# sweet itch , any advise ?



## lauracrawly (23 February 2011)

Hi , I have not had alot to do with sweet itch really but 2 of my guys suffer from it so any advise ?? one is a 16h2 warmblood and the other a little mule (rug size 4f6) I am looking at the rugs but as the mule lives out i wouldnt want to use one of those mega expensive boet (sp?) rugs , so im looking for bloody good fly rugs (neck bit stays up) , best sprays and if anyone knows about the injections ??? i know in an ideal world they should come in dawn and dusk but the mule isnt a stable lover they have shed loads of trees on the field which provide loads of sun shelter but i cant put a proper field shelter out there as one of the horses (out of 5) wont let any one in it , doesnt use it her self but if one gets cornered in there it doesnt bare thinking about 
so any advise is mega welcome 
Thanks


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## sem9999 (23 February 2011)

Not had any occasion to use it, but have heard that killitch works very well especially if you start applying early in the season.


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## jenni999 (23 February 2011)

Normal fly rugs won't do the trick as you need something with elasticated edges or the little critters still get in there  

You could try Avon Skin So Soft Oil Spray or Marmite - some forum members have had great results with one or the other.


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## Maesfen (23 February 2011)

Start now feeding brewers yeast and feed all year round, it really seems to help and boost their immune system too.  If you search on here, you'll find lots of posts about it.


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## ameeyal (23 February 2011)

It ammused me when you said you havent had much to do with sweet itch, yet 2 of your horses have it? I have a pony that has it {not really baddley} i dont like to rug him, i use neem oil from Karen ruggles on any hot spots on his body, and avon sss dry spray oil {soft and fresh} on his mane and tail as the neem oil is greasy for the mane, it has to be done every day, i dont stable him and we do get loads of midges being surounded by water.


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## lauracrawly (23 February 2011)

Hi, thanks for the tips ,i will get some yeast today . No i havent had a lot to do with sweet itch as i rescued the mule in october when it seemed to be calming down but she was still very scabby on her neck and tail , and the big lad i got in november from a friend who just accepted that he was itchy and lost his mane, maybe i worded it wrong and i should have said i dont know much about PREVENTING sweet itch . looks like i will have to fork out the money and get the proper sweet itch rugs ,i didnt think of the buggers going under the fly rug thanks for bringing that up.i will get some killitch and also some of the avon stuff too. im mega greatfull for the advise 
thanks again


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## Becksway (23 February 2011)

You do need a whole host of things to help prevent it but Marmite was one of the things that had a noticeable difference with my pony. Also antihistamine tablets - but he's only a mini so cost wise this wasnt too whereas i imagine with a bigger horse it might well be.


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## katie_laaa (23 February 2011)

I found the Rambo Sweet Itch hoody to be the best rug, more effective and comfortable than the boett rugs - more affordable too! nettex stop itch was the most effective preventative cream for my mare and sudo-creme works wonders on any rubbed areas!
-x-


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## lauracrawly (23 February 2011)

I have been looking at the rambo sweet itch rug , so i may give it a go (thats the one that goes to the poll with ear holes ?) and with the marmite , how much should i feed? and should i put it in a feed or in a butty? (the horses love bread ). I dont eat the stuff but i will buy some in on the next tesco order. would i feed brewers yeast aswell ? and where would i get that from (i have only seen it in little sachets at the supermarket) 
Thanks again


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## inglisdrever (23 February 2011)

Unfortunately we ride 4 horses that suffer from sweet itch and its not very nice, i hate it 
we have tried many different things and rugs, including boet rugs which is now in bits (we have now but the neck piece on with one of the fly rugs without a neck and it worked quite well), it was on our fell pony and he lives out where his is free to itch as much as he likes but tbh he didnt rub much at all at the beginning of the year. I think that no matter what rug you put on the flies are going to annoy you horses. We use D-itch cream which is really good for keeping the flies away but its very greasy and makes you horses neck tail look messy and takes a lot of washes to get it out for shows. we did make our own fly spray which did consists of vinegar, its cheap and works just as well as the fly sprays in the shop. I was just talking to a lady with a horse with sweet itch and she said she puts some sunflower oil in a little bit of feed and I wouldnt of know her horse had sweet itch when he came last summer if she didnt tell me.


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## BigRed (23 February 2011)

Get a product called Cavalesse and start using now.  Your vet will get it for you.  It is Vit B supplement, it really works.


