Summer eczema plagues many horses during the warm season. We take a look at the possible causes, what you can do against sweet itch and how you can support your horse through feeding.
❓What is the cause of sweet itch?
The main cause of sweet itch is an allergy of the affected horse to the bites of blood-sucking insects. These include, for example, black flies and midges/bearded midges. The latter are very small midges that are mainly found in rural areas where there is a lot of grazing livestock. Sensitive horses react to the proteins in the mosquitoes’ saliva with severe itching.
Some breeds are more susceptible to the disease than others. Imported horses also often develop sweet itch. This is usually because their immune system had no contact with the specific saliva proteins of the mosquitoes in situ when they were foals.
🤔 Sweet Itch – what to do?
First and foremost, affected horses should be protected from bites with special eczema blankets. It may also make sense to adjust the grazing and only let susceptible horses out to pasture at the time of day when the midges are least active. This can vary depending on the region, so that in some places grazing during the day and in others at night is better.
🌾 How can feeding help?
Horses that are prone to sweet itch should be fed a grain-free diet that is low in sugar and starch. The AlpenGrün range from Agrobs is ideal for this: AlpenGrün Müsli, AlpenGrün Mash or AlpenGrün Pellet.
These horses also benefit from more zinc and omega-3 fatty acids. For example, around 200g of concentrated feed could be replaced with 50ml of Omega3 Pure from Agrobs. This improves the supply of omega-3 fatty acids.
Seniormineral is suitable as a mineral feed as it has a higher zinc content. Gipfelstürmer Mineral from Agrobs can also be an interesting alternative for sport horses. An additional 600g tin of Zink-Pur for the skin, coat and immune system can help susceptible horses as a cure three times a year.
It is also important to avoid overweight. This is because fat deposits can promote inflammatory processes. A protein-reduced diet can also help to alleviate the symptoms.
Further information on sweet itch is available in the Agrobs Knowledge Base.