Sweetich advice

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WeeBrown

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Not sure whether Vets or here is best place for this so put it here.
Am looking at buying a horse with sweetich - I would usually not consider horses with ailments as there are plenty of horses out there without but I am doing so for the following reasons:
* Have known horse for 2 years and he has never been unrideable with it.
* He is sane, sweet and exactly what I'm looking for except for this one prob.
* They're not asking loads for him.

So what can I do to minimise probs with sweetich if he passes everything else on Friday - money is not a major obstacle so any rugs suggestions/potions suggestions/vet treatment/routine suggestions will be welcome. Horse will be kept in a field with electric tape (with wooden posts between) down 3 sides and a wall along the back (which as far as I am aware also has electric fence in front of it). There is a very short (2 or 3m section of hedge) and no water (except a small trough) nearby.
 
My horse had sweet itch, not all that severe, she just would rub her tail and the base of her mane out, and the mane would get scaly and sometimes scabby. However this year I put a Rambo Sweet Itch Hoody on her in March and she hasn't had any signs whatsoever of sweet itch. As long as you can prevent the first midge bite of spring, you can keep it under control.
 
i agree with brightmount,rug before the midges bite and electric fence to protect the rug getting torn.i have been using deosect once a week and have had no rubs this year.
 
I had an ID a couple of years ago who suffered really badly with Sweet Itch with the lady that owned him when he came to me to be ridden I doubled the amount of garlic granules he had and put on a normal fly rug combo and mask. He rubbed his tail a little bit at the start of summer and I went to the chemist and got some Benzl Benzolite (excuse spelling), this stopped the itching and the sweet itch did not come back. His owner showed me some pictures of him the summer before and they were quite horrific. Garlic seems to repel the midges and flys. I still use garlic granules on my horses and give them more in the summer and it seems to keep the flys away from them as they don't appear to have fly eggs on them whereas before they used to get quite a lot.
 
My horse has sweetitch. doesnt really make much difference to him apart from he has to be rugged up all the time. Rubs his mane now and again so is abit thin. I keep his tail pulled so you cant see whn he rubs it. I dont think it should put you off buying a horse but i understand some horses get it very badly.
One plus about keeping them rugged up is nice shiny coats with minimal grooming!!
I give him garlic powder in his food and am currently trying a new natural anti-histamine product from the vets.
I used to use benzle benzoate on my old pony that worked wondersbut with my horse now i find if I keep him covered he is fine.
 
i have read that garlic is not good for theses cases.
it boosts the immune system which you do not want because with SW the immune system is working overtime.
 
If the horse is what you want don't let the sweet itch put you off. Mine has it and he's in a Boett which completely solves the problem. I wouldn't swap my horse as he's everything I want and it wouldn't put me off buying another. Good luck.
 
If you can stable during the day in a barn, that really is the best method.

Mine has thin pyjamas on all the time and then only goes out under the cover of darkness (I turn him out after 10.30pm and bring in at 8am). I have been able to halve the potions and lotions used. Plus it suits my horses as they are fatties, so time off the grass is a good thing.

My boy is a pain with sweetitch and COPD, however loads of people would buy him as he he is a talented jumper. So if the horse is what you want go for it.
 
Mine have it mildly, but that may be due to the time I put in to look after them. They both have full manes and tails still and are in show condition.

They are kept out 24 x 7 from start of May to end of October - their field has an inner ring of electric - this stops the rubbing apart from Chancer's belly. If brought it I don't leave them unattended and put a tail guard on in case they try to rub their tails.

They have brewers yeast, linseed, clivers in their feeds to promote healthy skin and the BY is good for keeping midges off. I have also used Skratch from Global Herbs which is good stuff.

They wear rugs and face masks 24 x 7, they are now sporting Snuggy Spic and Spans including the udder and sheath cover - far less itchy with these on. I do take them off every other day and put them in the school to have a good mutual groom.

I keep their coats clean and when riding they are covered in my home made fly spray - I also spray anything part of them that is not covered by rugs twice a day. I used to use sudocream on their bellies, but now they are covered up so don't need to.

If you can do the above, you should be able to keep the horse without sores and with hair unless they are very bad.

There is also the SI vaccine which I believe is shortly to be available which may be an option. I am not going to bother as with my routine, I can keep things under control for the time being.

