Horse Owners!
- Thread starter Gustav
- Start date
Sweet itch is like a summer eczema/dermitis (sp?) brought on by an allergic reaction to fly, gnat and mosquito bites, it drives the poor things mad especially around the mane and tail area and they end up scratching it all out and then they bleed and it's horrid!! 
And I feel for her as the itching must be driving her mad!! Poor Lala!
And I feel for her as the itching must be driving her mad!! Poor Lala!
When I was in the UK you could get 101 herbal remedies for sweet itch so I guess I was lazy and just bought them rather than making them, but here you can't even buy Garlic Powder for horses and there is only 1 type of hard feed for them!! I am used to being spoilt for choice! I will make up some fly repellant and see if that helps but normally it doesn't make any difference! I feel a bit useless!
I feel a bit useless!What if you mixed mineral oil with essential oil of lemon balm, citronella,... and other insect repellents and rubbed that in? That would probably relieve the itching and keep SOME of the bugs away. You can find good essential oils for insect repellents online - I don't have that book with recipes anymore but it's a ratio of 1 drop of essential oil to 1Tbsp of base oil (vegetable, mineral...) or somethign like that. You should look into it
I'm going to sleep. Good night!
I'm going to sleep. Good night!
I just checked with my daughter who raises and trains American Sport Horses. She says that sweet itch is similar to what she calls summer itch, they roll in a weed or something that irritates the skin. Or it could be caused by a fungal invasion of the hide. Whenever she sees anything that looks like sweet itch she goes to her local elevator or a tractor supply and buys an iodine based shampoo called "Viodine" it costs around $11 a bottle and is super concentrated. She says to wet the hide or area that is itching and apply a small amount of the shampoo on your hand and rub it onto the spot, lather it up vigorously and leave it set on the horse for about five minutes and hose it off. She also suggests that you wash all halters, cotton lead ropes and saddle pads in a weak bleach solution just in case it is fungal.
Hope you have success. Good Luck
Hope you have success. Good Luck
Thanks for your reply, but it's not fungal. It's a definate allergy to fly/mosquito bites. I know it's not fungal because I have 3 horses in the same field and i would have thought that if it was Fungal they would all have it?!
I really live out in the sticks here in France so I can't get any sort of medical scrubs apart from the Cortisone scrub that they sell at the vets and I don't really want to use that! I will have a look for a recipe for an Aloe Vera cream I think, I think that should soothe?!
I know it's not fungal because I have 3 horses in the same field and i would have thought that if it was Fungal they would all have it?! I really live out in the sticks here in France so I can't get any sort of medical scrubs apart from the Cortisone scrub that they sell at the vets and I don't really want to use that! I will have a look for a recipe for an Aloe Vera cream I think, I think that should soothe?!
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Baby oil but don't wash off unless you plan to ride and it is under your saddle. Also vaseline helps with the dry skin part, try a fly sheet for when the mosquitos are at there worst. This is common with thin skinned horses and happens every summer. A good quality fly spray may help as well. Keep horses inside during day when bugs are the worst.