01 September 2008 11:47
I have a 15.3hh Shire x gelding who is prone to sweet itch. I cover him in fly repellent and feed him a daily supplement to help deter the midges. I’ve also tried various anti-fly rugs – but he is black and overheats easily. He once scared himself badly by trying to get the rug off when he was too hot. I’ve also tried bringing him in from dawn to dusk, but he just scratches himself to bits in the stable instead! How do I help him?
Answer
By Your Horse
Homoeopathic Therapist Nayana Morag advises:
It is very hard to get over an allergic reaction if the allergen is still present, so I would suggest you give the rugs another try. If this really doesn’t work, then liberal applications of fly repellent should help. This needs to be done two to three times daily, and really soak the skin. Each horse has different body chemistry, so it is worth experimenting to see which will work best for your horse. Alternatively, find someone specialised in essential oil therapy for animals to make a fly spray specifically for your horse.
When he is turned out, it is really important that your Shire has a shady area to help keep him cool, and avoid anything with garlic in it.
The second part of the recovery programme is to deal with the irritation from the inside and outside, building the immune system to help the horse heal and strengthen the skin – again someone trained in essential oil therapy may help (go to www.geota.co.uk for a list of practitioners).
Clay-based products can also be useful – in the wild, horses will roll in the mud and dust to protect them from biting insects.
It usually takes a year’s cycle to be free of sweet itch – but if you start now you could hope to be free of it for next year.