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## Orangehorse (23 February 2011)

Do you feed bagged chaff?  Head one pony stopped having sweet itch when the chaff was taken out of the diet.


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## cptrayes (23 February 2011)

BigRed said:



			Get a product called Cavalesse and start using now.  Your vet will get it for you.  It is Vit B supplement, it really works.
		
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Which is why brewers yeast and marmite (same thing with water in) work - they are chock full of B vits and a darned sight cheaper than your vet's prescription, I'll bet 

OP  most barefooters who use Brewers yeast feed around 50g of it per horse per day. Cheapest place to get it in that volume is 15p a day with a 25kg sack from Charnwood Milling.


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## Box_Of_Frogs (24 February 2011)

There's a relatively new sweet itch product out called Cavaselle which is mainly water soluble B3. Heavily scientifically tested before release. Not cheap, £90 for approx 3 months. It's being pushed again now. Manufacturers say it stops the action of the histamine producing cells. Anyway, the good news is that my vets have been given 3 x 3months trial packs. 2 are being trialled on the vet's own sweet itch horses and they have given 1 to me for my severely COPD veteran (pretty much out of other options). Mfrs say that stopping the production of histamines will also work with COPD horses. Sunny will start his course in April (ready for the tree pollen in May) and I'll let everyone know how the 3 trials are going so watch this space.


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## lauracrawly (24 February 2011)

Thanks again for the help , both the sweet itchy ones have a hanfull of alfa a twice per day in winter but the mule is not fed in the summer as the grass is lush and the warmblood stays on the alfa a ,but maybe i will cut the alfa a out his diet and just feed the topline cubes with sugarbeet ? now i am trying to decide if i should get the Cavaselle or try the yeast and marmite , my major worry is if i try the yeast and marmite and it doesnt work , im stuffed for the summer as , from what i gather prevention is alot easier than a cure. But on the other hand the Cavaselle is alot of money if it doesnt work , for those who have used the Cavaselle , do you use a sweet itch rug aswell ? my shopping list these horses is getting long and maybe if i can get a normal fly rug that will bring costs down .
thanks again


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## Crazy Friesian (24 February 2011)

I have a native who suffers with SI. In the summer he is rugged - NOT Boet! Those rugs encourage them to sweat and make the problem a whole lot worse IMO. I use RIFF RAFF rugs as they give good coverage. I have to say also that mine is only affected on his topline tho.

Feedwise, I would cut out Alfa / Chaff. There is a "possibility" of this aggravating the problem. Try to keep it simple, high fibre, NO sugar, cereals etc. These can irritate itchy horses. (whilst this may not SOLVE the problem, it will go a long way to cutting out the "irritants" on a system that is going into overrdrive against the mozzies)

Start feeding Echinacea, rosehip and seaweed herbs NOW. This will boost the immune system. I also feed Neem herbs as well as using the oils on his body to deter the mozzies. Do not be tempted to feed Garlic. This can be a gut irritant and have an effect on what is clearly a sensitive system. (can also cause Heinz anaemia in horses) It is all about keeping a balance and encouraging the system to stay in balance.

Keep the affected areas well moisturised otherwise you get into the vicious circle of sore skin being itchy etc. 

I have never used any of the other mentioned products, so cannot comment. This way is fairly cheap and effective, provided you keep on top of a routine of attacking it from all possible angles.


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## debby1 (24 February 2011)

There are other boet imitations, google 'sweet itch rug' and something should come up, keeping them covered up and treating any itchy spots before they get too established should be the best prevention / treatment.

A pony who rubbed himself raw before we were given him, you now wouldn't know he has it.  he had a rug and was also treated with benzyl benzoate, but sometimes horses can be sensitive to it,


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## crazyhorse4727 (24 February 2011)

Hey my beastie had the same problem. His switch itch was so bad he had no mane and would scratch till he bled! So because its caused by an allergic reaction to the salvia from a midge bite, if  you go to somewhere like holland and barretts any buy 2 wee bottles of oil costing about £10 for both and mix with water and use as a spray it should keep from happening! The first is camoille oil which repels midges and the other tee tree oil which soothes the skin even if a bite gets through! Also fly repellant shampoos are good for after exercise!


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## curran (4 March 2011)

Having tried fly rugs and various in-feed supplements with my miniatures I am now, since last Summer, into prevention rather than cure. I used Killitch to start with from about March and it really made a difference - no scabs and virtually no hair loss. I then went onto Sweet Relief spray from the net and it was easier to apply, cheaper and just as good. I've already ordered my stock in for this spring.  You only need it once a day at dusk once you're in control.


