Sweet itch - tips on good products and fly rugs

Hi!

Insects really are a problem in summer. If your horse tends to itch, I understand you are thinking about it already. I can see you have an Icelandic horse. Has a vet investigated whether it has sweet itch, meaning an allergy to midges? That is common in Icelandics in particular.

🪰 Fly repellents can be effective, and sometimes necessary, but use them with real care and restraint. They are often effective precisely because they contain toxic substances, which can be harmful both to us and to other living things in the environment around the horse.

🪰 If you do need some kind of insect repellent, bear this in mind:

🐝 Apply it somewhere well ventilated so you do not breathe it in unnecessarily

🐝 Wear gloves

🐝 Many horses find the spray bottle unpleasant. You can train them out of it, but you can also apply the product with a sponge, which often uses less

🐝 Do not cover the whole body. Treat the most exposed areas instead, especially the spots the horse cannot reach to bite itself, so it does not take the product in unnecessarily

🐝 Protect the eyes, nostrils and mouth. Most insect repellents should not come into contact with the mucous membranes

🐎 Fly rugs usually work well, as long as they fit properly and stay put. The full-coverage rugs, made mainly for Icelandics, tend to be better than the rest once a horse has developed an allergy and sweet itch. Search for "sweet itch rug" and several options will come up.

If the horse is allergic, it is important to protect it from insects as far as you can. Sometimes you need to bring the horses in at the times of day when the insects are at their worst. You have to try things and see what works for your horse, depending on where in the country you are and how you are set up.

Good luck 🐴