Do you know why your horse is itching?

It is of upmost importance to know WHEN your horse is itching? Indeed, even if various areas are affected at different times of the year, it does not necessarily mean your horse is experiencing summer dermatitis.

Here are a few hints that can help you find solutions to your problems.

many factors -internal or external- can explain skin irritations .They are not limited to one specific period of the year, but it can not be denied domestication contributed to weaken the horse immune system.

Insects :they are very numerous and appear when outside temperatures raise( during spring when larva hatch); Some others are to be found only in summer;others at "average " temperatures but with a high percentage of humidity in the air. All of them are more or less responsible for skin irritations. Different reasons can explain the latter: allergies (cullicoides), a single bite of horsefly ,lice or even parasites such as dust mites.

Parasitism and fungus: most of the time, they appear during fall(automn) but can be found anytime of the year. They are responsible for a great deal of problems.Moisture or lack of hygena make them proliferate and itching consequently triggered may be mistaken for dermatitis.

Food: generally speaking, internal disorder is rendered by external signs and very often by skin infections. As a matter of fact, horses react the same way as human beings. If the food is too rich, poor, insufficient or rich in selenium, it can cause itching. A horse that looks fine may not feel well inside.

Psychological condition: if your horse feels stressed, lonely or bored, it may have an impact on its health: it will be more inclined to develop dermatitis. These psychosomatic states can be diagnosed for horses as well as for human beings. 

Here is a list of "ennemies" to combat. Each of these ennemies are detailed to help you identify the one(s) responsible for itching; Once again, most "summer dermatitis" are in fact something else but when a summer dermatitis is confirmed, it can easily be brought down and even eliminated.

click on the name of insect to get more details

In order to combat these pests, there are many tips. In addition to the use of garlic and Derfen as repellent to relieve the itch, it is highly recommended to purify the horse's environment; always keep in mind that the midge and the horse should never meet.

-eliminate any unnecessary reservoirs of stagnant water.
-ventilate the stable by placing a fan
-the stable can be fly-screened
-fill in the holes(generally full of mud) at entrance of pastures
-clean the area of muck as often as possible and periodically disinfect horses' boxes thoroughly
-strict pasture management is recommended
-periodical grooming is necessary

Moisture must be tackled because it helps parasites or their larva to proliferate. None of them, except bees and hornets, hatch when weather conditions are dry.

You may find it hard to follow this set of recommendations but remember that horses like to move and will avoid "high-risk" areas; that is why domestication and enclosed environment must be as much as possible in compliance with their natural instinct.

See also  :

- how to avoid avoid itching

- winter dermatitis  on Vétocheval.com

- SSRD