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## MiJodsR2BlinkinTite (4 March 2011)

Hmm, I'd say beware of spending a great deal of money on the latest "miracle cure" - I've tried various potions and pots and have used Brewers Yeast and Linseed oil last year (cheaper!). Brewers yeast same stuff as Cavalesse I think? But cheaper!

Clivers (sticky stuff grows in hedgerows) is supposed to be good, but I've personally not tried it. 

I did use the Bio Eos tablets from the national sweet itch centre last year, but as mine was at livery it was difficult to say - this year however he's home here with me at my yard so I shall be able to keep a much better eye on him.

Stabling at dawn and dusk is a good thing; my boy always wants to come in, its like he knows he's out of the way of the midges inside. Also covering him up is important - whichever rug you find best. Mine wears a rambo sweet itch hoody which seems to do the job and keeps him much cooler. He'd need to wear something anyway to keep the sun off him, as he's a piebald with lots of white bits & pink skin, poor lad.

Some people swear by Avon Skin so Soft; others use Pig Oil (I'm using this at the mo; diluting with a splash of Neem Oil and sponging it on his coat, plus brushing through mane and tail). Killitch also good, but expensive. Think there's something called Benzyl Benzoate which is for human scabies (aaargh!) which is same thing but mebbe cheaper?

The trick is not to let the condition develop; you have to have a total management package really rather than just one thing.


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## curran (5 March 2011)

MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:



			Hmm, I'd say beware of spending a great deal of money on the latest "miracle cure" - I've tried various potions and pots and have used Brewers Yeast and Linseed oil last year (cheaper!). Brewers yeast same stuff as Cavalesse I think? But cheaper!

Clivers (sticky stuff grows in hedgerows) is supposed to be good, but I've personally not tried it. 

I did use the Bio Eos tablets from the national sweet itch centre last year, but as mine was at livery it was difficult to say - this year however he's home here with me at my yard so I shall be able to keep a much better eye on him.

Stabling at dawn and dusk is a good thing; my boy always wants to come in, its like he knows he's out of the way of the midges inside. Also covering him up is important - whichever rug you find best. Mine wears a rambo sweet itch hoody which seems to do the job and keeps him much cooler. He'd need to wear something anyway to keep the sun off him, as he's a piebald with lots of white bits & pink skin, poor lad.

Some people swear by Avon Skin so Soft; others use Pig Oil (I'm using this at the mo; diluting with a splash of Neem Oil and sponging it on his coat, plus brushing through mane and tail). Killitch also good, but expensive. Think there's something called Benzyl Benzoate which is for human scabies (aaargh!) which is same thing but mebbe cheaper?

The trick is not to let the condition develop; you have to have a total management package really rather than just one thing.
		
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"Benzyl Benzoate which is for human scabies (aaargh!) which is same thing but mebbe cheaper?"

Killitch contains benzyl benzoate among other things but it is a carefully prescribed percentage.  It must be between 10-25% otherwise is ineffective or potentially harmful. Emulsions like Killitch and Biteback Sweet Relief are specifically for this purpose.

Human scabies is caused by mites, sweet itch by midges - in both cases the reactions  to the bite cause the problems.

I don't agree that you need a full management system either. Once you find something that prevents it - in my case Sweet Relief, that is ALL you need as long as you use it according to instructions and don't stop after a few tries. Same applies to Killitch.


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## horseyG (6 March 2011)

I have tryed a lot of things, nothing has really worked for long... Someone else had told me about sweet relief though and I just bought some on ebay. Not expensive  so worth a try, will let u know


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## scrumpyjackles (6 March 2011)

my pony used to suffer from it - he had a cheap and cheerful fly rug, marmite in his dinner, i bathed his mane and tail as much as poss and used nettex sweet itch salve ! by the 3rd year i had him he grew a full mane and tail and looked awesome ! (when he came to me he used to itch so much he bled ! )


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## biuthaidh (7 March 2011)

My guy used to suffer terribly but i now use benzol bensinate which you get from your local chemist it works well cost about £6.00 a bottle which usually last 2-3 mths and does not come off in the rain you only need to apply it 2 - 3 times a week this used with a fly rug i just use a shires one as he trashes rugs hope this helps


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## Dizzydancer (7 March 2011)

It varies greatly on the horse. My pony developed it at about 8yo we managed by having Naf d-itch powder in his feed from about mid feb through til november time, he has camrosa put on any areas that get rubbed, he does have a fly rug on but as he shreds them just normal ones nothing that expensive. He is brought in during very fly'y periods although we actually think he itches more indoors so this year we are going to try and keep him out all the time and see how he goes. It is a case of trial and error, not hheard much about the injections. He is in a loan home now and last year he was having cavalesse (sp?) but it is very expensive his loaner works in vets so got it cheaper, it did seem to do the trick though.


