Sweet Itch

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PurpleSpots

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My focus when caring for and managing horses with sweet itch is to prevent them being bitten, therefore stopping them becoming itchy.

Usually this is by way of using a midge-proof rug and mask, with topical things applied to any minimal areas of exposure, if there are any, but I know others will stable at dawn/dusk among other defences and I'd be interested to read what they do, if anyone would like to share.

I am certain that allowing a horse to become excessively itchy would be cruel, and worse still would be allowing an itchy horse to scratch themselves on anything they can scratch on repeatedly with ease, because the act of scratching actually increases inflammation, thereby increasing the itch. So creating an increasing cycle of distress.

I've seen SI and non-SI horses use the ground to rub their bellies when lying down which is usually self-limiting, they also scratch themselves and mutual groom with teeth and lips which generally takes place only for a period of time and shouldn't lead to skin damage. If a horse WAS causing skin damage to themselves, this would tell me that my management of their condition wasn't effective enough, that they need extra support, or that the reaction they were having was perhaps outside the realms of what it is possible to humanely manage for them.

I look forwards to when there is a day that there is a 'cure' for the process which causes SI, but I know we're not there yet.

I'd love to hear others' views and experiences on all aspects of the above :) .
 
we all know where that has come from. Why not re post her entire post. Her being SV who I thought was banned by HHO admin but apparently not if her name is not included.

I found SV's post and the reader comments on that subject/post interesting. Many mirrored my own experiences. However I didn't pull every tiny bit of it apart and look for every nuance that some on HHO could possibly dream up.

I'm surprised you are posting about this subject now when we are many months into SI this year. I would have thought if you were that interested you would have posted much earlier in the year. Strange you should be so interested now at the same time as SV. You must both think along the same lines at the same time. :D:D
 
Actually, I was thinking about how miserable ponies with sweet itch feel just the other day. The ponies next to my field, are neglected and many of them have sweet itch. One was near the fence when I was poo-picking and I couldn't help noticing how bad her skin is. Poor thing has not only rubbed out her mane and tail, but also has rubbed her face and belly. She has broken the skin in several areas and looks sore.

Our old cob had sweet itch when we got her. I spent a lot of money on treatment that was 100% successful and now the only sign she ever had it, is a threadbare patch and some skin thickening on the base of her neck, under her mane. So, it can be cured in some cases but you need to actually do something to break the cycle in the meantime.
 
I don't like the way itching is normalised. Having had an allergic reaction which caused me to itch all over, I can say it's miserable 😞. I don't have anything with sweet itch, but a friend does and she's found that Biteback products, both for repelling midges and soothing skin, along with rugs, kept the condition manageable. She did try many different things until she came to that and I think that's all anyone can do.

I think it's preposterous to think that as long as they can safely scratch the itch, they are being managed.
 
My vet told a fellow livery sharing a call out with me that it was a welfare situation if she refused to treat with topical steroids at one point, always felt for the pony, was only covered up in the days so was naked during peak midge times and was bad even living out with minimal access to anything to scratch on but that must be just as miserable
I think it had become ‘normal’ to the owner she didn’t have the vet for the sweet itch.
 
I've had a horse with SI and yes I've seriously considered having him PTS; particularly in the unusually hot weather we're having here in the UK at the moment; if he was still around, bless him, I know I'd be mega-upset at having to bundle him up into a thick rug in the heat before he could be turned out. I hated doing it.

The biggest thing that upset me when I had him was when (for family/caring reasons) I'd needed to find a temporary loan for him quickish, and sent him off to a numpty girl who'd kept him at a riding school. He had been at a RS before I'd had him, and I thought it would be a good place for him to be. I sent him off with a couple of SI rugs (one a spare) with strict instructions in the Contract about how he must have his rug on at all times when he was turned out.

The first weekend he was there it was a mini-heatwave, in September. I'd gone up to check on how he'd settled in anyway, and found my poor horse absolutely raw & bleeding on his mane & tail. He'd had a lovely mane & tail before I'd sent him there; in fact when the vet had called for his jabs the week before he went he'd remarked on how well he'd looked, and said you wouldn't believe this horse has SI.

