Sweet Itch

[MagicMelon]

Has your been worse than ever this year? My boy has ripped his mane out, down to the skin in places (never been this bad), it looks dreadful. This is after buying a Rambo Sweet Itch Hoody and wearing it all season til now.

I dont know what to do next year. I cant have this happening every year especially as I show him. He has torn his hoody to shreds so I really dont want to fork out for a Boett although this is the only thing I know works. Are there any injections or something out for this? I know they were trial-ing some.

 

[spaniel]

When did you start using the rug? If you dont put it on before the horse has been bitten, even once, it will not be effective.

I would go ahead and buy a Boett NOW and as soon as it arrives put it on your horse, all through the winter. That way there is no reason for the bite that starts the reaction. You can ride in them and use them under NZs as well.

 

[MagicMelon]

I started using it in March. Midgies dont live once its cold enough though do they? He's fine all winter.

Yeah, but problem with Boett is he will destroy it..... how sturdy are they?

 

[sojeph]

Boett also do a turnout rug if you need something more substantial. They are excellent. The Boett rug is no more/less sturdy than any other fly rug but it won't fray or ladder like some others which means that repairing it is really simple, plus they give you a bag of patches and you can ring up for more for free if you need them. Contact them - sometimes they do secondhand ones and try ebay too. They do, however, recommend you use electric fencing reound trees and fences to stop it being ripped but this goes for any fly rug. With our milder winters, some horses are affected almost all year round so if you're in a midgey area I'd say keep your horse covered all year round. Have a word with your insurance company too as some will pay for them for you.

 

[Snowberry]

I'd recommend the boett too - it really is the best thing.

I had heard (not sure how reliable though

) that boett are offering some sort of vaccination?? Your horse has to have it in Jan/Feb time for it to be effective. (as I said not sure if its true as one of the liveries told me!!! )

 

[AmyMay]

Did you lotion and potion him as well or just rely on the rug??

We have a horse with sweetitch who went in to a Rambo Hoody in March, and was libraly smothered in anti midge lotion every day as well. She hardly rubbed at all - and it was pretty severe last year.

 

[samp]

I am using the Boett and my mare has only rubbed her tail a few times and when she has I have just applied Benzoyl. They do injections now however it is very expensive and still really on trial. Contact the National Sweet Itch line for further info

 

[sojeph]

www.sweetitch.co.uk

 

[spaniel]

MM in theory there shouldnt be midges in the winter.....in theory!

However Ive seen them out on very cold days in December when the sun has been particularly bright. I think they are pretty much all year round now, just worse in the summer.

 

[ru-fi-do]

I took on a shettie with really really bad sweet itch. I used Camrosa and a fly rug and the improvements were fantastic as camrosa also acts as a fly repellent, i smother it onto his belly and between his back legs(as this is where he tends to be bitten) and it has worked a treat. If you have a look at my camrosa posts you will see the improvement although he didn't have it much in his tail, but had rubbed his mane raw. I have just clipped him out to be able to treat it on his rump and hogged his mane for the winter, although you won't want to do that with showing! I also give him brewers yeast tablets every day and cider vinegar in his feed. Hope this helps!

 

[mostfunintown]

I use snuggy hoods sweetich rugs now, my mare demolished her boett(s!) the snuggy hoods are made to measure and very comfy for my mare. She does look a little silly but at least she's not itchy!! I have found this year to b quite bad as a shetlend I put on loan a few years ago looks like a hippo coz he is fat and bald with black skin.

 

[hussar]

My Arab youngster has sweetitch and I have to keep him rugged with neck cover all year round. I hated the Boett that he came with - it ripped in no time, he sweated up in it, the elastic stretched badly and if the belly pad rolled back it left exposed his most vulnerable parts. On the other hand, the Rambo Sweet-itch hoody has been superb - it has a few battle scars after two full summers but I will get another when this one is finally past it.

I also start him on D-Itch in February and keep it going till October, plus he gets liberally plastered in Avon Skin So Soft and Camrosa for any actual rubs. He has a full mane and tail now.

I asked my vet the other day about the vaccinations I'd heard about and she was pretty luke-warm - very expensive, and not guaranteed effective.

 

[Nari]

I've got a Solva rug that's similar to the Boett but (slightly) cheaper. I used it with a fly mask that has ears, summer fly cream on the few uncovered areas & lots of fly spray when riding & my horse has hardly scratched all this summer.

 

[flyingfeet]

I use a boett type rug that retails for £80 ish, however to prelong its life I use another fly rug on top, this year a Shires Airflow, but have also used a Riff Raff.

The use of an over rug makes the boett type rugs last at least 2 seasons or more.

I also feed brewers yeast which has worked wonders and we have has a really good season. This is combined with lotions on his sheath & exposed bits: Nettex Itch Stop, Avon Skin so Soft and Barriers no stingy enhanced formula fly spray and sudocream (I vary, but generally put sudocream on at night and others during the day).

Has anyone tried the vaccinations? I spoke to my vet who said they were 60% effective in the trial they did. Still didn't think it was worth £200+ as his sweet itch is severe and covering up works wonders.

 

[clipertyplop]

midges and flys have been bad this year. i have found alvaitch to be very good to the point this year i took the flyrug off but then i have ring fenced the field with electric fencing, its not so much the bite but the infection they get from scratching then it become a vicious circle.... just a warning with fly rugs becarefull the flys cant geet underneath drives the horse made because they cant get away from them ive heard of one horse having to be destroyed because of its injurys

 

[lottie1990]

i dont get it, why sweet itch now? its nearly winter, wouldnt the flys and midges goen somewhere hotter by now?

 

[sojeph]

This time of year can be the worst! Its still relatively warm and very wet. Ideal for midges. They don't disappear completely until there's been a frost.

 

[MagicMelon]

Plus its that time of the year where its getting a bit chilly for just a fly sheet! I clipped my sweet-itch boy a week ago so now I have to rug him, but its not quite cold enough for the neck cover as well which leaves me with a dilemma. Either he's cold in his fly sheet or he's hot in his turnout & neck cover!

 

[sojeph]

I had the Boett turnout for my lad. Its very lightweight so ideal for this time of year. Its basically a waterproof version of the Boett.

 

[ticobay831]

hi, why dont you put the new zealand iver the fly rug.
A boett is really the best though, my pony suffers severley with sweat itch, he scratches till he bleeds if he gets the chance, hes worn a boet now for two years, he has a full neck medium weight new zealand on during the winter and hes been fine. The only place he manages to rub is his tummy, he sits down and rubbs it on his hind hoof!!!
He is in a electrified area so he dosnt get the chance to rub. camrosa is very goo for bits that cant be covered. If you get in touch with the sweat itch society they will give you loads of advice they are brilliant.
The last rug i bought him a couple of months ago was very similar to the boet, same material as the first boett but slightly different in design. The midges will still be around for a while because the weather conditions are perfect for them at the moment. they say when the temperature is in single figures it is too cold for them.
Take a look at this site for the cheaper rug.
http://www.solva-icelandics.co.uk/sweet1.htm
Its very upsetting i know, but you can controll it.
Good luck
Debs x

 

[Chambon]

My sweetitch mare has been really good this year, although she lives in her Boett all year round, this summer we trialled a Fal Silver Interactive fly rug and I have to say it is a miracle worker. I would even say it works better than the Boett.