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## curran (8 March 2011)

biuthaidh said:



			My guy used to suffer terribly but i now use benzol bensinate which you get from your local chemist it works well cost about £6.00 a bottle which usually last 2-3 mths and does not come off in the rain you only need to apply it 2 - 3 times a week this used with a fly rug i just use a shires one as he trashes rugs hope this helps
		
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You can get sweet relief on ebay for about the same price and it comes in a spray so it's much easier to apply. It's def the best I've used for the money.


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## louised1henry (8 March 2011)

My Arab gets sweet itch but not every year. For her I use the eqqus health sweet itch tablets. they are about £5 for about 40 tablets. and you feed one a day. I get them from my local tack shop but you can order them online.they are just in a tiny little orange tube.

I find they work for her brilliantly. Along with coopers fly spray and a normal fly rug. I also fed garlic.


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## pillion (8 March 2011)

I have two out of three with it, and we have grazing near the water works, you should see my flys x

any hows, Brewers yeast, seaweed, fibre diet and avoid Garlic, I use Deosect fly repellant as found the rugs were destroyable and the horses were getting TOO hot


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## Crazy Friesian (8 March 2011)

louised1henry said:



			My Arab gets sweet itch but not every year. For her I use the eqqus health sweet itch tablets. they are about £5 for about 40 tablets. and you feed one a day. I get them from my local tack shop but you can order them online.they are just in a tiny little orange tube.

I find they work for her brilliantly. Along with coopers fly spray and a normal fly rug. I also fed garlic.
		
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Garlic is one notable that should be *avoided* when using homeopathic remedies. (which is what the Equus health tabs are) As should mint at least half an hour either side of administering the dose.

Garlic is also a known gut irritant and can cause Heinz Anaemia. (my old horse gets a mild form if exposed to garlic...) Just one to watch for, esp if you are dealing with an animal with an already compromised immune system...

Injections should be avoided unless ABSOLUTELY necessary as they can cause Laminitis, be it pony or horse... I only considered it one year because Magic had RAGING sweetitch and was living out 24/7 with no chance of being stabled. Also round the same time he got MUD FEVER (go figure!) ALL over from 1 rain storm...

Something VERY amiss with his immune system that year, me thinks!


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## Andalusianlover (8 March 2011)

My Andalusian suffers from sweetitch.  Had him for 5 years now and spent a fortune on average rugs, potions creams and sprays.  Two years ago I bought the Snuggy Hoods Sweetitch rug.  Its very expensive (200 quid) for the whole suit, covers them from nose to tail) but since I purchased it I've not bought a single cream potion or spray and I've worked it out that although 200 quid seems a lot, I've saved myself a fortune.  Have had the rug 2 years and its just about to go back on for the 3rd year.  Can thoroughly recommend getting one.  If you work out how much you would be likely to spend on pills potions and sprays, you will realise an expensive rug works out cheaper.


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## JBW (8 March 2011)

Injections? What type are you thinking of? Steroids will stop the itch but as others have said there is a small risk of causing laminitis, however there is vaccine which was trialled a few years ago and is now openly available. This has proven to be very successful in many cases - if you need more details I can get them for you very easily.

Also, you need to make sure you are feeding correctly so that they can heal the affected skin. Essential fatty acids and vitamins are a must, so if your horses are on limited feed but not being fed a balancer they may be deficient in these areas. Linseed is very good at aiding skin (and digestion) problems.


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## amandap (8 March 2011)

My pony with mild sweet itch was much improved last year. I gave brewers yeast and ground linseed.

Have you seen this trial? http://www.sweetrelief.co.uk/


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## Tiny Fluffy Coblet (9 March 2011)

I would reccomend double dosing with Ivermectin, then repeating in a couple of months. I'll try to find the article but I read a paper on the link between neck threadworm and sweet-itch and the effectiveness of an Ivermectin double dose against them. Considering that the damaging/side effect causing dose of Ivermectin is 8 or so times the threaputic dose a double dose will do no harm and could well help a lot. Might be worth thinking about.


