Treating Summer Skin Problems

Summer may mean more time to spend with your horse, but it’s also the season for sweet itch, mange and ringworm, cautions Kim Dyson.

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Sweet itch is an allergic-type reaction that occurs mainly in summer. The horse itches on its ears, mane, withers and base of its tail, and will rub and bite the affected areas. If you leave the condition untreated, the skin will become thicker, wrinkled and discoloured, with little hair cover.

Sweet itch is usually attributed to the saliva of a biting midge of the Culicoides genus. This is most active in the early morning and late afternoon.

Oils that can help ease the reaction to insects include sandalwood, pennyroyal, catmint, lemongrass, citronella and lavender. Apply a few drops of one or two of these to the horse’s poll and tail area twice a day. Dilute the oils with an appropriate carrier oil.

If the reaction is serious, it is important to prevent further bites. You can do this by burning a little old grass with citronella oil in a drum. Position the drum so that the horse does not inhale the smoke.