whats the youngest age a horse can get sweet itch?

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SKY

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I have had a horse with sweet itch before but I have seen a stunning yearling I am interested in buying. But he is so itchy mane and tail. Seen him a few times but tonight was first time noticed him itching. Could be lice, but I really dont want to chance with sweet itch again unless I have to. I would prefer not. But is there a blood test go confirm it.
 
Mine had quite bad SI but didn't start till age 3 don't think they tend to get it that young. But if it's specifically mane and tail...
 
Ive got an andalusian mare that ive had since she was 5 months old, she came over from spain as a 7month old, ariving in the december, she started getting itchy the first spring, and has remained itchy the last 7 years. Im not sure its actually sweet itch as she reacts to all fly bites but i treat it like it is with her wearing a rambo hoody at all times. Not sure if there is a test but if you dont want a potential sweet itch horse again then perhaps you will have to walk away. What about asking the seller to treat for lice and view again in a weeks time should have killed lice if that is problem, its hard as SI can be managed if you are willing to work at it, my mare doesnt have any probs so long as she wears her rug but understand if you wouldnt want the extra work
 
I had a 5 month old mini Shetland get it vary badly - he was red raw along his entire length of his body - tips of his ears to the top of his tail, and nothing soothed his skin. We had to move him to different grazing which helped a tiny bit, but he never really got a reprieve from the agony and in the end he was PTS due to it :-(
 
Thanks everyone. It is a Awful condition for them and owner. Think I will ask owner to try lice pour on. Will give it a few weeks. He really is class. Is there a age that they won't get it. As it seems to be when there young they get it. Like after7-8 ect. I never hear of an old horse getting it.
 
It usually manifests itself by three if they are going to get it, but depends on how much exposure to the midges they've had. Anything imported is more likely to show allergic reactions to bites, but again, if they've got past the 3 years in the country then they will likely be OK.
 
Sweet itch shows up when they're young usually in the second or third year. The horse then has it for life. You sometimes find people who say their 10yr old, for example, has developed sweet itch. No it hasn't. Either it aready had mild sweet itch and a change of management or environment means its no longer under control, or there's something else wrong with the horse. Sweet itch is an allergy to midges bites but some people will use the term mistakenly to describe any itchy horse.
 
On a slightly more positive note, I have a mare who was diagnosed with sweet itch up as a youngster and had problems with it up until she was 3, although it was always manageable. It then apparently disappeared and we had no problems with it for the next 11 years. For the first time this year, it's reappeared but with a decent bug rug and liberal use of killitch she's doing fine. Whether I'd buy another with it or not would depend on how severe/how controllable it was.
 
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