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## Nagling (9 March 2011)

I have a pony with severe sweet itch (no hair from ears to tail when got her) and with a lot of careful mangement you wouldn't know she suffers and she has shown succesfully at county level.  She is rugged up from March time in a rambo sweetitch hoody (really reccomend) with a fly mask and also a snuggy hood under so there is no gap at all (would just go with the hoody and mask if not showing).  
She is fed garlic for the midges and seaweed to improve skin condition (both really cheap).  She is washed frequently in the summer to help prevent her getting itchy.
Tried vaccination as part of trial but it made her worse, I don't know if she was just a one off or not.
Hope this helps
Good Luck!


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## lady lou (14 March 2011)

I too have a mare who suffers, about 3 weeks ago she had rubbed a patch of mane out in the space of a couple of hours. So I started using sweet relief ointment which i used late part of last year and she has not rubbed any more. It s a nice light ointment. I have been putting it on her morning and night, I have also just starting to use the lotion as a  prevention on the rest of her mane and tail. Seeing as it is a lot less expensive than other brands I have seen, I don't see a problem with being pro active. So far so go, well worth a try. I am also using a hood under her rug which has also prevented a lot of itching.


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## curran (14 March 2011)

I think the garlic and linseed is a good idea. I also add brewers yeast to the mix. They are good additives that help keep the skin in good condition whether or not they help with sweet itch. I wouldn't use a hood myself - they cause sweating and that makes the horse even itchier. I agree with you Jazzer - the "Biteback sweet relief" spray is the best I've found for keeping the biting right down.


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## Marilyn (14 March 2011)

There's a new product called z-itch- might that help?


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## teazlecob (15 March 2011)

I read yesterday in the Scotsman that this year's midge invasion is set to be 800 times worse in Scotland than normal following the heavy winter snowfalls.
Apparently the snow has acted like a blanket to the midge lavae and many more have survived than usual. I wonder whether snow falls in other parts of the country will replicate in some measure the Scottish conditions because if they do we could be in for a bad Sweet Itch year, especially if we get a wet Spring.
Are the midges busy yet where you are? Did the snow hang around too?


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## easypeasy (17 March 2011)

my friend uses a new american spray called tri tec 14 that you can get here now - it lasts for two weeks and KILLs any midges that comes into contact with it so the allergic reacton stopps. She sprays the stable to and doesn't use any rugs anymore and the pony has stopped rubing completey! dont know where you get it - google it!


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## daisalph (18 March 2011)

easypeasy said:



			my friend uses a new american spray called tri tec 14 that you can get here now - it lasts for two weeks and KILLs any midges that comes into contact with it so the allergic reacton stopps. She sprays the stable to and doesn't use any rugs anymore and the pony has stopped rubing completey! dont know where you get it - google it!
		
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Tri tec contains permethrins which are in most fly and flea sprays and spot-ons. Trouble is they are extremely toxic to cats and fish so you have to be really careful where and how much you spray. I looked up on Wiki and it says the following

Permethrin is classified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a likely human carcinogen, based on reproducible studies in which mice fed permethrin developed liver and lung tumors.[8] Carcinogenic action in nasal mucosal cells due to inhalation exposure is suspected, due to observed genotoxicity in human tissue samples, and in rat livers the evidence of increased pre-neoplastic lesions raises concern over oral exposure.[9][10]

I don't think I'll be in a hurry to spray it on my horse!


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## KirstieH (21 March 2011)

Hi there. After 11 years experience with  dreaded Sweet Itch - my advice would be to invest in a Snuggy Hood outfit - they are superb and in my opinion the best. Regarding any balms/sprays etc - the Nettex products are good as is the Super Plus Fly Repellant by Barrier Biotech Ltd. However, I do find that different products work better in different locations. Best of luck :-0


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## carapony (21 March 2011)

We had our least itchy summer yet last year - I used Feedmark's Equidermis plus supplement and got the rugs on really early, about February time. The key is to make sure they are covered up before the midges really start so they never get bitten. I use a Rambo hoody and fly mask in the summer and the rest of the year she wears a sweet itch neck piece and belly cover under her turnout rug or stable rug. There is a lady on ebay who makes the neck and belly pieces to order, they are really good value and so useful. Sweet itch is a pain but it is dealwithable


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