Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Silverado
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Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby Silverado » Tue Mar 19, 2019 4:08 pm

Well, I ordered my summer supply of supplements and shampoos for my Sweet Itch pony but always wonder if anyone has anything that they feel works fabulous for Sweet Itch.
I get Bye Bye Itch supplement, Fish Oil, Factor, Vit E/C and a generic form of Benadryl (if he needs it, sometimes we can go for weeks with out using it), Neem & Tea Tree Shampoo, Phytobalm if he does get sores. I got him a Turtle Fly sheet with is working well for him, while I like the Amigo Bug Buster, it was just so heavy that I found he was sweating in it quite a bit. Of course, he only goes out the middle of the day. I do have leg "fly" wraps but I am looking for a lighter version. We spray the sides of his stall with an insecticide every week or so. Right now, I have the regular (Walmart) fan on his stall but considering getting a strong fan. I am determined that I will be able to ride him this summer and not have to take time off due to Sweet Itch
Suggestions please!!!

OH, one suggestion someone made last year was to hose him off when I bring him to wash off any saliva left by bugs, that was a FABULOUS suggestion! Thanks to whoever suggested that, quick, easy and made a difference!

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby Chisamba » Tue Mar 19, 2019 4:19 pm

We use the Boett sheet on Gwen's sweet itch mare. It looks like it would be hot but it really works

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby tlkidding » Tue Mar 19, 2019 5:28 pm

Every time you hose him off, I'd do a diluted white vinegar rinse - about 1/2 cup in a small bucket and sponge but don't rinse after.

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby blob » Tue Mar 19, 2019 5:41 pm

my mare doesn't get sweet itch but she gets awful hives in the summer. Not only from bug bites, but also form life. Feeding her spirulina has been the only feed through that has made a big difference.

I am planning on trying the Boett sheet this year per Chisamba's recommendation.

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby Silverado » Tue Mar 19, 2019 5:59 pm

I looked at the Boett sheet and I am considering it. I wonder how durable it is, my pony isn't the worst blanket wearer but he is still really hard on blankets. Chisamba ....Do you think the Boett is pretty durable/

I will try the diluted white vinegar rinse!

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby goldhorse » Wed Mar 20, 2019 2:05 pm

Silverado wrote:
OH, one suggestion someone made last year was to hose him off when I bring him to wash off any saliva left by bugs, that was a FABULOUS suggestion! Thanks to whoever suggested that, quick, easy and made a difference!


That was me. Glad it worked.
Best fly boots are these. I've tried them all!
https://www.sstack.com/horse-blankets-a ... fly-boots/

They stay up and they don't rub. I get about 1 season out a set. They sell out early so order them soon!

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby Silverado » Wed Mar 20, 2019 3:26 pm

Goldhorse. Than you so much for your input last year!!! Great, great information and I believe it really helped. I am going out to measure my pony this morning and order those fly boots today!!

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby tlkidding » Wed Mar 20, 2019 3:27 pm

blob wrote:my mare doesn't get sweet itch but she gets awful hives in the summer. Not only from bug bites, but also form life. Feeding her spirulina has been the only feed through that has made a big difference.


Try the vinegar rinse too - my horse gets contact hives a few times in the summer and the vinegar rinse keeps us from having to use meds. It usually clears them up in a few days, unless it's really wet/muddy and he's continuing to roll in the same place.

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby blob » Thu Mar 21, 2019 1:28 am

tlkidding wrote:
blob wrote:my mare doesn't get sweet itch but she gets awful hives in the summer. Not only from bug bites, but also form life. Feeding her spirulina has been the only feed through that has made a big difference.


Try the vinegar rinse too - my horse gets contact hives a few times in the summer and the vinegar rinse keeps us from having to use meds. It usually clears them up in a few days, unless it's really wet/muddy and he's continuing to roll in the same place.


