Sweet Itch/Midline Dermatitis
Tiny biting insects, called Culicoides-aka biting midges, no-see-ums-cause a lot of misery for many horses and ponies. Icelandic ponies are particularly prone to the problem, but no breed is safe. Symptoms are raw, open, oozing and extremely itchy areas along the undersurface of the belly, and/or excessive mane or tail itching, also sometimes with open, oozing areas. These tormenters are particularly difficult to control since they virtually ignore regular fly/mosquito sprays. However, they are stopped by mechanical barriers and find camphor and phenol particularly offensive. The recipe for a repellent and soothing formula we've found particularly effective is below. It's also effective for other tiny insect pests, like chiggers.
Sweet-Itch Remedy: Mix ¼ teaspoon of the human product Campho-Phenique (available in drug stores) and ¼ teaspoon of Calm Coat www.calmcoat.com, 888-396-0004) into a 13 oz. jar of petroleum jelly (Vaseline or a generic). The petroleum jelly provides a barrier, while the Campho-Phenique is a barrier, repellent, anesthetic/disinfectant. Calm Coat is thick, providing a barrier, soothing essential oils and repellent action. Generously apply to the affected areas two to three times a day or any time the horse becomes itchy.
Food Allergies
The role of food allergies in equine allergic symptoms is poorly understood. Although allergy testing often shows reactions to hays and grains, there are no good studies regarding the responses horses might have to foods.
In people, food allergies can cause immediate, life-threatening anaphylactic reactions with throat swelling, or less severe chronic symptoms which including respiratory problems, watery eyes, skin eruptions and/or itching, or digestive upset, nausea, diarrhea.
It's also known from research with other species that a history of any type of allergy, including inhalant allergies (e.g. to pollens or molds) increases the risk of having food allergies as well.
When a horse with seasonal allergies turns up as positive for a grain or hay type fed year round, odds are this is either a false positive or a sensitivity that has arisen as a result of the primary allergy making him more reactive in general. Either way, the wisest course of action is to avoid any foods that test positive at least when the horse is actively fighting allergy symptoms.
Obviously, if your horse's hay and/or grain haven't changed when summer arrives, these aren't likely to be a major factor, but sensitivity to something in the pasture could be. If you're fairly certain your horse's skin reactions aren't insect-related, try turning him out with a muzzle that prohibits grazing for a few days to see if it makes a difference. This would indicate an allergy to a plant in the field.
