Sweetitch post 738 lol

[ibot]

Hey all

So tell me how are we all surviving the season?

I am doing better than we have previously I mean we have survived the horse fly season so we are near the end.
Or are we??
So what are you going to do different next year that you have not done this year? I had a friend that got some sort of hormone injection for her horse every 6 weeks which helped her not itch
I did spend over £100 pounds on a rug which is apparently NOT Paddy proof maybe nothing is lol.

So how are you all doing??
xx

 

[FfionWinnie]

Electric fence so there is nothing to scratch on/rip rug and proper rug = completely normal pony, for us.

 

[ibot]

well you say that but apparently my horse has turned into a break dancer and has started spinning on his bottom to itch, what a muppet I have, perhaps I should have called him muppet lol

 

[FfionWinnie]

I said for us...

He rolled when the midge season was bad however not enough to damage himself and I think when he realised they weren't getting him, he was fine.

 

[_HP_]

My cob has never been better thanks to the Rambo Sweet Itch Hoody, Coopers Fly Repellent Plus and an electric fenced paddock. The Rambo is a fantastic rug...certainly the best I've used and in 15 yrs of owning my severe sufferer, I've pretty much tried them all. He also sits on his bum and swivels, grinds his belly on the ground and does whatever he can do relieve his itch when he's at his worst but this year, with this combo, I've barely seen him bother.

 

[FairyLights]

another vote for Rambo sweetitch combo here too. they are excellent.

 

[Abbeygale]

I got my girly a z-itch sweet itch rug this year - and I have to say, it's fantastic. I had borrowed a Rambo SI hoody, but she's so deep across her face that I couldn't do the top Velcro strap up!!

The z-itch is a boett copy, but for £80 it's fab! Her mane has even been growing back!

Also been switching between using a neem oil spray and a permethrin sprays and *touch wood* all seems grand

 

[ibot]

We have got a mane and tail even with some killer dance moves I did buy a rug from cornerstones which is also a knock off from the Boett rug and seemed very good but all the buckles keep breaking which is really annoying.

It would be amazing to get to autumn and have a mane I can not wait to see paddy with a proper mane, finger will remain crossed until he can go naked again. Maybe we should start a count down lol

 

[stargirl88]

Nightmare this year. New stables have crap airflow so can't be in. Also barbed wire ripped through two rambo hoodies so she's rugless and lathered in anything I could get me hands on.

Love this yard but it's not designed to be sweet-itch friendly

 

[ibot]

Oh god bless you stargirl I feel your pain I was also in a no win situation if I put him in his stable he rubbed if I left him outside he cooked??? was very stressful, Hopefully we nearly there, well my fingers and toes are firmly crossed

 

[mynutmeg]

My girl is doing really well this year - she's never been full sweet itch as we jumped on the itchiness when it first appeared but she's always been a bit itchy despite rugs etc. This year she has a new shires sweet itch combo and she isn't itchy at all!

 

[4x4]

My worst season ever! He can just reach (where I can't) to rub behind his ears on the tree branches like a giraffe, we have electric fence - on 3rd fly rug (should have bought a sweetitch one at the start) he is still desperately sensitive around the bridle area when I take the mask off - tried to long-rein him this morning and all he kept doing was trying to rub his face on his legs and toss his head and swish his tail and fall over himself so not able to ride him at all atm! Nightmare. Tried every supplement/remedy, colloidal silver, Vetro..?, Sudacream - the SI had cleared up a bit but he is still sooo sensitive and we still have loads of flies!

 

[ibot]

Oh 4x4 I am so sorry to hear that you are also going through it with your horse and I also get where you are coming from. Today I spent the day sewing a rug back together that I spent over £105 on thinking stupidly that it would last me a season but no it has broken so many times I am at the stage where I want to either burn it or jump up and down on it!! (yes I know im like a 3 year old lol)
It has also damaged my horses leg and nearly killed him a couple of times so don't buy this make IMO as its pants!!! can you tell I am still mad!!!
My poor boy today had a chunk out of his bum and had a couple of rub marks on his neck so we were doing well and now I think I shall become an alcoholic!!!!!

 

[Sugarplum Furry]

I don't know if this is significant..but...my 21 year old arab has had sweetitch for years. Lotions and potions only gave temporary relief, ditto fly rugs. Consequently he never had much of a mane, poor lad, a scrubby mane and a few wispy strands doth not an arab make, no matter how much he threw his head around in a majestic araby style...