Oh gosh, yes she gets vinegar rinses, but her hives are far too deep rooted for it to make any real difference. It's not from rolling or from external, it's basically a full body allergic reaction to all things summer sadly

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby Silverado » Thu Mar 21, 2019 1:46 am

I will certainly try the vinegar rinse!!

blob I am so sorry to hear about your mare, I know how frustrating it is trying to figure out what works for your horse.

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby Xanthoria » Tue Mar 26, 2019 12:17 am

My guy gets sweet itch only on his midline. That said, the year before last I did it all - antihistamines, fly spray and fly roll-on at the same time, allergy shots and a veritable catwalk of different fly sheets.

What worked for me (him):

1. Prevention: Start treating BEFORE they have a reaction: got to stay ahead of the itch. I'm starting now this year.
2. Fly sheet that covers the belly! Lots of them. Wear one every day. EVERY day!
3. Clean that sheath: it's an added source of itch
4. Equishield IBH salve. Expensive but it works. It's anti itch, bug repelling, antiseptic AND analgesic. Probably not competition legal?
5. Fly spray - daily, copiously
6. Buy antihistamines on the cheap - cetirizine can be found online inexpensively. 0.2-0.4mg/kg bodyweight, BID

Skipping the allergy shots this year - didn't help. I'd like a Boett rug, or even a Belly Dickey. Hosing off is also good advice.

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby Xanthoria » Tue Mar 26, 2019 12:25 am

Also read this:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs ... /mve.12081

"The efficacy of 23 compounds in repelling Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), particularly Culicoides obsoletus (Meigen) females, was determined by means of a Y‐tube olfactometer. The 10 most effective compounds were further evaluated in landing bioassays. The six most promising compounds (including chemical and plant‐derived repellents) were evaluated at 10% and 25% concentrations in field assays using Centers for Disease Control (CDC) light traps. At least three compounds showed promising results against Culicoides biting midges with the methodologies used. Whereas olfactometer assays indicated DEET at 1 µg/µL to be the most effective repellent, filter paper landing bioassays showed plant‐derived oils to be better. Light traps fitted with polyester mesh impregnated with a mixture of octanoic, decanoic and nonanoic fatty acids at 10% and 25% concentrations collected 2.2 and 3.6 times fewer midges than control traps and were as effective as DEET, which is presently considered the reference standard insect repellent. The best plant‐derived product was lemon eucalyptus oil. Although these have been reported as safe potential repellents, the present results indicate DEET and the mixture of organic fatty acids to be superior and longer lasting."

Here's a lemon eucalyptus spray.

And here's some DEET!

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby Silverado » Tue Mar 26, 2019 1:58 am

Thanks Xanthoria,

I will look into the DEET and the lemon eucalyptus spray. I have been using Ecovet Fly Spray which has work very well for him, I just find that the smell gets to me. I may try the lemon eucalyptus spray and see if it works and save the Ecovet when we go out riding when there is a change he will sweat and attract more midges. Thankfully, Chase hasn't had many bites on his midline and his fly sheet does have a belly band.

I did just find this product and I am very tempted to try it...bio-capsules.

https://www.boettusa.com/bio-capsules

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby Koolkat » Tue Mar 26, 2019 8:26 pm

I used SWAT on the mare's belly and inner leg area. It is extremely effective because it has the added benefit of creating a mechanical barrier and they can't land very well on it. When I occasionally ran out, I would rub with Vaseline and then use fly spray. SWAT was best though. For her, the itchiness manifested in tail and mane rubbing also, which the sheet helped to deflect. AND she would lift her hind leg and gesture to her belly when she needed extra help, lol.

Boett sheets are extremely tough. I don't have horses any more and will sell a used one (16.2 hand mare) for a good price if anyone has a horse it will fit. I'll measure and take a pic. I also have the extra material they include for repairs.

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby Silverado » Tue Mar 26, 2019 8:45 pm

Koolkat. I am very interested in your Boett sheet!!! I will measure my guy and keep my fingers crossed that it will fit!