The YO then rocked up whilst I was there, and started blustering about he "hadn't known this horse had SI and wouldn't have taken him if he'd known" sort of rhetoric (lies, coz he had, and had received a copy of the contract). There was obviously a difficulty in communication between the YO and the YM - who apparently had been told NOT to do anything with "loan" horses, and only to "do" the RS horses; and the owner - who'd gone for working livery, presuming that the YM would adhere to the loan agreement, instead of which she'd been told basically "hands-off". I had to leave my boy there for the following week, which was hard, but I'd left strict instructions to apply Killitch on his sore bits & rug him up properly, and/or keep him inside at dusk & dawn, but the next weekend I knew there was an event on at the yard, and that some friends were competing, with a spare place on the lorry.......... so yep you've guessed it, while everyone else was doing stuff, we sneaked him onto the lorry - and thank heavens the blighter loaded OK! - and I brought him back home.
 
paddy555 said:
we all know where that has come from. Why not re post her entire post. Her being SV who I thought was banned by HHO admin but apparently not if her name is not included.

I found SV's post and the reader comments on that subject/post interesting. Many mirrored my own experiences. However I didn't pull every tiny bit of it apart and look for every nuance that some on HHO could possibly dream up.

I'm surprised you are posting about this subject now when we are many months into SI this year. I would have thought if you were that interested you would have posted much earlier in the year. Strange you should be so interested now at the same time as SV. You must both think along the same lines at the same time. :D:D
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If you care to update yourself on this thread https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/threads/sv-thread.848706/page-5#post-15938382 perhaps you might understand exactly why this thread has been started. It was felt by quite a few people that if one came across information or opinion outside the forum that they strongly disagree with as being incorrect, unsafe or whatever, if they then posted without naming the person outside the forum who made those statements, it would avoid anyone becoming needlessly offended and excited by the thread. An experimental suggestion of a possible way forward.

Seemed like a very good idea to me, stops incorrect information going unchallenged and allows a safe place to debate the subject. But then sadly we do have those who will just come running in, delighted to start naming names (oops! so accidental that eh) stir up a bit of excitement and have yet another useful thread closed. If you disagree or agree with points raised in PurpleSpots why can't you just respond without deliberately derailing yet another thread you might not agree with. In fact why comment at all as you keep reiterating how little it all interests you? Just walk away and play somewhere else why don't you?
 
Mrs. Jingle said:
If you care to update yourself on this thread https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/threads/sv-thread.848706/page-5#post-15938382 perhaps you might understand exactly why this thread has been started. It was felt by quite a few people that if one came across information or opinion outside the forum that they strongly disagree with as being incorrect, unsafe or whatever, if they then posted without naming the person outside the forum who made those statements, it would avoid anyone becoming needlessly offended and excited by the thread. An experimental suggestion of a possible way forward.

Seemed like a very good idea to me, stops incorrect information going unchallenged and allows a safe place to debate the subject. But then sadly we do have those who will just come running in, delighted to start naming names (oops! so accidental that eh) stir up a bit of excitement and have yet another useful thread closed. If you disagree or agree with points raised in PurpleSpots why can't you just respond without deliberately derailing yet another thread you might not agree with. In fact why comment at all as you keep reiterating how little it all interests you? Just walk away and play somewhere else why don't you?
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I totally and utterly understand why this thread has been started. SV posted suggesting that SI could be d/w not very satisfactoriily by various means and was it cruel not to let the sufferer scratch to relieve themselves. .

I would contend that this thread has been started to show SV up as having a rubbish opinion which is a welfare issue.

There are 2 sides to it and I am speaking personally as I have 3 affected. So far this year I have done little except repair SI rugs and buy several more. So I do feel I have a slight bit of knowledge on the subject. I don't think the opinion from SV is correct or incorrect. I think it is a different POV and I was interested to read it.

Some of our comments are starting to come across as very nasty. They may be amusing but it really does you no credit at all.

If you take the trouble to read SV's post and the comments I'm sure you will find the various viewpoints interesting whichever side of the fence you come down on. Actually there is no side to come down on both are pretty miserable as is PTS.
 
I haven't seen the post but have had a SI pony, sadly.

The first year it caught me completely off guard and was a nightmare. I duly went down too many rabbit holes to remember, and armed myself with as much info as my brain could absorb.

I found if I started treating before the itch started, as in rugs on by early Feb, creams and all manner of witchcraft applied, we survived the year with an occasional scratch here and there but nothing more than a normal horse might do when hot and sweaty.

I'm not saying that will work for everyone but I believe stopping the itch starting is key but sadly some people leave it until midge season is upon us to start doing something about it.

It's a horrid thing to deal with.
 
You have missed the point completely paddy555, this post was to be a safe and neutral place to discuss SI, and to help that remain the case it was to be discussed without any reference to SV even if some of her opinions were discussed.

