Sweet Itch is a serious condition affecting horses and ponies everywhere it is more prevalent in warm regions and during the months of spring, summer and autumn when midges are most active, but Sweet Itch can strike anywhere and anytime.
Once Sweet Itch has taken hold, treating the condition and bringing effective relief is difficult. The more a horse itches, the more it rubs and bites itself, and thus the more it itches. When it comes to Sweet Itch, the best method of defence is prevention, although no measure is entirely fail-safe.
Rugs and masks can help prevent the midges gaining access to bite and supplements can help with the horses reaction to the bite as well as making the horse less attractive to a biting insect. Fly repellents can also help keep the midges away.
