Sweetich The Beginning

With regards to rugs, I have a snuggy sweet itch hood & rug, a Masta sweet itch set and a Rambo hoodie

I dont think anything beats the Rambo for quickness of putting on and taking off but after a few attempts I can get both of the other sets on in under a couple of minutes now

Personally I love the Snuggy hood set, its so close fitting and yet allows the pony to move very freely.
 
WelshD said:
With regards to rugs, I have a snuggy sweet itch hood & rug, a Masta sweet itch set and a Rambo hoodie

I dont think anything beats the Rambo for quickness of putting on and taking off but after a few attempts I can get both of the other sets on in under a couple of minutes now

Personally I love the Snuggy hood set, its so close fitting and yet allows the pony to move very freely.
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well i can beat that the other way my rug takes about 3 hours to put on :D:D and at least 4 A levels :D:D Did i mention the 20 people needed to sew paddy into the rug :D
 
ibot said:
can you tell me about superscratch?
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Basically it's made from cedar extracts and it STINKS!! My horse went from scratching like a creature posessed to a docile, itch free dobbin after I used it last yr. The problem is, because it smells so bad it isn't easy to get them to eat it. It works by making the horse smell unpalatable to the midges from the inside out. Alfie will eat it if I melt extra strong mints into his feeds, but otherwise he won't even sniff the bucket.

I do use a SI hoodie as well, and on damp days I wipe diluted superskratch onto his rugs and fly mask. Definitely works, I swear by it.

http://www.globalherbs.co.uk/equine/skratch.html
 
Probably a stupid question but someone told me today that thoroughbreds dont get sweetitch....anyone know if its true? Ive never heard this before :o
 
Cahill said:
no,does not burn,as I mentioned it is used on pigs to keep their skin from cracking.

nasty ear flies- I would not use p.i. for that,i put some sudocream on my thumb and wipe inside the ears.

think midges do not like the oil texture.
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Will get some Sudocrem, thanks for that. Should be easy enough to get it in her ears as she puts her head down for me to rub her ears and kill the flies :D
 
kellybee said:
Basically it's made from cedar extracts and it STINKS!! My horse went from scratching like a creature posessed to a docile, itch free dobbin after I used it last yr. The problem is, because it smells so bad it isn't easy to get them to eat it. It works by making the horse smell unpalatable to the midges from the inside out. Alfie will eat it if I melt extra strong mints into his feeds, but otherwise he won't even sniff the bucket.

I do use a SI hoodie as well, and on damp days I wipe diluted superskratch onto his rugs and fly mask. Definitely works, I swear by it.

http://www.globalherbs.co.uk/equine/skratch.html
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which one do you get? i already have paddy on some thing that i got from HOYS would they have a fight internally?
 
SI hoody for my boy which really helped him to keep his mane and tail last year although we lost almost all of his forlock so this year we have a face mask too which I hope will help ease that little problem. I also use a supplement called Hippo Eczema which really helps him and gives a vast improvement to his flaky itchy skin
 
We had a pony years ago and benzyl benzoate was the only thing that worked , you need to start it early before any signs show. You used to be able to buy it from the chemists but I know mine doesn't have it anymore , I know you can get it off eBay
 
Urgh...Sweet Itch:(

This will be year 14 for me.:eek::cool:

Jack will be moving into his summer section of my fiend very shortly. It is basicaly the top section of my field which is very exposed and is completely sectioned off with electric fencing. He'll be wearing his Rambo Sweet Itch hoody which has been the best so far. I use Coopers Fly Repellent Plus, the rain sheet attachment for the rug and suncream and/or noseshield when necessary as he has no shelter.

Summer is a love/hate thing for me. I absolutely dread it for my horse :o
 
We have a Shetland that gets it. Trying BioEos tablets this year. Get them through the Sweetitch society. Very expensive,but pony has no regard for electric fencing, so I am working on them being cheaper than a new boett blanket each year! Really hoping this could be her 'miracle' cure!!
 