I was not for one moment saying if your opinions or anyone else's are correct or not, I was saying that you are deliberately continuing to reference the person that admin have clearly stated they do not want discussed. I also have my own experience and opinions having owned SI horses myself. However I will now refrain from joining in the discussion as you have made this post yet another SV for or against saga. That was NOT the purpose of this thread and I suggest with respect you know that.

I have no idea of your motivation but it is becoming rather tedious if you intend to do this to scupper any attempt to follow Admin's wishes but still be able to give our own point of view on information given outside of the forum.
 
This is the first full year I'm having to deal with SI, thank you for posting this, so far I have managed to stop him scratching his mane out but he scratches his face which I can't seem to stop, I've watched him in the field and he sometimes scratches with his back hoof! I've tried fly masks but he just gets them off and I have trouble getting them on as he hates having his ears touched! It's certainly been a learning curve and hopefully next year I can try to keep him covered more so he is as itch free as he is going to be.
 
I have a pony with Sweet Itch, fortunately I dont think its a particularly severe case. The thing I've found most helpful is putting her rug and mask on way sooner than I would have thought necessary, and also keep it on longer too, so she probably wears it almost early March to early November, obviously weather dependent. She also never goes out at either dawn or dusk, and her field is not near any water, (except her water trough).

She doesnt wear her rug/mask in the stable, and its pretty rare she needs to itch in her stable, when she does I just apply a generous amount of topical ant itch cream, and that does the job, I dont see her itch in the field anymore than any other horse. Her coat is beautiful she has her mane and tail, the worst visible is a bit of rubbing at the top of her tail, but not enough to remove hair.
 
Steerpike said:
This is the first full year I'm having to deal with SI, thank you for posting this, so far I have managed to stop him scratching his mane out but he scratches his face which I can't seem to stop, I've watched him in the field and he sometimes scratches with his back hoof! I've tried fly masks but he just gets them off and I have trouble getting them on as he hates having his ears touched! It's certainly been a learning curve and hopefully next year I can try to keep him covered more so he is as itch free as he is going to be.
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Patch test, but try a fine oil all over his head / face, midges don’t like oil.
Body - Boett blankets or De Meulenkamp rugs, preferably start wearing before the midges emerge. Have at least a couple so you can keep washing them in non bio, the fabric dries fast, but can put them on wet / damp if necessary.
Good luck.
 
PurpleSpots said:
My focus when caring for and managing horses with sweet itch is to prevent them being bitten, therefore stopping them becoming itchy.

Usually this is by way of using a midge-proof rug and mask, with topical things applied to any minimal areas of exposure, if there are any, but I know others will stable at dawn/dusk among other defences and I'd be interested to read what they do, if anyone would like to share.

I am certain that allowing a horse to become excessively itchy would be cruel, and worse still would be allowing an itchy horse to scratch themselves on anything they can scratch on repeatedly with ease, because the act of scratching actually increases inflammation, thereby increasing the itch. So creating an increasing cycle of distress.

I've seen SI and non-SI horses use the ground to rub their bellies when lying down which is usually self-limiting, they also scratch themselves and mutual groom with teeth and lips which generally takes place only for a period of time and shouldn't lead to skin damage. If a horse WAS causing skin damage to themselves, this would tell me that my management of their condition wasn't effective enough, that they need extra support, or that the reaction they were having was perhaps outside the realms of what it is possible to humanely manage for them.

I look forwards to when there is a day that there is a 'cure' for the process which causes SI, but I know we're not there yet.

I'd love to hear others' views and experiences on all aspects of the above :) .
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Definitely, get and keep the rugs on early, keep them clean, keep changing them over.
If blazing hot, stand horse inside shade, wearing the rug.
Personal preference - Boett, De Meulenkamp designs.
Anti midge ‘potions’ on exposed bits, we find spraying with fine oil puts the little bu*gers off.
 
I fortunately don't have any with SI, but I have acquaintances who have struggled with the management of them. One had theirs pts due to it being so bad, but she only acted when the horse was already rubbing themselves raw, didn't act to prevent the cycle starting, despite being advised again and again to stop it before it starts. Like others have mentioned, the ones who managed them successfully were on it, and had a collection of rugs and masks to wash and rotate, and I think the biteback products were rated highly. I do feel for these horses, as being hot in a rug isn't nice but is the lesser of two evils. It's been bad enough coping with normal and horse flies, given the tendency for undressing each other that mine have, and that I'm obviously trying to apply acid to them when I use fly products (sprays and lotions cause dramatics, I have a bunch of wannabe oscar nominees for the victims in horror films, I swear). Healing, non itchy vibes to all dealing with this
 
I have a pony with SI. He’s made it to 30 so I must be doing something right but yes it’s a very high maintenance condition!

