Sweetich cure as a favour - on a budget!

J

Jenz

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 July 2008
Messages
121
Visit site
I'm keeping an eye on two horses as a favour in return for turnout. One of which gets sweetich. They are generally very low maintenance and I'm not meant to be paying for stuff for them, but it's sad to see her scratching away and not do anything about it.

Is there anything I can do to help her, on the cheap? Someone mentioned marmite, but I know nothing about quantities and how to feed it. She has a handful of chaff each night (to keep her happy while the others get fed) so could add stuff to that if there's anything cheap?

I spray her with my own homemade fly spray (dettol, cold tea and citronella) so could also add stuff to that specifically for sweetich if there is anything?
 
There isn't really a 'cure' as such for sweet-itch - just prevention. Can't the owner stump up for a hooded flysheet, which is really the most effective weapon and would make the poor horse much more comfortable?

Midges don't like oil-based repellents so a lot of people (myself included) use Avon Skin So Soft bath oil either on its own (diluted with water) or mixed in with a home-made spray such as you describe. It's not expensive either.
 
Stick some skin so soft and fresh avon bath oil into your spray which will really help - use up to half the bottle in a litre if the midges are really bad, if not halve it. I make one with various essential oils, dettol and this but water not tea as I have coloureds. Bog myrtle oil is very good for midges with citronella.

If skin is not broken, benzoyl benzoate on the hair rubbed in soothes and kepts midges off.

Best of all is to have some sort of fly rug on - even a cheap summer sheet with tail flap is better nothing.
 
Sorry, I didn't mean 'cure', and yes, I meant a defence or something to make her happier!

I might look out for a cheap fly rug or summer sheet and sew a tail flap on... good idea. Do you find with this weather it's difficult to know whether to put it on or not, never knowing if it's going to rain or not? If there was an unexpected shower would a fly rug be better than a summer sheet? Never used one before but they look less absorbent?? I wouldn't keep her in it wet, obviously, but just until I get back from work if needs be and then, ah, going to need a second one aren't I!

Yes, the skin has broken quite a lot, an area on top of her rump about 3 inches round that's scabby and open bits
frown.gif
so when it's hot and the flies are out they're just feasting on her
frown.gif
so maybe rug would be best because I'm trying to avoid fly spray too close to the open skin.

What about stopping her rubbing? I'm going to put my electric fence in front of the wooden fence, but is that what's breaking the skin, or is that the reaction to the flies? Will she be upset if she can't scratch?
 
The flies cause the lumps, the sweet itch makes them itchy and the scratching makes them into sores. Once you have sores you attrach more flies and it becomes a vicious circle.

Basically you need to stop her getting any more lumps by using a rug, stabling during the hours when the midges are around and\or loads of fly repelant. You also need to treat the sores with some kind of cream to stop them from being so itchy and keep them from getting infected.

My mum has a homeopathic remedy which she feeds her mare and this has really helped. I've also heard of people using anti-histamine tablets with success (but I have no idea on the dosage, so don't do this without some expert advice).
 
Your PMs aren't receiving, just tried to reply to you and it says there may not be enough space, or something! Although there have been a few threads about them not working at the mo.
 
Don't worry about the fly sheet getting wet - they dry out really quickly once it stops raining. You might want to get two so you can wash one. My (mild sweet-itch) horse lives in his flysheet 24/7 from March-October unless being ridden (it is removed for checking every day); he doesn't seem to mind what the weather conditions are or whether the sheet is wet.

If the sweet-itch is at the stage of open sores then a flysheet is the best answer.
 
or you could fence of the scratching sites which is what i do with mine, works well until he persaudes his field mate to use their teath
 
I read on here that Brewers Yeast is good for sweetitch and got some for a new mare declared to have it. Began feeding it in about the February and two summers on she has never rubbed once. I also feed it to another that tends to rub her mane in summer and she doesn't do it any more either. As a side effect they have lovely coats too.

Gold Label do it
 
definitely get a fly sheet, they are about £25 for the cheapest ones and are an absolute godsend.
i bought brewers' yeast for my sweetitchy mare and she refused to eat it. she's a total pig usually but couldn't stand it!
 
Marmite on a peice of bread every day is supposed to work although I have never tried it myself. I had a rambo sweetitch rug for a horse I had with sweet itch which helped 100%
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top