[MaddyHorse4]

Maddy, the pony i lease rubs in her tail. This occurs mostly in the pasture. I have concluded she has sweet itch. She is a pony, is allergic to gnats, rubs her tail and the bone is raw. Do you think i should wrap her with like a bandage? I think something like this might work. Please comment! Neoprene Tail Wrap - Horse.com

[Heavenly Jumper]

That kind of wrap isn't meant to be left on for very long...maybe over night or for a trailer ride.

Is she turned out or stalled?

If you know she has sweet itch, what kinds of remedies are you trying for it? Once the sweet itch is cured...she'll stop rubbing.

[MaddyHorse4]

well see thats the problem, i dont know what to do for sweet itch! Well she goes out for like 12 hrs over night and is stalled during the day.

[Silverleprichua]

I wouldn't do a wrap. If it got caught in something, twisted, etc it could cut off the circulation to the tail

[Heavenly Jumper]

Originally Posted by MaddyHorse4

well see thats the problem, i dont know what to do for sweet itch! Well she goes out for like 12 hrs over night and is stalled during the day.

there are many remedies for sweet itch.


Sweet Itch in the Horse.


Firstly to avoid confusion, other names for this condition are as follows,

• Queensland Itch
• Summer Itch
• Summer Eczema
• Allergic dermatitis

What is sweet itch ?

This is an intense skin irritation affecting principally the mane and tail regions of the horse. It is caused by a hypersensitivity reaction to the bite of the Culicoides midge. These midges are usually active in the summer months but may be active year round in tropical regions. The midges are most active in the early morning and late afternoon.
What are the symptoms ?

• Sweet itch is very itchy and the horse rubs and bites itself often to the extent that it may cause bleeding.
• The bites cause a local allergic reaction with the development of papules and pustules. The sores can weep and may even bleed.
• With the continual rubbing the skin can become thickened and often there is substantial hair loss in the most affected areas. In fact often a horse may loose most of its mane or tail if left untreated.
• Most affected areas are the tail and mane but places that are also affected include ears, poll, face, chest and ventral abdomen.

Seldom the condition affects horses younger than two years as its basis is in allergic disease so the horse must first become sensitized to the midge bite.
How does the midge bite have such a profound effect ?

The saliva of the midge is the principle allergic agent. Some horses may have a genetic predisposition to the disease which partly explains the individual nature of the condition. When the horse has become exposed to the saliva it will develop antibodies which precipitate a hypersensitivity reaction when next exposed to the bites. It is very hard to control in that it only takes so few bites to trigger the allergic response. The inflammatory response involves the release of various chemical mediators including histamine which is responsible for the intense itchiness observed in sweet itch cases.
Apart from the Culicoides midge other fly species have been associated with similar hypersensitivity reactions including the stablefly, horsefly and the blackfly.
How can we be sure of the diagnosis ?

The history of seasonal recurrence of the condition in warmer months with it possibly getting worse with each subsequent year would be suggestive.
The appearance of the clinical signs as described above usually follow a classical distribution pattern on the horses body.
Your vet may decide to take a skin biopsy or carry out some intra dermal skin allergy tests to make a definitive diagnosis of sweet itch.
It is important to eliminate the possible differential conditions that may be confused with sweet itch. Some of these would include lice infestation, chorioptic mange, rain scald, ringworm, food hypersensitivity and onchocercal dermatitis.
How do we treat or control this condition ?

By knowing the habits of the midges we can try to reduce the horses exposure. Midges breed in areas such as ponds or marsh ground where there is still water. Keep your horses out of these areas and if possible at least a half mile away.
The midges are most active around sunset but also feed at night and at sunrise. Knowing this, affected horses should be stabled at least an hour before sunset until a similar period after sunrise. The stable should have an insect proof screen so as to prevent the midges gaining entry.
If stabling is not an option rugging with a sheet and hood should be considered.
Insect repellents can be applied to the mane and tail region. Benzyl benzoate is one that is commonly used. Preparations with citronella are also effective as a deterrent.
Certain drugs are also used in the systemic treatment of the symptoms of sweet itch. Anti-histamines are used but results are variable. Corticosteroids are very effective at reducing the signs of itch. Oral prednisolone can be effective when given as alternate day therapy. However with all usage of corticosteroids they can inrease the risk of inducing laminitis in the horse.
Can Herbal preparations make any difference ?

In Practice I have certainly helped many cases of sweet itch using herbs. As the bite in itself is very irritant , a certain amount of irritation can still be found in some cases but the intense itchiness that characterises the complaint is significantly reduced. The herbal formula I use is Aniscratch Equine which myself and our herbalist developed over the past five years. The herbal ingredients can be examined by visiting the Aniscratch equine product page.

[Heavenly Jumper]

Here are some other things you can do -

Stopping Sweet Itch
Sweet Itch is a skin disease that has troubled horses and horse owners for ages. Here's how to treat it. By Matthew Mackay-Smith A skin disease caused by allergy to the bites of tiny Culicoides midges, sweet itch has bedeviled horses and confounded horse owners for many years. When we asked EQUUS readers to share their favorite methods for foiling the gnats that cause sweet itch, we received many responses. Here are some of the best suggestions:

• Use fly sheets designed or modified to extend at least halfway down the horse's tail, thereby covering areas that gnats especially like to attack.
• Add cider vinegar the horse's feed.
• Apply small amounts of Avon's Skin So Soft bath oil to the most vulnerable areas.
• Apply menthol products, such as Vick's VapoRub or a cheaper generic version, to susceptible areas.
• Feed the horse about 2 tablespoons of garlic powder two times a day to make his sweat smell garlicky and repel the flies.
• Braid Bounce or another brand of scented dryer sheets into the horse's mane and tail, and rub them over the horse.

Soothing sweet itch sores
A reader also offers this recipe:

Combine the following ingredients and apply the mixture to sweet itch sores twice daily.

• 8 oz. of Gold Bond Medicated Body Lotion (Extra Strength, in green bottle),
• 4 oz. Aveeno Anti-Itch Concentrated Lotion,
• 4 oz. Benadryl Itch-Stopping Gel
• 4 oz. Avon Skin So Soft, (increase up to 8 oz. if the gnats are bad).

[Miss Neigh]

keep her rugged even if it's a very light mesh type on if it's too hot, mosquitoes and other biting insects can cause itch. Add Garlic powder to feed this goes through blood stream and repels insects. You will need to buy some itch shampoo ( local produce, pet store usually an orangy-yellow colour) and wash the affected areas in it, leave in for 10 minutes and then apply small amount diluted to the area and don't wash off.

Has she been wormed recently, maybe it's not itch and she is rubbing because she is wormy?

[MaddyHorse4]

wow! thanks everyone. She is wormed regularly to answer your question.

[HoofPrints11]

awww trying to fix maddys pony rubbing proble, i say you ask erin about it