He is rugged constantly and I use various creams on exposed bits every single day. I’ve always allowed him to rub if he wanted to, as if he can’t, how do I know if he’s itchy or not and whether I’m managing things 🤷‍♀️ my sweet itch pony does not rub and it makes me sad that people think it’s normal for an affected horse to be rubbing constantly, it means the condition is not being managed adequately.

I was once on a yard with an elderly pony with SI who went out in an electric fenced field and had a full grill on his stable door to stop him rubbing ☹️ I’m not sure his equally elderly owner had any idea that SI even existed, he went out in a normal mesh fly rug and had no treatment, I always felt terribly sad for the pony.
 
I had real problems with my SI pony. She blinded herself with her SI rug and went feral after that (she's 2). In the weeks she was rugless she made such a mess of her skin. She had soft itching options; she had trees with smooth-ish bark, rubber spikes etc, but she chose to itch on fencing and sharp bits of tree roots. I got the rug back on but the damage was done. I moved her to a yard with purely electric fencing so she can't itch on post and rail and she still has soft itching spots, and she's in overnight (which isn't the routine I prefer for youngsters but it's better for her). I hate it. But she's so much better after the move. her skin has healed up beautifully. She's going to have the jab next year, which hopefully will be a miracle cure.
 
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This forum was very valuable when I found myself with an SI pony. She came from the rescue with a mesh "fly rug", no mane and a bottle brush tail, but thankfully she has only ever really rubbed her ears to the point they were sore as I knew to keep her covered as much as necessary. The ears were the fault of an old concrete water trough which couldn't be helped! She has a solid wooden fence in the field she could rub on if she wanted atm but doesn't. I mostly only see her itching in the stable which is possibly as much habit as anything. Rug stays on, stabled or not!

I missed the window for the Insol jab this year but will give it a go next Feb. Rugs, Biteback and anti histamines are doing the job currently.
 
I am allergic to hay (yep, picked a good hobby didn’t I?!) and so have to cover my arms and legs (& wear a mask) to handle it. If I don’t I come out in a horrible itchy rash and if I scratch it then I make it worse. I still scratch it. (& I can rationalise and know that what I’m doing is stupid)

A horse is not able to protect itself from midges or realise how destructive scratching itself is so we have to help them.

I would personally limit the amount of things a horse with raw, open sores was able to rub on in order to allow healing to happen (the same as putting a body suit or buster collar on a dog to stop them licking a wound). Not an ideal place to be forever but a necessary temporary measure to facilitate healing.

Obviously the ideal would be to use an appropriate rug, topical products as required and careful consideration of field choice (ideally yard choice / location if possible to choose somewhere less likely to be hospitable to midges eg up on an open hill rather than next to a river) to minimise itching in the first place.

I wouldn’t see a reason not to provide “safe” scratching options such as brushes / rollers or rubber scratch pads to a well controlled sweet itch horse without sore areas though as to long term remove any and all scratching opportunities would be to provide an extremely barren environment.
 
Steerpike said:
This is the first full year I'm having to deal with SI, thank you for posting this, so far I have managed to stop him scratching his mane out but he scratches his face which I can't seem to stop, I've watched him in the field and he sometimes scratches with his back hoof! I've tried fly masks but he just gets them off and I have trouble getting them on as he hates having his ears touched! It's certainly been a learning curve and hopefully next year I can try to keep him covered more so he is as itch free as he is going to be.
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Have you tried the Nettex Summer Freedom cream? I messed up one year and moved mine to a field that was extremely midgey and he rubbed a big open sore on his face on a tree trunk. Can’t put a fly mask on him as he once rubbed wearing one, blind folded himself and ran through 3 lines of sheep fencing…..but that’s another story. In desperation I bought a tub of this stuff and plastered his face in it and bingo no rubbing and his face healed nicely. I now use it on face and ears every evening before the midges strike. It’s disgusting greasy stuff and good luck getting it out from under your nails but it works!
 
frankieduck said:
Have you tried the Nettex Summer Freedom cream? I messed up one year and moved mine to a field that was extremely midgey and he rubbed a big open sore on his face on a tree trunk. Can’t put a fly mask on him as he once rubbed wearing one, blind folded himself and ran through 3 lines of sheep fencing…..but that’s another story. In desperation I bought a tub of this stuff and plastered his face in it and bingo no rubbing and his face healed nicely. I now use it on face and ears every evening before the midges strike. It’s disgusting greasy stuff and good luck getting it out from under your nails but it works!
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Yes, have tried Nettex product previously (the pink, minty scented one), although we prefer light oil spray to the thicker greasiness of this for covering an area. However, beneficial side effect, it completely dried up and (very quickly) removed a sarcoid which was receiving fly attention! I gather others have experienced similar from the Nettex, also on small juvenile warts.
 
