1. Fence off fields with electric fencing- don't use barbed wire under any circumstances.
2. Try not keeping itchy horses in wooded areas, near ponds or boggy marsh wetlands where midges breed. Breezy exposed fields especially by the sea may even stop your horse’s sweet itch if it’s mild enough
3. If choice of turnout fields choose chalk-based grassland will have fewer midges than heavy clay pastures.
4. Fields should be well drained and away from muck heaps, rotting vegetation, rotting leaves and old hay-feeding areas.
5. Put up fly repellent tape which you can hang up in the stable so all the flies get caught in the tape.
6. If horse is stabled at dawn and dusk (recommended) make sure you muck out every day and no rotting hay is left in the stable. Plus don’t discourage cobwebs... spiders are our friends ;)
7. Use a fly repellent all over the stable, for example my instructor uses powered garlic and water on the sweet itch riding school ponies but I hate the smell so I would recommend as a safe repellent for the stable uses this or rubbing elderberry all over the stables which will send the flies running... if flies could run haha
8. I know everyone hates it but muck out the field as regularly as you can... and try to keep your horse with nothing he can scratch off I know it sounds mean but SI (sweet itch) is not an easy disease to deal with!
9. The yard should be swept as often as possible i.e. once or twice a day this helps reduce poo, dusk and dirt which attracts midges.
10. Make sure you worm horses regularly because some studies have shown that SI could be linked with thread worms! Shock I know!
11. Invest in some stable toys because when some horses get into a routine of itching just because they’re bored. A stable toy could be as cheap as an apple in a bucket of water or turnip hung up on a piece of string or you could just buy a commercial one!
12. Rubber tyres could prove could prove useful as “bumper” on concrete blocks or wooden posts and they’re FREE!!
13. Install strong ceiling fans in stables to fly the little buggers out of it!
14. Use insect-proof mesh on the windows and door of stables where possible.
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1 comment:
Sweet itch could affect all horses even performance horses. This allergy compromises a horse’s welfare physically and mentally. It could also a genetic condition if you will do breeding from a horse with sweet itch.
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