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby Koolkat » Fri Mar 29, 2019 3:17 am

The sheet is 54' long (base of neck seam to top of tail flap) by 30' deep (middle of back to bottom). It also has a separate belly band. The neck piece is part of main sheet. It also comes w/directions! The tail flap has some small holes in it (probably caught when rubbing), but the material is very densely woven, the holes aren't "spreading". I never saw US sheet that had the quality (it was $270 in 2007). It is in used, functional condition.
Boet reszd.jpg
Boet reszd.jpg (63.2 KiB) Viewed 23545 times

I also have a Saratoga HorseWorks sheet, it also has a neck piece (separate) and attached belly band w/tail flap (49'x30'). The belly band Velcro is funky but functional. Otherwise, It is in good used condition, and is nice enough, but it's not a Boet. It is lighter, though, good for very hot weather.
SarSht resized.jpg
SarSht resized.jpg (60.09 KiB) Viewed 23545 times


Send PM for anyone interested.

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby Silverado » Fri Mar 29, 2019 5:14 am

Koolkat,

I sent a pm

Silverado

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby piedmontfields » Fri Mar 29, 2019 10:16 pm

Also suggest checking in with Demi. She is in Texas and deals with this on one of her mares.

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby Silverado » Sat Mar 30, 2019 9:59 pm

Thanks piedmontfields, I will check in with Demi!

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby Koolkat » Mon Apr 01, 2019 6:59 pm

Silver - Check your PM!

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby demi » Mon Apr 01, 2019 11:09 pm

I have picked up most of my program from this thread last year. Thank you everyone!! Emma’s condition may be more than just the fly allergy, but I’ll get to that...

The first summer I had Emma, 2016, she didn’t have much of a problem with flies allergies although, she came with several bumps under her skin, mostly on the neck, that the vet said were probably calcified fly bites. Her tail also had been very thick and long in pics from when she was 7-8 years old, but when I got her it was not nearly as thick, and it had two different lengths. All this to say, that I suspect she has had the sweet itch off and on.

So the second summer, 2017, she got a LOT of bites on the legs and the vet said to wash her legs daily with betadine. I was able to clear up her legs with washing and limiting turnout to noon till 3pm. I was able to ride her regularly.

The third summer, 2018, she got really bad leg bites, plus bad ear bites. She also rubbed out her mane and tail. She went from normal to an itchy mess in just a few weeks. She was a somewhat fussy horse to ride when I first got her, but last summer I couldn’t ride her at all. She bucked me off right before the itch problem became obvious, and in retrospect, I think the problem was not the riding, but the sweet itch.

This year she is normal so far. The biggest thing I think is to not let it get started in the first place. Others on the thread have said this, and two of my vets said the same thing. Once it starts, it becomes a vicious cycle. I am in Texas and the flies start early here. I started her this year with her ear/flymask and fly boots the first of March. She wears them all the time. The first day that I noticed flies, I started her with her flysheet. The flysheet comes off when I bring her in her stall/small paddock at night. My stalls have a flyspray system.

I think the Ecovet spray is the best, even used sparingly. I use the IBH salve on her midline before she goes out, and her sheet has a belly band. I have a weatherbeeta flysheet and a smart pak flysheet. The weatherbeeta has a lot of nylon lining and it will be too hot in a few more weeks. The Boett sheets look to hot for Texas, but I am going to try a Big Dee sheet that looks very sheer. The best mask has been the Cashel Quiet Ride with ears. It is very light weight and sheer. She was rubbing the heavy duty masks off, but the lightest weight ones dont seem to annoy her.

I think she may have onchocerciasis, but both of my vets were against double dosing her with ivermectin. So I am just single dosing her every two months and have been since last summer. She hasn’t had any mane or tail itching since she cleared up last summer...

Right now she is on all day turnout if it is dry outside. I have her in a 1 acre pasture with only a few trees. The gnats and flies seem much worse in the pastures with lots of trees. I also keep the grass mowed short, as well as picking up the poop every 3-4 days. She can run into her stall from her pasture.

She is one high maintenance mare!!!

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby Tanga » Sun Apr 14, 2019 1:36 am

We don't really have that issue here, but I stumbled on trying neem oil for flies, and have been very impressed with its many uses.

