Updated 010707

SUMMER EXCEMA - SWEET ITCH

 

Some horses suffer from summer excema/sweet itch - it is not just Icelandic horses that suffer from it.

Below is a short description of what it is as well as some tips and advice.

 

The symptoms are mainly:

Itching in the tail and mane area - the horse frequently rub and scratch these areas.

Kicking and biting of the belly since it is also itching.

The area on the inside of the front legs can aslo be affected.

 

The reasons can be several:

An allergy to the bites of midges (Cullicoides).

Sensitivity to the sun.

 

There are also theories about it being a heriditary problem (the mare or stallion could pass it on to their foal), but I have not read any studies in this area. If this can be so for humans, maybe also for horses?

Other type of allergies could also be part of the picture, for example to substances like: pollen, fungal spores, mites, nettles, proteins in feed etc. (The Swedish Icelandic Horse Association, SIF, and veterinary Kerstin Bergvall are performing allergene tests on Icelandic horses to find out more about this. The price is quite expensive but supposedly covered by the horse's assurance, if fully assured. If you are interested in finding out more please see the magazine "Islandshästen" 6/99).

 

If the excema horse is not given the appropriate care and treatment necessary the excema will most likely become worse by time. The horse will rub more and more and will finally have rubbed off all hair in mane and tail. If this is allowed to continue small sores will occur, and these will become larger and start to bleed.

 

Icelandic horses imported from Iceland seems to be affected a bit more frequently than horses born in other countries.

 

 

Some important items to think about when trying to prevent excema from ever occuring:

 

* Do not use fields and pastures situated close by lakes, ponds and other wet areas. This is where the midges reproduce.

* Use open fields, where the wind can help keep the midges away. Do remember the horses will still need some trees or other shelter from sun and rain.

* Midges do not thrive in areas near the sea or in land more than 800m above the sea level. In other words, these areas are very well suited for pastures for (sweet itch) horses.

 

If you suspect your horse is developing excema - do NOT wait for it to become a fact BEFORE you act!!!

If you care about your horse you must do what you can to decrease its problems!!!

 

 

Summer excema does not have to be a disaster !!!

Today there are several ways to lessen the suffering for the horse. If the horse have midge related excema, there are no longer any reasons what so ever why it should ever rub off all mane and tail and develop big bleeding sores. The rest written on this page is valid for above mantioned type of excema. I have no experience of any of the other causes. I can however recommend you to visit the big web site and database "Itch Base", where you can find more information about all kinds of lotions salves, tips, care advise, read more about results from studies performed etc. The information is in English and German - follow this link.

To best care for an excema horse does require some extra attention and will cost you some "extra" in the form of pyjamas and salves, but it is definitely worth it! Considering excema horses are cheaper to buy and that it really isn't any enormous sums of money involved, most people ought to be able to afford this. Put away a little each month which you can use for new pyjamas etc. next summer (take th opportunity to buy pyjamas when it is on sale and salves in big packs).

To stable the horse after a rainy day ought not to present any problems - many "normal" horses are stabled EVERY night! Why should this be such a big problem to Icelandic horse owners? It ought to be a natural part of horse care to stable the horses those evenings and nights the midges appear in large numbers. Even horses not suffering from excema will suffer on those occasions!

 

 

Boetts pyjamas

 

In our stable there is, and have been, some excema horses. They have all been wearing the Boett® pyjamas (see picture above) all through the summer. The price for a Boett pyjamas is approx. 800 - 1300 SEK depending on model and there is also a hood available that covers most part of the head as well as the ears, that can be useful if yout horse has an itch there too or has midge bites on the ears. More information at Boett's home page.

There is also a similar type of pyjamas made of a thinner fabric that is sold buy Lillhästen i Stav, price approx. 800 SEK. Included in the price is also a hood that covers the area around the eyes and ears. More information at Lillhästen i Stav home page. At their site they also have various ointments etc. that could be of help for sweet itch horses.

Now there is also a pyjamas sold via Hööks of the make Thermo Master. It is made of elastic polyester and cost about 750 SEK. A hood of the same material (net around the eyes and ears) is sold for approx. 200 SEK.

The pyjamas should be worn just about the whole time, except when out riding and when stabled. The fabric dries quickly after any rain shower. If there are a lot of midges, like after a shower, then let your horse spend the evening and night in the stable. The same goes for a horse sweaty after a late evening ride, since sweaty horses attract midges. On a windy day when the midges and mosquitos keep away it can be nice for a sweet itch horse to go without the pyjamas and let the skin "breed" for a bit.

 

Make SURE to wash the pyjamas when it has become dirty and/or when it starts to smell a little musty. Dirt and odour attracts midges and flies! I also use soem fabric softener when I wash the pyjamas - so it will become less static (otherwise there can ba a littel electrostatic discharge when you take the pyjamas off the horse). Mend all small holes and torn areas as soon as they appear - a little hole will quickly become a large one, that is harder to mend. Any hole will aslo give the midges an opening where they can sneak under the pyjamas and irritate the horse.

 

I have been using the PROB oil (can only be purchased from Ekholm Nordic AB, Phone +46 (0)159-70402) and AVS14 (available in most equestrian shops in Sweden) - they both seem to prevent the itching and the excema from getting any worse at least. Helosan salve is also working well to keep the skin soft and will help to heal small sores. This summer we tried the Nylanders Hästkräm for the first time - amazing! After three days the sores have started to heal! After another few days they were completely healed and gone!

I really recommend you to try the Nylanders hästkräm on your excema horse! If it can help the horses in our stable it will hopefully be able to help others as well. The creme is made of natural ingredients such as vinegar, veg. oil, pineoil soap and tar (1kg approx. 300 SEK). It is possible to dilute the creme with a bit of water to make it easier to apply in the bottom of the mane (it is even easier if using a bottle with a spout, like an empty PROB bottle). Test the creme - your horse is worth it. Use a salve like for example Helosan for a few days in between to keep the skin soft. Once in a while it can be good to wash your horse properly to remove all old residues from the ointments you've used. Just make sure to rinse the shampoo off properly.

 

Other items that can be of help for sweet itch horses:

Garlic - is available in powder or micro granulate form in most equestrian shops.

Sea algae (have not tested this myself). Can for example be purchased at Alg-Börje.

The feed supplement "Ökozon" (have not tested this either myself) is available at Manex.

Various herbs should help agains sweet itch - read about the herb mix "Hilton Cooler" from Hilton Herbs.

The homeopathic remedy "Culicoides", containing extract from the culicoides midge, should also work (available in pill format at Signum Salutatis).

Clean clay can be good if smeared on in a thin protective layer over small sores - keeps the flies away so it can heal quicker.

 

Signum Salutatis has also made "The sweet itch horse's wish lits". Here they give more tips on how to manage sweet itch in horses (unfortunately only available in swedish).

 

 

Research on the topic of sweet itch is on-going in several countries, in Sweden for example as a project at SLU.

 

 

Excema horse that have been wearing a pyjamas all summer.

 

 

Some more information about sweet itch can be found at theses sites:

 

Sweetitch.com

Itch Base

 

 

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