Last year he was diagnosed with a life threatening liver condition (not ragwort I hasten to add!) and ended up on steroids for 9 months. Well riders, not only is he now fit and well and off the steroids but he's got the most magnificent mane EVER. Double sided, wavy, reaches down past the bottom of his neck and whats more he's shown absolutely no sign of sweetitch this year at all.

Could it be an effect of the steroids do you think?

 

[ibot]

you know they do give steroid injection for SI but its meant to have side effects of laminitis. I did look into getting it at my last yard but as Paddy is only just 8 they said he was too young. I know how you feel about the mane gala my horse is a Friesian I would kill for one of those amazing manes, when I left him today he had it the longest I have ever seen it in the 4 years I have owned him!!.
I know that a lady at my last yard had her vet giving her horse hormone injections (I think) every 6 weeks and that seemed to help loads so maybe next year I might research those, I don't know at this stage I guess there is no cure for them .....

 

[lar]

Was doing great until I stupidly pushed my luck and left his boett off on a very still day. Needless to say he came in beside himself with itchiness, rubbed all his mane off and made me feel hugely guilty. Lesson learned and Boett back on. He IS much better than previous years though - largely due to exposed nature of yard I think so there are more days where there is enough wind to keep the mozzies from landing

 

[ibot]

im hoping we are nearly there, are we??

 

[Sugarplum Furry]

Ibot, ah right, I didn't know that vets will give steroids for SI. That will probably explain the sudden appearance of his mane, it's quite incredible the speed it's grown at too, it's about 3 years worth of mane in 9 months. I was really worried about laminitis with the steroids but more concerned that he might die from his mysterious liver damage (vet still doesn't know what it was).

Yep we must be almost out of midge season, although the weather is supposed to be very warm and muggy next week so I expect the little buzzy blighters will be around a bit longer yet.

Edited to add, I feel your pain re. your Fresian's mane, or lack of. I think there's a huge gap in the market for someone to start selling horse wigs....

 

[nicolenlolly]

I bought the Rambo sweet itch hoody rug too which has done wonders for keeping the main part of his body mark free, but I am finding it worse each year I'm at the point that I just want rid of him now as I just can't cope!
He still rubs his bum so he gets a bog brush tail through the rug, his face and ears he rubs raw and his sheath is shredded!
I have him in during the day as all the others are and I couldn't leave him out on his own, it has been so hot he has had to be rug free in the stable so he has started really rubbing.
Hubby clipped him out last week which seems to have helped slightly but he is ruined at the age of 7
I can't ride him cos he just bronks to get me off so he can itch. He got cast in his stable and is still lame as a result and I am sure he was probably itching at the time...don't know what else to do?!
I love him but, he is an expensive pet and I wanted a horse to ride!

 

[4x4]

Oh nicolelenlolly, I am almost at that stage, mine is 6 and very big, he can be quite dangerous if he is itchy as he can pin you up against the stable to try and itch himself. I have been giving him Piriton, it's helped a bit, but where the skin has come off at his poll and round the bottom of the face mask (where the noseband goes)
is very sore and then the bridle rubs so he shakes his head. The other day I was considering cutting my losses and having him put down!

 

[ibot]

Oh nicolenlolly firstly let me give you a big cyber hug I really do understand I think after reading about you maybe paddy is not doing so bad. I also had to make the decision what to do to this year with regard to the heat if I left him out it would boil him and if I left him in he would itch, either way it was a no win situation!!
Last year I had to have an operation to have my appendix out so by the time I got out of hospital he had two great massive bloody holes in his neck his sheath was nasty and he also had a massive wound on his belly I was devastated as I thought the yard were meant to be looking after him. But they just chucked him in a field and did not look at him!! so when I got him back there was a vet at the yard who basically said it was too late and he was already in the cycle which was horrible.
This year I spent a lot on a rug I brought pig oil for his sheaf and I am feeding some stuff that I got from HOYS last year not to mention all the potions I have for him. He has not had a great year but its our best one together we have only been on one hack where we had to turn around as he was being eaten alive.
I hate it I will never buy a sweet itch horse EVER EVER again its the only time I cry at the yard is when he has destroyed himself. Two years ago he had no top of the tail it was blistery red and raw not good.

Gala I agree I would give my horse anything if It made him better I was just talking about giving him steroids just for the SI,
Nicolenlolly try the oil on the sheath it does work that's one of the things I have learnt this year.

