Further funding is needed for research to help horses and ponies with sweet itch.
For the past four years, the Exmoor Pony Society has been collecting blood and hair samples for a joint project with the Animal Health Trust to carry out research into a possible genetic predisposition to the condition.
But due to a lack of funding, the project has been passed to researchers in Sweden. They have been granted €200,000 to start work in the autumn, but €25,000 is still needed.
The Exmoor Pony Society has donated £5,000 from its Scientific Research Fund.
The research should benefit all breeds and if anyone would like to contribute, email: coedywern@tiscali.co.uk.
This news story was first published in the current issue of H&H (12 July 2012)
