sweetitch

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pegasus1986

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Has anyones horses or ponies that had sweetitch this summer stopped scratching yet and do there manes usually grow back over the winter?. Mine hasnt stopped scratching yet and she looks awful with no mane its the first year shes got it.
 
I bought a horse a few weeks ago who I know suffers with it and her mane is very short as a result but she's stopped itching about 3 weeks ago. I did put some stuff on her though which was recommended by our local equestrian shop who said the local riding school swear by it. Can't remember the name of it but will try to remember to look tomorrow when in the tack room if you are interested?
 
Mine's got MUCH worse over the past fortnight. Before that, he had a full mane and tail, now we're down to half of each.
Had the vet out on Saturday, and he's had a steroid injection: he's far more settled today. I also have iodine wash to use for the next few days, and have had skin scrapings taken just in case we have another problem on top...doubt it to be honest, as I'm in far West Cornwall, and it's still so mild (12 deg at night) there are still midges about :/

thehorsephotographer, I'd like to know what that product is please.

ETA pegasus 1986...how old is your mare? My gelding had it very mildly and only on his face last year. At the time he was undergoing BCG injections for a periocular sarcoid, so we thought it was a skin reaction to that, being in roughly the same area. I've had no previous experience of a horse with sweet itch, but have been told it seems to start at maturity: he was 6 this year.
 
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mine still itching I have seen midges still in the daytime an he started with it at 14yrs i know hes never had it before as ive had him since a foal
 
bumper said:
Mine's got MUCH worse over the past fortnight. Before that, he had a full mane and tail, now we're down to half of each.
Had the vet out on Saturday, and he's had a steroid injection: he's far more settled today.
Click to expand...

^ This

I took pony to vet on Friday and got him to give him a steroid injection just to try to break the cycle of itching.

Pony looks like he has a case of mange at the moment as he is rubbing himself bald all over his neck / hips etc. I managed it really well over the 'sweet itch season' but last 3 / 4 weeks it's uncontrollable :(

Vet recommended a mix of 500ml oil with 1 tsp of citronella oil. Horse will look like you tipped a chip pan of fat on them but apparently midges leave well alone and affects can last a couple of weeks.
 
the midges can be around all year.after a few frosts you think the beggers have gone but then we have a mild day and they are back in the evening under the trees.
my mare is not itching but has a light rug with a neck.
 
The grass is still quite rich, which means that any susceptible horses will be still taking in a lot of sugar. My mare is being muzzled again for this mild spell we're having, as she's rubbing again. I also also have her in a 1200D lightweight. Not for warmth, but as armour for when she has a determined rub against the gate!

Remember, sweet itch starts in the gut. The reaction to midges is just a symptom.
 
This is going to sound really silly, but I work with a Shire horse who suffers dreadfully with sweetitch. And we put a large spoonful of marmite in his evening feed. It doesn't get rid of the itch completely but does make him less tasty to the midges and he still has some mane and tail left whereas by now he's usually bald.
 
Mines grown half her mane back in past month and bum is no longer scabby.

They have moved to clay fields with a lake and hundreds of midgies (which I was dreading from sand fields). For the first time I'm not having to medicate her. Don't know whether it's the mud or a different kind of mozzie or what.
 
Maybe worth getting yours allergy tested OP. I had a horse who I thought had sweet itch for ages, he would be very itchy in the summer and would rub out the lower half of his mane which then grew back over the winter. I had him allergy tested and turns out he was allergic not to midge bites (ie. sweet itch) but to most grasses, dust and hay mould! It was these things which were causing his itchiness. Not much I could do about it but at least I knew and gave up with the expensive Boett blankets and fly spray etc.!
 
And this is why I'm glad that I had Angel pts Oct as the midges round here have been eating us alive ,so for her it would have been agony. But I admit she wouldn't have anything put on her,which I think goes back to before I bought her. So for those that can put lotions and potions on their horses keep it up,but the winters are a lot milder than they use to be, althought they say it's going to be a very cold winter,may the midges perishes in droves.
 
This is the stuff I referred to in my earlier post: http://www.goldlabeldirect.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=36&products_id=144

As I say apparently the local RS swear by it. I applied it to my mare and haven't seen her itching since - despite seeing midges around. I did a patch test first.

There are no instructions on the bottle, or list of what's in it. You drizzle it along their poll, mane and top of tale plus along their spine. You only need a very small amount to do this with though - 1 capful did all my mare and she's got a neck like a giraffe! Quite strong smelling,
 
SHCC said:
This is going to sound really silly, but I work with a Shire horse who suffers dreadfully with sweetitch. And we put a large spoonful of marmite in his evening feed. It doesn't get rid of the itch completely but does make him less tasty to the midges and he still has some mane and tail left whereas by now he's usually bald.
Click to expand...

No, not silly!!! :) Marmite contains Brewers Yeast, which is a good thing to feed a horse with SI as it improves the skin plus gives it a bit of a "pong" which midges hate. You can either feed it as a Marmite Sandwich OR by supplement. Mine loves his marmite sarnies and will lick his lips for ever afterwards!

There ARE still midges around at the moment which is why everyone's horse's are sweet-itchy still. Its so easy to get complacent at this time of the year, and then you get a day like today where its tiddled down with rain all day but also been fairly mild when the wind drops: perfect recipe for midges!

PS I'm presuming the preparatory brand which earlier posters have referred to is "Killitch" (benzyl benzoate)????
 
Hi, I've used neem oil on my lot, we get really bothered with the midgies but this really works, it keeps the wee critters from biting and helps the itching.
I bought mine from www.pro-equine.com. Really worth a go and its lasted me all year!
 
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