I do not think it's great for flies, but other people used it at the barn, spraying it all over the barn walls and noticed a huge difference.

I mix it with water, pyrethrin, cedar oil and citrus oil for a fly spray, which I think works as well as anything. What I was surprised about was that I saw not ticks after putting it on, and even after putting various Spot On type products on for ticks, I still always found them. Neem oil for ticks has been the best thing I've found.

After reading about its uses and how it works, I also started putting it on itchy spots on one horse in particular. It really seems to have some healing properties as well as repelling bugs.

You can get usually about 70% neem at any hardware store pretty cheaply.

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby Xanthoria » Sun Apr 14, 2019 1:49 am

Per my previous post about lemon eucalyptus being a proven culicoides repellent, I picked some of the one I linked to up and started using it. And yes - it works! Very happy with the results and it’s easy to buy at any drugstore or online.

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby Chisamba » Sun Apr 14, 2019 2:25 am

The problem with lemon eucalyptus oil is it's very intense and triggers dramatic Reactive airway ( asthma) in me.

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby lorilu » Mon May 20, 2019 2:45 am

This FLICKS spray has eucalyptus and lemon grass oil .... has anyone tried it? https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.htm ... xgQAvD_BwE

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby lorilu » Mon May 20, 2019 2:53 am

I recently got a mini mare companion that gets welts from flies. This thread has been helpful. RE Benadryl- equine dosage? (She has a face mask and I am getting a fly sheet with belly band; she is now getting some MSM and an Omega 3 supplement.... and gets a steroid shot once a month - but I'd love to find something OTC that works.....)

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby heddylamar » Mon May 20, 2019 4:10 am

Per the vet, I give 15 pills 2x of benadryl to Anzia which roughly corresponds with this chart. She's around 900# with a tape.
Last edited by heddylamar on Mon May 20, 2019 1:12 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby blob » Mon May 20, 2019 11:41 am

lorilu wrote:I recently got a mini mare companion that gets welts from flies. This thread has been helpful. RE Benadryl- equine dosage? (She has a face mask and I am getting a fly sheet with belly band; she is now getting some MSM and an Omega 3 supplement.... and gets a steroid shot once a month - but I'd love to find something OTC that works.....)


My mare gets welts---big ripping hives across her shoulders. The thing that has helped most in terms of a feed through is spirulina. You can get it through smartpak or you can buy it at a health food store. If you do the latter it will come in a goopy form, which some horses might object to eating and is generally kind of a pain to deal with, but it is cheaper.

Steroids help with my mare too, but for me that's not somethign I want to do long term, too much of a founder risk. So, instead she gets spirulina and is is lotioned and potioned up.

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby demi » Mon May 20, 2019 12:57 pm

lorilu wrote:This FLICKS spray has eucalyptus and lemon grass oil .... has anyone tried it? https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.htm ... xgQAvD_BwE


I wouldn’t try this stuff on my mare. It says to test it first because it may irritate skin, especially light colored horses or those with sensitive skin.

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby demi » Tue May 28, 2019 2:44 am

just an update on Emma's itch. It's getting away from me :o . She had bites on her legs and mane when I brought her in tonight. I've been giving her all day turnout with face/ear mask, Ecovet spray, bellyband flysheet, fly boots, swat on her midline, mowing the pasture every two weeks...
We have had an unusual amount of rain for a year now and this year the bugs are worse than ever. I hate to limit her turnout time but I don't know what else to do. I am going to limit her to 2-3 hours. She has a 24X24 paddock off her stall with a caliche base and she can see the other horses from there. She just hates not going out all day.

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby Xanthoria » Tue May 28, 2019 3:24 am

Really, try Repel or Cutter brand lemon eucalyptus repellent. It’s $5 on Amazon. Not lemon, lemongrass, citronella or eucalyptus. Lemon eucalyptus. It works amazingly for culicoides and mosquitos. My guy is out without a fly sheet on right now!!!