Hi there,

I have dealt with a couple of horses with itch - we call it QLD itch here - but it is the same thing - midgies etc. My own gelding did not have itch but that was only cos i kept him covered. I was recommended to try a product called Think Free - which is a liquid that is put into feed that apparently changes the horses smell or body chemistry so the they are more invisible to the biting insects. I have had a pony that had no mane or tail and rubbed skin all under her belly go back to a full coat and mane and tail and also my gelding is now able to be rug free. I know that it does not work for all horses as i know someone who tried it and it did not work - however for me it has been a game changer. It is available in the UK and maybe worth a try - it is not super expensive here. I have just started using it again, after stopping for the cooler months. Good luck!
https://proactiveanimalhealth.com.a...aily & within 2 to,dose between the two feeds.

goodness what a link - thats an australian website but you can read about it
 
Boulty said:
I am allergic to hay (yep, picked a good hobby didn’t I?!) and so have to cover my arms and legs (& wear a mask) to handle it. If I don’t I come out in a horrible itchy rash and if I scratch it then I make it worse. I still scratch it. (& I can rationalise and know that what I’m doing is stupid)
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I'm glad I'm not the only one with this issue! I want to scratch my skin off sometimes and often wake up finding I've been scratching in my sleep and horses aren't just my hobby they're my job 🙈

It has made me sympathetic to my SI pony though....although my sympathy is harder to find when I get to the yard and find he's ripped another Boett rug!!...My pony isn't even severe so I have sympathy for those whose ponies make themselves bleed my scratching as luckily he has rarely scratched himself to that extent.

I discussed the jabs with my vet but we decided it wouldn't be fair to go down that route with him as he is needle phobic and gets extremely stressed so he currently has Brewers Yeast, garlic a supplement (that I can't remember the name of) and although he's been itching he's not been as bad this year.

In regards to this post being put up because it's was discussed on someone's FB, I no longer use FB and was blocked by that person even when I did so I have no idea what she posts but find threads like this interesting as it gives me a chance to read others experiences and is there really anything wrong with a post on fb being used to initiate conversation on here? Many, including myself, would not have even known that sv did a post on it of you hadn't brought it up Paddy.
 
My Welsh D x Trad cob Lily has had sweet itch since she was 2 . She is now 11, and I barely think about it. I m so used to having her rugged - Shires Highlander - from Feb to Nov , plus fly mask , thats its just part of her daily routine.
New rug at least once a year , as they get shredded on our wire and hedges. I dont think horses get overhot in a S I rug - they are protected from the sun? She has never sweated under her Highlanders.
Lily has had Insol injections every Feb for the last 4 years . No potions or supplements at all , unless she actually has scratched her neck, then apply 'Killitch' to soothe; this year only twice so far . Hogging her did actually help - no idea why , but the yearly Insol jabs have lessened the reaction to the midges dramatically, and now I m grwing her mane out to be a 'native'.
Usually she is in overnight and away from the midges dawn and dusk, but she and her pals have too much grass to eat anyway.
Please, no garlic , as it stimulates the immune system and that is what needs suppressing.
 
I only ever had 1 pony with sweetitch. Never again..... I managed it with a Boett rug on 24/7 from March to October and a tonne of fly spray when ridden. He rarely had any problems, with that management, but one day he got his mask off and got bitten. The mess he made of his head was utterly heartbreaking. From ONE afternoon of being unprotected. It's an awful condition but I'm glad it sounds like the injections help.
 
I'm really surprised nobody has yet mentioned giving antihistamines to calm the allergic reaction in the first place. They made a world of difference to my itchy pony such that he was able to live his final years with just a standard fly rug rather than a Boett and on windy days could go rug free. (It's worth bearing in mind midges can't fly and land if the windspeed is above around 7mph)
 
I'm not sure what has been going on with all the other stuff as I wasn't reading it, , but if we are just talking purely about sweet itch, then I have had a lot of success with Biteback products and no, I don't work for them, or have any commission! My Fell mare has it on her withers and above and on her tail, so not the worst. You put the Biteback silver rescue cream on first if they have open sores and scratches, so as to heal that up and then I change to a different lotion and their fly spray. for maintenance. It has been very effective, but you do have to keep doing it. I am going to try the injection next year-she was in foal last year.
 
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