Thoughts turning to sweet itch already

cantata007

New Member
Apr 23, 2008
88
0
0
Worcestershire
I am going to be ready for this year and plan to start my attack in february.

What is cosidered the best treatment? I have a cob who gets tremendously itchy everywhere and from any flying bug there is. Given a chance he would rub his mane and tail off, but I managed it previously with a boet rug and piriton, I want try a food supplement this time round.

What were peoples experiences last year with supplements?
 
Last summer we used Dettol on the two sweet itch sufferers at my yard. Diluted and put in a spray bottle, it made a remarkable difference. One is a shetland who suffered horrendously the year before - nothing made a difference and he was covered in big weeping sores but this year he had little more than a few scabby bits.
We also use Piriton (you can get supermarket own brand for cheaper)
 
Vet advised that piriton will have little effect due to body size. I use a rambow hoody when out and a lighter nylon weave cooler type rug indoors. I found that supermarketanti dandruff shampoo with menthol the most effective thing. She is still rubbing if i dont wash her tail once a week, but washing and then combing scurf out every other day with fine comb i found to make biggest difference. I didnt find dettol, or garlic, or piriton, or benzyl benzoate, or skin so soft, or antihistamine cream to make any difference although i do still use the dettol mix as reassurance i tried! I use sudocream on open sores too... But cant recommend the shampoo enough its been brilliant, having the scurf out seems to really help her be more comfy, just wish i could wash forelock as she gets really itchy there
 
Silver was on 4a day 12hh, and 6if she was really bad. She loves having her dock properly scrubbed, even in cold water. She stands perfectly for it when she knows it will help. It was awful at first because i didnt realise she had huge scabs, chunks of er tail came off first time, but after first few it was easy to keep on top of if washed every ther day.:) will try and find tail photos to show difference :)
 
btw, has anyone seen a weatherbeeta fly rug? Its a mesh but dont knowfine it is. Rally struggle with rug fit on madam but the weatherbeeta she has seems to be a good fit... Wuld just be for stabling
 
btw, has anyone seen a weatherbeeta fly rug? Its a mesh but dont knowfine it is. Rally struggle with rug fit on madam but the weatherbeeta she has seems to be a good fit... Wuld just be for stabling

I have the airflow mesh combos (all blue instead of the weird buzz print ones)
Mesh is fine enough not to let bugs bite but horses don't sweat up too much underneath. It does look like a double weave.
Do be careful though as they can move/slip over a little. I also had one of mine (on who the fit apparently wasn't perfect for him) who got very badly rubbed shoulders and hind quarters, all after a couple days of wear in the field !

WB rugs fit my QH like a glove but I found the premier equine sweet itch hoodies fit him very well too. Strange as I thought they'd be too tight around the neck and shoulders like the classic cut horseware rugs, but he spent last summer with the hoody on in the field.
 
What are the premier equine ones like?

I have got a correctly sized Rambo, but I like to have a few for washing purposes and because they get ripped when she is itching. All her rugs apart from this Weatherbeeta stable rug slip back on her so I thought the airflow thing might be worth a try, didnt want to risk ordering one though and the mesh wasnt fine enough - holes have to be 1mm or less to prevent midges getting in :rolleyes:. Her rambo leaves a ring around her neck where its dug in - although they were the wrong size, hence Christmas pressie :D
 
What are the premier equine ones like?

I have got a correctly sized Rambo, but I like to have a few for washing purposes and because they get ripped when she is itching. All her rugs apart from this Weatherbeeta stable rug slip back on her so I thought the airflow thing might be worth a try, didnt want to risk ordering one though and the mesh wasnt fine enough - holes have to be 1mm or less to prevent midges getting in :rolleyes:. Her rambo leaves a ring around her neck where its dug in - although they were the wrong size, hence Christmas pressie :D

Stormin takes a 6'0" WB turnout, 6'0" PE sweet itch hoody.
I did stock up on the NQP (not quite perfect) which they were selling at half price. As for the WB fly sheet, I garantee that the holes are less than 1mm and that the midges can't bite through (Stormin used to get particularly bombarded over his hind quarters :eek:).

The PE rugs are easy to wash and dry in a day so with 2, it's easy to wash and swap over regularly.

Here's a link so you can check the look and specifications (rug in the bottom) :
http://www.horserugsonline.co.uk/flysheets.htm
You might want to keep an eye on the PE web site, not sure when they bring in their spring/summer collection though.
 
hats brill thanks a lot - am deffo going to give them a shot - I got my Xmas pressie Rambow in the cybercheckout sale of them for about £70 and they wash and dry in a day - I managed with two rambos and one indoor nylon weave type one last summer, but am reluctant to put her ones that are too small on if I can avoid it as they really pull her shoulders, Im not sure how the larger one fits, but at least I wont have to patch her bum over :p

Oh I also add extra flaps to all the tail pieces to stop any gaps :p and Ive got the waterproof underlayer for the rambo so she doesnt need a lightweight

Photos as promised... Sorry for quality!
This was her tail in June 09
27052009038.jpg


This is her tail at the end of Novemeber
08122009497.jpg
06122009472.jpg
 
btw, has anyone seen a weatherbeeta fly rug? Its a mesh but dont knowfine it is. Rally struggle with rug fit on madam but the weatherbeeta she has seems to be a good fit... Wuld just be for stabling

I had one for one of my boys who doesn't suffer from sweet itch, but this particular year the flies tormented him and he constantly moved round the field restless.
You be the judge :p
What%20a...013.jpg


I also had a premier equine one but I found it quite stiff and cardboardy. That was a few years ago so maybe they have changed.
 
Last edited:
well my "boet rug" was actually not a boet rug, but a similar thing made by a lady on ebay, I think she is called corner stone brow bands, She makes the rugs to order, based on your horses rug size and also gets you to send a photograph for her to asses the build of the horse as well.

Its fantastic, and has lasted two years, I just had to replace a clip for the leg strap, but the material is so strong and my boy is a real rug thug. best of all, it only cost £80, I shall be getting a new one this year and using the old one for spare.

Also, with piriton, I wouldn't say I notice a massive difference, unless I run out, and then he is super itchy. A vet friend of mine says to give up to 20 tablets a day, so I start of with 4 twice a day in the spring and have been up to 10 twice a day. But my boy is a 600kg cob!

Any reccomendations for a supplement?
 
newrider.com