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby Xanthoria » Tue May 28, 2019 3:29 am

Also the cheapest non drowsy antihistamine if your horse is very itchy right now is cetirizine. I posted the dose above. You can get 300 pills for about $22 online.

https://www.healthwarehouse.com/cetiriz ... FPEALw_wcB

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby Chisamba » Tue May 28, 2019 3:36 am

Silverado wrote:I looked at the Boett sheet and I am considering it. I wonder how durable it is, my pony isn't the worst blanket wearer but he is still really hard on blankets. Chisamba ....Do you think the Boett is pretty durable/

I will try the diluted white vinegar rinse!

It is the most durable of any I have tried.

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby demi » Tue May 28, 2019 2:39 pm

Thanks for the info, Xan. Walmart and Target in my town both stock the Cutter brand lemon eucalyptus. I will pick some up today. I will do a test first to see if it irritates her. In one review a lady said she uses it on her face so I am hopeful it wont irritate Princess Emma.

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby Xanthoria » Tue May 28, 2019 2:43 pm

Hope it works for you too! I combine with a fly sheet on buggy days. Smells great!

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby blob » Tue May 28, 2019 5:58 pm

Xanthoria wrote:Also the cheapest non drowsy antihistamine if your horse is very itchy right now is cetirizine. I posted the dose above. You can get 300 pills for about $22 online.

https://www.healthwarehouse.com/cetiriz ... FPEALw_wcB


what dosage do you give a horse?

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby Xanthoria » Tue May 28, 2019 6:16 pm

blob wrote:
Xanthoria wrote:Also the cheapest non drowsy antihistamine if your horse is very itchy right now is cetirizine. I posted the dose above. You can get 300 pills for about $22 online.

https://www.healthwarehouse.com/cetiriz ... FPEALw_wcB


what dosage do you give a horse?


0.2-0.4mg/kg body weight, BID

So for an average 1100 lb/500 kg horse at the lower dose, it's 100mg/dose - 10 pills. They're very edible and small, not bitter.

You can just give it for a few days to stop the itch cycle, so a big bottle will last ages. I actually "baked" some into air dried cookies (heat might destroy the active ingredient) so I could just hand one over in the pasture, as needed.

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby Silverado » Mon Jun 24, 2019 8:30 pm

I am getting ready to order Equiderma Sweet Itch products which contains Neem. I have a neem shampoo and spray now but I think these products look very interesting.

My sweet itch pony is actually looking pretty good this summer and I credit this Board for all their suggestions and helpful tips! Thanks!!

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby goldhorse » Tue Jun 25, 2019 12:13 am

Yes, my sweet itch boy is doing better this year. He is on prednisilone for the rest of his life to help control some gut issues. As a result, he's moving better and I think his reaction to bug bites is less. I only see him 1-2 times a week so I don't know how effective the lemon eucalyptus spray is. But I use it. This year the worst place is between the corner of his lips and where his fly mask ends and also under his jaw. I know wash that area, let it dry, and then coat it with hydrocortisone cream, followed by desitin, followed by Swat. That seems to have broken the itch cycle and allowed the skin to heal.
As an experiment, I bought 2 bat houses and gave them to the barn manager. He's keen on trying them to try to attract more bats to the property for insect control.

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby demi » Fri Mar 12, 2021 7:57 pm

It’s that time agian! I ordered Emma a Boett sheet this year and am hopefully excited. I've already moved her to the pasture that I can keep mowed down to 3-4 inches which helps and I started putting her fly boots on before i turn her out. For two seasons I only turned her out during the least buggy time of day which was only for about 4-5 hours. Last summer I was able to keep her out all day in a SmartPak fly sheet that was supposed to “breath well” but it had nylon lining at the chest, over the back and over the mane on the hood. It caused her to sweat A LOT! The sweat dripped and she found that irritating. the hood was detachable so i took it off but then she rubbed half her mane out.

SO, I hope the Boett sheet will be a big improvement. I have my fingers crossed!

