on UNDERNEATH a turnout rug; you might have to let out the straps on the top rug, but I'm doing that at the mo with my boy and its a simple solution. I've just put him and the mare out full-time at the beginning of the week. Will see how things go, the wisdom is that its best to stable between dawn & dusk as these are the times when midges are most active, but they're in quite a high field which catches the wind so will see how things go.
 
Try to reduce sugar levels, soaked hay etc, check and review bucket feed if given any..
Like another poster advised check for molasses in their food...
May be higher sugar content in grass at moment so any other sugars that can be easily reduced then do. Sugars build up throughout the day, so I'd heard of someone with an automatic gate in the USA that opened at 2am I think so horses went out and they were put into a dry lot (wood chip etc) with ad lib soaked hay at around 9am ish so off the grass before main part of the day.. But I guess putting out as late at night as possible then in, in the morning? If you put out to early you'd get the highest build up of sugar from the day, and if they graze most as soon as they out, then could be worse... All confusing this.. Katy Watts plant scientist with horse angle, she has useful stuff on website, Hannah
 
The pony I share gets sweet itch. We have been rugging him with a snuggy hoodie and fly rug for 3/4 weeks now and we use scratch plus. He dosen't like that much but it really works. If he does manage to rub Muddy Marvel works well to sooth and help heal the rubs.
 
I hadn't realised that sugar is connected! Thankfully he is already on calm & condition which is molasses free!

Fly rug is going on today & watching a few Rambo sweetitch hoodies on eBay!

Off to the tack shop to see if they stock killitch as being a bank holiday weekend!

I'll start the Skratch plus too - I remember last year that it took a little while to get used to!!!

He hasnt started rubbing yet but I hope all these preventative tips help!!!

Thanks
 
My horses fly rug goes on in feb and he keeps this on 24/7 until the midges have gone.

I fin suppliments only work if its mild sweeitch and often they have to be double dosed work.

I keep his mane and tail clean by washing it every week at least and hardly use fly spray anymore.
 
So what do you all use when riding? I've seen people ride in rugs but personally I am not keen. Obviously I'll try not to ride a midge time but not always easy with work etc!
 
Becki1802 said:
So what do you all use when riding? I've seen people ride in rugs but personally I am not keen. Obviously I'll try not to ride a midge time but not always easy with work etc!
Click to expand...

You can get "ride-on" rugs/covers: mine is a Horseware one (think that's the make of it) and its ever so easy, just clips on to the saddle and protects from flies as well as midges. Mine's in navy, I just wish they did them in hi viz tho'............

But I don't know how I managed before I got this!!! You can get other versions of it (i.e. Cashel) but think they're more expensive and looking at some of the feedback they're far more complicated to get on and off - mine is easy/simples!

Ditto avoiding sugar/mollasses for sweet itchies: its called "sweet" itch after all, so I'm feeding Dengie Hi Fi Mollasses free.

Also am feeding a scoop of Brewers Yeast morning and evening, and a splash of Linseed oil (sorry, am a bit unprecise when it comes to measurements!!! ;)).

Apparently Clivers is good (sticky stuff that grows in hedgerows at this time of year). I just tend to pick some out and put out beside his feed bowl or in hay net.

Avoid garlic however, as because sweet itch is an auto-immune condition you need to avoid it, as garlic basically stimulates this response, which you don't want (sorry, can't explain the veterinary/science bit very well!). But yep, just avoid it coz it will make things worse.
 
Get a good fly repellent as well as the other lotions and potions - have had good results using Avon Skin So Soft to guard against midges, rug up whenever out and avoid turning out next to streams and ponds etc if poss, and also avoid turnout at dusk and dawn :) Have also heard good things about adding supplements to diets, lots of people add brewers yeast, and another friend of mine swears by applying cold, strong black tea to the neck and dock as she says it stops the horse needing to itch! Just a few tips I've heard anyway, good luck :) xx
 
Brewers yeast works well for my pony and she doesn't need to be rugged. She only has it mildly. Second low sugar diet too. You could try this... http://www.sweetrelief.co.uk/

I've read some people finding huge improvements as a side effect to mineral balancing to forage analysis too. I would try and go this route if I had a horse that suffered severely.
 
amandap said:
Brewers yeast works well for my pony and she doesn't need to be rugged. She only has it mildly. Second low sugar diet too. You could try this... http://www.sweetrelief.co.uk/

I've read some people finding huge improvements as a side effect to mineral balancing to forage analysis too. I would try and go this route if I had a horse that suffered severely.
Click to expand...

You have to be really careful with benzyl benzoate - it needs to be diluted with another oil such as liquid paraffin etc. Don't use above 20% strength or it can cause rashes.

I agree with the voters for Killitch, though have started using Biteback products and it's just as good but half the price!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top