 |
[RC] Itchy horse - Ridecamp GuestPlease Reply to: Nicole z_arabs@xxxxxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
==========================================
This sounds like sweet itch (AKA summer itch). It tends to be
an allergy to the Culicoides fly ("midge" or "no-see-um").
Do a google search on "sweet itch" or "summer itch" or
"Culicoides" and you'll find tons of advice and info.
In the UK it's classified as an unsoundness and needs to be
disclosed prior to sale.
I've got one filly with sweet itch. She started her yearling
year. Neither parent suffers from it, neither do any of my
others (related or not). "Suffering" really describes what she
goes through. But, each year my management of it gets a bit
more advanced and she suffers less.
Every horse apparently responds to different treatments (like
the scratches thread), so I'd recommend talking to your vet
about steriods and doing some research on all the bazillions of
remedies and then just start experimenting and see what works
for your horse. However, the #1 most important thing is to try
to prevent the midges from getting to the horse in the first
place; several companies now make fine-mesh sheets that cover
from head-to-tail and even part of the belly.
Good luck!
~Nicole
============================================================
Why should I look good if I don`t smell good?
~ author unknown
ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/
============================================================
|