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby blob » Fri Mar 12, 2021 8:38 pm

The boett sheet was such a godsend for me! Hope it is the same for you, Demi. I will start using it this month. It's a bit tircky in the spring when sometimes it's too chilly when raining to leave it on and let it get wet. But usually by the time we hit may here in GA, I can just leave it on 24hrs except when riding.

One thing I learned last summer--if I put it on MM when she was still wet it made the sheet stinky. So, I started waiting for her to mostly dry before putting it back on. I did still wash it occasionally. but it stopped getting smelly.

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby Srhorselady » Fri Mar 12, 2021 11:10 pm

I was just reading the Morris Animal Foundation Annual Report on the research they are funding for horses. There are two research projects that may eventually in the future help horses with allergies. One is that they have identified a product (latex related) in footing that causes allergies and the other, more promising for you two, has to do with insect caused allergies. It will be a while before anything useful comes out of the research, but at least they are researching the problems!

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby piedmontfields » Mon Mar 15, 2021 11:41 pm

Fingers crossed! This is such a challenge for horses and their people. Great suggestions on this thread.

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby Koolkat » Wed Mar 17, 2021 12:13 am

demi wrote:It’s that time agian! I ordered Emma a Boett sheet this year and am hopefully excited. I've already moved her to the pasture that I can keep mowed down to 3-4 inches which helps and I started putting her fly boots on before i turn her out. For two seasons I only turned her out during the least buggy time of day which was only for about 4-5 hours. Last summer I was able to keep her out all day in a SmartPak fly sheet that was supposed to “breath well” but it had nylon lining at the chest, over the back and over the mane on the hood. It caused her to sweat A LOT! The sweat dripped and she found that irritating. the hood was detachable so i took it off but then she rubbed half her mane out.

SO, I hope the Boett sheet will be a big improvement. I have my fingers crossed!


demi - The Boett sheets are incredibly functional in regards to protecting the horse. They are also very durable/tightly woven. It was my experience that they were fairly warm for hot weather (here in Seattle), so be aware. Perhaps in Texas the lack of humidity will be helpful. Regardless, good luck with Emma!

I really came to appreciate how much the itching drove them crazy one summer morning here. We led the horses from the barn to the upper pasture where there morning hay was laid out. (About one month previously, we had planted a couple of cedar trees in the back corner, each about 6 feet tall. One tree had been trashed by the horses (Kat of the sweet itch) and the trunk had been broken down to ~3 feet tall.) When we turned the horses loose, the other 2 dove on the hay. Kat took off at a gallop, past the hay, and up to her scratching post where she began to scratch her belly. She must have been thinking about it all night..........it was kinda funny, and kinda not.

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby blob » Wed Mar 17, 2021 10:18 am

We have very hot humid summers here in GA and I actually found the boett sheet did well with MM heat wise. She did get a bit sweaty on the shoulder, but was always cool to the touch. I think the fact that the sun is kept off also helps. But I imagine in a place with less direct sun this wouldn't matter. In our case though a bit sweaty, she actually stayed cooler under it

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby demi » Wed Mar 17, 2021 11:26 pm

Thanks for the input on the Boett sheet. We have hot, humid summers here in the Austin area although not as humid as Houston. Sometimes the horses sweat in the pasture without sheets. I do have one very shady pasture but that seems to be more buggy so Emma goes in the pasture with only one big tree. She can go into her stall with a fan if she wants, but usually stays out so it will be good to have the sun kept off of her.

Her belly hasn’t been a problem. Her itchiest spots are her mane, ears, legs and the dock of her tail.

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby demi » Fri Mar 26, 2021 6:03 pm

https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/ ... 0856566the
the Boett sheet arrived! It's a good thing there were instructions on how to put it on. I sure hope it works.

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby blob » Fri Mar 26, 2021 8:57 pm

It gets easier to put on once you find a system

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Re: Sweet Itch season is almost here..any suggestions!

Postby Chisamba » Sat Mar 27, 2021 1:16 am

the boett helps mane and tail, but I haven't found anything that helps legs


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