 

[Gloi]

If you really MUST keep him in, which does make it impossible to stop rubbing, can you put a fan in your stable to keep the midges from coming in. I'd be trying to find somewhere where he can stay out in the electric fence.
I'm afraid I'd never consider it to be too hot for a rug, it's the lesser of two evils. Has he got a hood to go with the Rambo rug? They are good for toughness but not for head coverage. What do you use to keep the bits that aren't covered from being bitten? I swear by the Nettex itch stop complete but any of the greasy creams which contain benzyl benzoate are okay if you keep topped up allthe time.
If he plays up when you take the rug off to ride there are rug s that he could wear when he is ridden. The Boett type are fine to ride in if you take off he belly piece while you are riding.
We have two on the Bioeos capsules and I'm getting convinced they are our two have been on them for 3 years and have seemed a bit better each year though we still have to be careful with them.
It is a pain to deal with, but it can be dealt with, we've had SI ones for 20 years and if they were right in other ways I'd not worry about getting another. You just have to work out the best way to do it for your horse.

 

[_HP_]

I bought the Rambo sweet itch hoody rug too which has done wonders for keeping the main part of his body mark free, but I am finding it worse each year I'm at the point that I just want rid of him now as I just can't cope!
He still rubs his bum so he gets a bog brush tail through the rug, his face and ears he rubs raw and his sheath is shredded!
I have him in during the day as all the others are and I couldn't leave him out on his own, it has been so hot he has had to be rug free in the stable so he has started really rubbing.
Hubby clipped him out last week which seems to have helped slightly but he is ruined at the age of 7
I can't ride him cos he just bronks to get me off so he can itch. He got cast in his stable and is still lame as a result and I am sure he was probably itching at the time...don't know what else to do?!
I love him but, he is an expensive pet and I wanted a horse to ride!

You need to keep his rug on at all costs if he is this bad. He will be ok in his rug in the hottest of weather's...better a bit sweaty than itchy.
The trouble with clipping is that he will have NO protection whatsoever when you remove his rug...it will make the sweet itch worse because the midges have direct access to his skin.
You can buy sweet itch rugs that can be worn while riding to help with that...
This sort of thing:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GEE-TAC-H...t=UK_Horse_Wear_Equipment&hash=item563c9b3604

Have you followed all the general rules of keeping a sweet itch horse as stated above...ie electric fencing etc.
My horse will still rub if he can BUT he can't, and he has a full mane and tail and is rideable and I have been in your position with him whereby I felt my next option was going to be pts for his own sake.

Good luck...don't give up....it can be done. Once you get it right it's not that difficult to manage a sweet ich horse.

 

[Echo Bravo]

I had my mare put down last October after 11 years of SI, it does get worse over time, but I use to stable her between 3pm-10am and she had 2 Boett rugs plus the masks, did try a Rambo one but she got very hot in that and it had no face covering she also didn't help as you couldn't put any lotions on her and it took 2 vets to give her an injection.

 

[4x4]

Bit of a break through today, maybe the flies are a bit less as it is cooler, I have actually managed to long-rein without too much throwing himself about!

 

[NellRosk]

It has also damaged my horses leg and nearly killed him a couple of times so don't buy this make IMO as its pants!!! can you tell I am still mad!!!

Ibot, what make of rug are you on about? Because my mare almost broke her leg in her Boett, had to be removed from it by a kind stranger when she ripped a bit then got all tangled up! Nightmare!!!

 

[ibot]

It is horrible and I know it has been stated so much there are no magic cures(well not yet!!) I was tempted to sneak into a cow field today to steal one of there snazzy necklaces for Paddy but then we are near the end so not long now I hope. Although the flies are pretty bad today I might get the vinegar out as I don't think flies like that but could be wrong.

I do sympathise with my horse there is no better feeling in the world than when you get bitten and then to scratch it I mean it is a wonderful feeling!!

 

[ibot]

Ibot, what make of rug are you on about? Because my mare almost broke her leg in her Boett, had to be removed from it by a kind stranger when she ripped a bit then got all tangled up! Nightmare!!!

I got one from cornerstones on ebay which is like a shop on there but im so not impressed. Have you had to do loads of sewing also?

 

[RLS]

I've been feeding brewers yeast to my two this year - and both much less itchy and lovely shiny coats. Admittedly, they were not the most dreadful sweet itchers, but gelding had rubbed off his mane in one previous year.

 

[NellRosk]

I got one from cornerstones on ebay which is like a shop on there but im so not impressed. Have you had to do loads of sewing also?

Ahh right. Yes, literally most nights I'm there stitching away!! So fed up now, kind of excited for winter.....