Emmahi I will be very interested to hear the outcome of the use of the BioEos tablets and whether they work or not - I am thinking of trying those myself next year
 
i just hope this year will be ok, i am a little nervous TBH last year was such a nightmare paddy rubbed both sides of his neck and destroyed his belly :(:( i was not able to look after him as i was in hospital having an op by the time i was well enough to come and look after him he was in a right state :( yard was meant to be watching him least this year i can try and stay out of hospital :D:D
Rode this morning which meant taking rug off, any one remember krypton factor :rolleyes::rolleyes: then had to put it on :eek: might never ride again lol!! before putting it on sprayed him in vinegar and baby oil finger and toes now crossed :o
 
This will be our third year on the BioEos capsules. I think they are helping our two, and that they were better last year than the year before. We still have to take care with rugs etc. but both ponies do seem to have improved.
I may try feeding Scratch this year. I have fed Brewers yeast in the past but didn't see a difference.
 
After a horrible time last year with sweet itch, I started fly spraying, fly sheeting, and feeding supplements at the start of March!!

One of the one fly repellents that I find actually does work is Avon skin so soft dry oil body spray...amazing stuff! :D and only £2.50 a bottle at the moment, reduced from £5!! I just over my mare in the avon, and then she has a standard fly sheet on 24/7 (i realise proper sweet itch rugs are for more effective, however she would mutilate the whole thing within 3 days..don't ask me how! :P and I can't afford to keep replacing them )

I also feed global herbs skratch plus, although it's taken me atleast a year to get her to be able to eat it, but apple chaff and peppermint cordial has worked! :) Also feed her brewers yeast every day, and have done so already for about 2 months.

If she does get itchy then I use an itch salve on her tail area, calamine lotion on her mane and vaseline on her face area. Also the naf off deet fly repellent cream in her ears. I have a bottle of coopers fly repellent plus sitting around too, but didn't find it as effective as avon!
 
I've got the Rambo sweet itch rugs for both my ponies that suffer from it, is first time on for one of them though so will see how it goes with him but it has been fantastic on my shettie for the past couple of years so I'm very positive. He is also on the global herbs skratch plus supplement, he has been on it for a good few months now although he still most definitely detests the taste, bless him! Will be trying the naf deet cream on them both too and have stocked up on sudocream and avon skin so soft, I do a mass order when its on sale! :rolleyes: :D
Will be watching this thread with interest to see if there's any other handy tips I can try out.
 
Just curious about the avon stuff - I think I read last year (possibly later on) that they had changed the ingredients a bit, and therefore wasn't actually effective on horses and midges?

Tis why I didn't bother buying any!
 
Then surely you want to limit boosting of the immune system as that would make things worse? I remember the intense and severe treatment of my very sore pony last year was a huge knock to his immune system
 
Nope - build up and support the immune system so that it copes with the "allergy". I always start building up my SI pony months in advance. It is the only way that he has not ended up raw with SI. He doesn't need rugs as much either.

Its the same principle of treating hay fever etc... e.g., honey with a high content of pollen boosts the immune system to deal with the allergy.
 
Interesting thank you. I was looking at aloe vera and garlic as supplements and had disregarded them because of the immune boosting properties
 
WelshD said:
Interesting thank you. I was looking at aloe vera and garlic as supplements and had disregarded them because of the immune boosting properties
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NOOOOOO!!!! No garlic!!! It is well known as a gut irritant. It doesn't help SI sufferers, whatever the feed companies tell you. Even if you were to enough of it that you could smell it through the pores (i.e. theoretically be "effective") it would be counter productive. It is also known to cause Heinz anaemia in horses. And yes I know all about it being fed for years etc etc etc. Been there, done that. Had my eyes opened by horses that have crossed my paths over the years.

Find a good all round natural immune booster. Make sure that their GI tract is in the best possible order for optimal absorption. (Aloe is good for that) It might be an idea to start with a detox - There is a company that do a great range - off the top of my head I can't remember what the heck they are called - got it in the kitchen. ??? Associates. They do a great Capers detox supplement that supports and tones the liver and kidney function.

If I remember Ill post the name - if not - give me a dig in the ribs bout it.
 
Thank you. Much appreciated.
This pony was red raw when I bought him last summer. He is now looking great and I am keen for him not to start the cycle of itching and scratching this year
 
Hey crazy you ok?
tell me is it your black beastie or one of your other ones that suffer??

i hate sweet itch also hoping not to go down the road of last year poor paddy :(
have they changed the ingrediants to skin so soft?? i have brought it before but think i got the wrong one :confused: i am at the moment putting baby oil and vinegar mix on? was thinking of adding a drop of dettol what do you think?
 
Well mine have already been treated with Switch and the benzyl benzoate is sitting ready mixed with citronella, t tree and lavender in it to be popped on when it warms up, too cold for midges here at present.
 
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