Finally my field is fairly windy, does not have a muck heap or standing water nearby which does help keep the midges down.
 
Thank you all so much for your advice - this has really put my mind at rest. When I first contacted the vet to arrange a vetting he was quite concerned about the sweetich -apparently he has even failed horses who are moving to areas that won't suit them so I want to put his mind at rest that I armed with the info to look after this new one successfully.
I was thinking of getting the boett which I might get anyway but really like the look of the spic and span - the sheath cover looks especially good. I already use the homemade fly spray which works wonders on my sensitive chestnut mare but will look at the deosect. The Skratch product looks great for soothing so will get some of that too!
I could keep him in during the day as he would have the lami prone pony living next door so wouldn't be alone - so that is another option. His field is on a hill so often windy. I'll also ask my own vet about the vacc.
Thanks again.
 
totally agree with brightmount - my mare has sweetitch and we've tried ever lotion and potion and supplement under the sun - none worked. we also tried the boett rug and although good was a pain to get on and off and rubbed her. Now have her in a Rambo sweetitch rug and she wears it from march to november all day every day apart from when she's ridden and she hasnt shown any signs of sweetitch at all this year *touches wood frantically*
grin.gif
 
My horse came to me last September. My friends owned him before then. He was kept in a sheltered area near a stream, on their yard on Bodmin Moor. He had an inadequate rug (the rambo hoodie which didn't cover his belly or ears) and they couldn't keep a mask with ears on him. His belly and ears were red raw from rubbing and they would liberally apply itch stop grease to his mane, tail, belly, ears daily.

He became such a mess - a big ball of red raw grease.

In September, I removed all rugs, he'd had a bath and he moved to our yard which was not near a stream and was quite open to the elements. His sweetitch cleared up almost instantly (time of year as well).

In March, I put the snuggyhood rug that I'd bought him, on him. He hated it at first, and I had to send it back for repair. He was without a rug for 2 weeks in April and got 2 small patches on his belly, but once the rug was back on these cleared up and he hasn't got any sweetitch at all now. Well he has it, but has not been affected by it this year.

Basically, he just has a head to toe coverage rug, gets sprayed with a homemade fly spray daily and has regular baths with a dettol/insecticidal mixture. The rug has been the main thing. Oh and he's out 24/7 which I also think helps as he doesn't get bored and doesn't have things close by to scratch on. When he comes in for a groom etc, he will start rubbing on door posts and the like.

I am really pleased with his improvement because this horse had the worst sweetitch I have seen in my life, and we bought him for the reason that we knew him and he is very sweet and suited us in all other ways. I put it all down to the rug.
http://www.snuggyhoods.com/index.php/vmchk/Sweet-Itch/View-all-products.html
 
This is the rug Theresa mentioned above and it does look wonderful - seems to be popular too and actually work too.
Well he passed the vetting and the vet really liked him so I should be getting him tomorrow
smile.gif

Thanks again everyone for your advice - I will probably be here again asking for more but will copy this thread into word.
 
Feeding garlic to a horse with sweetitch will only make the horse worse. Garlic boosts the immune system which is already in overdrive with the sweetitch compounding the problem.

Garlic may very well repel flies but the sweetitch midge follows the CO2 a horse emits.

I have a horse with sweetitch and I read all the above information on this forum.

I stopped giving my horse garlic and he's been much better.

I would also advise covering the horse up early in the year before the first midges bite as once they've been bitten, its already too late!
 
hello!

pleased to hear he passed the vetting and I hope you have had a good few first days with him.

My husbands horse Doodle used to have bad sweet itch. This year we have been applying Coopers Spot On (a cattle delouser and insecticide) once a month and she has no sweet itch at all. Infact, i have thinned her mane and tail this year which I have never dared to do in the past! Coopers is an oil that you just pour on to the back, it looks a bit gresy for a couple of days but then is fine. It costs about £40 for a bottle (which should last for maybe 3 years) and you get it at agricultural supply chains or from your vet. Doodle has always lived out 24/7 on the Somerset levels - so open ditches and lots of midges round us.

We had in the past tried rugs, benzyl benzoate and a few sweet itch potions that you can buy in tack shops. We also did the vaccine trial ans found it as useful as a chocolate teapot. Coopers is the cheapest ans easiest - one application once a month as opposed to doing rugs every day or creams everday.

Good luck!
 
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